This was our first chance to see what the new governor feels is important for our state. His priorities tell us how we are going to fund the operations of state government for the next two years.
Based on what we have seen so far, here are my initial thoughts on the budget:
In presenting the document, the governor’s people made a big point about it increasing funding for our public schools by 1 percent in each of the next two years.
These negligible increases cannot overcome the financial challenges faced by our school systems.
We can’t forget about the fact that state support for these same schools was cut by $600 million over the past four years. I don’t think that point has been forgotten by many local people across this state who felt the impact of those cuts in the form of programs that were eliminated and personnel forced out of work.
We must have a recommitment to our traditional school system.
I believe our first priority in education should be to make our schools whole again by restoring the investments promised to them these past few years.
In “Meet Your Legislators†this past Saturday, EVSC Superintendent David Smith confirmed this priority.
This should be the starting point in any discussion of education funding.
I also noticed the governor has included his plan to cut state income taxes for individuals by more than a half-million dollars the next two years.
My feelings are that this tax cut must have full and careful review. Any tax cut approved by the Legislature should meet the goal of both stimulating new jobs and increasing the earnings of the middle class.
These are the people who need the help the most. These are the people whose household median incomes are more than $4,000 behind the rest of the country.
These are the hard working Hoosiers who excite our economy by spending their paychecks on their children, their children’s education, food and clothing, home and expensive utilities.
I believe Gov. Pence should have the chance to state his case for his plan before the General Assembly. He has earned that right.
But to date, it has been interesting to see that the most objections to cutting income taxes have come from members of the governor’s own party.
For now, the focal point for discussions on the budget will be in the Indiana House of Representatives. Our Ways & Means Committee will be debating it the next few weeks, then all of us in the House will have our chance to talk about it, probably starting in February.
This is the one document that demands your attention this year, and I hope to talk to you about it many times in the weeks to come.
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Please contact me if you have any questions, comments or concerns related to our state government. Here is how you can stay in touch: call my office toll-free at 1-800-382-9842; write to me in care of the Indiana House of Representatives, 200 W. Washington St., Indianapolis, IN 46204; or email me at h77@iga.in.govThis e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it .
The people who are most responsible for funding Vanderburgh County schools are the taxtpayers who live, work, and conduct business here. We have no business asking for state funding for education until we have exhausted our ability to raise local tax revenue. It’s time to stop passing the buck until it is absolutely necessary todo so!
Was this missive from Gail postmarked in Illinois?
So what’s it gonna be Gail? DCS, Roads and Highways, or public education? You can’t be FOR all of them Gail! Math does not add up.
None of the others seem to be doing better. Maybe Vaneta Becker can chime in and let us know how important it is to sing the national anthem right?!? Or Jim Tomes can remind us how important switchblades are to handicapped people?!? Or the importance of passing laws against drones flying overhead?!?
Get real! If you are going to start passing laws to counter federal laws, then we need to have a serious conversation about seceding from the union. Otherwise, it is fruitless.
It seems only Ron Bacon has his head on right in the south.
FF
Gail thank you for looking out for our children and especially the state of Indiana’s education system. I especially like your stance on making sure all Hoosier children can write in cursive. I would hope also you would consider making a push to include typing on manual typewriters (not those newfangled electric jobs that heavy fingers lead to multiple letters). Kiddo’s stock up on onion skin…
Who uses manual typewriters anymore? What good would this ever do? Yeah, only if you are in the dark with no power and no other means of communicating (besides writing manually) and you actually want to force yourself to type using the old strikehammer keys (that does not include all of today’s keysets)?!?
While your at it, let’s bring rotary dial telephones back for the “heavy fingered”. Har!
Obviously my attempt at sarcasim was lost on you Friend….
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