The budget proposal from Indiana House Republicans increases K-12 public education. The two-year spending plan is adding $344-million or a little more than 3%. Higher education also would get about a 3.5% more.
The GOP proposal does not include a 10% income tax cut, which Governor Mike Pence has been pushing. It also does not assume there will be any taxpayer refund at the end of the budget cycle.
Still, budget author and Ways and Means Chairman Tim Brown (R-Crawfordsville) says he’s not ruling the tax cut out.
“I’m not saying there’s not enough money. I’m saying that we’ll have to have, again, discussion of priorities going forward and the debate of more information coming as the session goes through. We still have a long process toward the end.”
House Minority Leader Scott Pelath (D-Michigan City) says House Democrats will call for a vote on the tax cut when the budget bill reaches the full House…and says there will be some Democratic support.
“We’re not the ones that have to tell Governor Pence, ‘No.’ But I’m going to give him credit for something – he has had an idea. He campaigned on it, he got elected on it, the people of Indiana have spoken and we need to give that consideration.”
In a statement, Governor Pence said he’s very disappointed in the House Republican budget proposal and pledged to continue to fight for his tax cut.
