By Hope Shrum

TheStatehouseFile.com

INDIANAPOLIS—An amendment to the state budget bill from Indiana Senate Republicans proposed scaling back funding for the private school voucher program and increasing funding for public K-12 schools.

The state budget—House Bill 1001—unanimously passed through the Senate Committee on Appropriations Thursday after the Republicans’ amendment passed. Senate Democrats proposed several amendments to the budget as well, all of which failed in 4-9 votes, with only the Democrats in the committee voting yes.

The Republicans proposed an additional $875 million for K-12 funding over the next two fiscal years and cut back the extension of the nonpublic school vouchers, which would not make as many middle-class families eligible as the House suggested.

The Senate Republicans also significantly cut the amount of funding the House proposed for the creation of the Education Scholarship Account Program. The House set aside $19 million for the program, but the Senate Republicans reduced it to just $3 million.

Some other details the amendment changes from the House’s version:

• Provides $150 million to address student learning loss due to the pandemic
• Expands broadband access with $250 million in federal dollars
• Allocates $100 million of federal funding to the Family and Social Services Administration to address mental health issues
• Appropriates $110 million to pay off debt and save $10 million in interest

The Senate Committee on Appropriations’ version of the state budget will now go to the Senate floor for a vote before heading back to the House for its review. Any differences would need to be resolved in a conference committee.

FOOTNOTE: Hope Shrum is a reporter for TheStatehouseFile.com, a news website powered by Franklin College journalism students.