| Start Date: | 6/2/2009 | All Day | | | End Date: | 6/2/2009 | | |
STATEHOUSE - State Representative Bill Friend (R-Macy) endorsed Gov. Mitch Daniels' budget proposal, saying it protects taxpayers, supports public education and public safety, and maintains a healthy state reserve balance.
"The governor's budget proposal is tough medicine," said Rep. Friend. "It would make deep cuts in spending, in every department except public safety and education. That would allow the state to operate with a declining revenue stream."
Gov. Daniels gave the people of Indiana a glimpse of his proposed budget and Rep. Friend strongly supports the principles contained in the budget proposal, which include:
- PROTECTING TAXPAYERS through across-the-board spending cuts, except for K-12 education and public safety. This ensures the state will live within its means while protecting against future tax increases.
- CREATING JOBS by an investment of $450 million in capital projects at state universities in addition to $1 billion in road and bridge projects, paving the way for investment and expansion in Hoosier hometowns across our state.
- PROTECTING EDUCATION. Most schools will see an average increase of 2 percent over the biennium, and all school corporations will get more money per child than they receive today. In addition, should state revenues exceed the amounts forecasted, an "education trigger" would automatically invest $1 for every $2 of excess revenues received.
- MAINTAINING HEALTHY RESERVES. The plan also calls for preserving $1 billion of the state's emergency funds to help keep Indiana fiscally strong during these difficult economic times.
Here is what Gov. Daniels' proposal avoids:
35 states are cutting education.
40 states are raising taxes.
31 states are doing both.
Under this budget proposal, Indiana is doing neither.
"This will be a difficult budget to administer," said Rep. Friend. "Some government programs and proposals will be cut back or will just have to wait."
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