Kenley
Indiana lawmakers today voted in support of the final version of the biennial state budget, sending the fiscal blueprint for state operations to the governor for his consideration, according to State Rep. Tim Brown (R-Crawfordsville) and State Sen. Luke Kenley (R-Noblesville).
Brown, chair of the House Committee on Ways and Means and the State Budget Committee, said Indiana will continue operating within its means while funding key services like education under the $32 billion balanced budget.
“The honestly balanced budget now in the hands of the governor keeps Indiana’s spending in check while wisely investing taxpayer dollars,” Brown said. “In Indiana, we do not spend more than we take in. We work to maintain healthy reserves to protect us against unforeseen economic downturns and maintain our AAA credit rating in order to save money. Because of this, we inherit opportunities, not deficits. Now we can increase funding for education, public safety and workforce development, all while remaining fiscally prudent.”
Kenley, who chairs the Senate Committee on Appropriations and is a member of the State Budget Committee, said he is pleased with the two-year fiscal plan, which provides increased funding for education, Hoosier veterans and economic development.
“This budget maintains Indiana’s track record of fiscal integrity, keeping state spending within our means,” Kenley said. “This budget invests significantly in our schools and provides a much-needed increase for the Department of Child Services, new funding to combat drug addiction, and adds funds to help our Hoosier veterans access their benefits. In addition to funding our priorities, we have $1.9 billion in reserves to protect taxpayers in the event of an economic downturn.”
According to Brown and Kenley, the budget increases funding for K-12 schools by $345 million over the biennium, provides modest funding increases for higher education and increases state funding for Indiana’s high-quality pre-K pilot program by $10 million, which helps low-income, at-risk students.
The approved budget includes an increase in Indiana State Police salaries, increases the state income tax deduction for military pensions and funding to address the state’s opioid epidemic.
The budget also provides $1.82 million for veteran service organizations to improve assistance for veterans seeking benefits and $1 million to help homeless veterans and to establish a hyperbaric treatment pilot program to help veterans struggling with post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD).
The budget allocates $10 million to the governor’s office for substance abuse prevention, treatment and enforcement, increases funding for the Department of Child Services by $200 million over two years to help meet the significant increase in casework demands, and provides a $3 million-per-year increase for Adult Protective Services.
Investments are also made for innovation and workforce development, including efforts to advance bioscience research in Indiana and programs that deliver high-value training to Hoosier workers like the WorkINdiana program.
House Enrolled Act 1001 has been sent to the governor for his consideration.