The General Assembly should have made more tough decisions during the session. I understand that, in a troubling economy, tough decisions can be hard to make because no matter what you do, someone gets upset. But as legislators, it is our duty to make those decisions. Two of the session's biggest issues were the state budget and unemployment insurance fund. I voted "no" against the proposed legislation for both of these issues. The bills that came out of committee did not, in my opinion, provide acceptable solutions to Indiana's problems. House Bill 1379, the unemployment insurance bill, passed the House by a party-line 52-46 vote. If the House Democrats would have given us the opportunity to make a few changes, the bill would have been a better piece of legislation, and we would have been able to support it. But unfortunately, because of partisan politics, too many things were left out. At a time when Indiana's unemployment rate has reached double digits, we should focus on putting Hoosiers back to work, not taxing employers to the point they cannot create jobs. Under the bill, state taxes on employers will increase by almost $700 million because of the hike in the wage base from $7,000 to $9,500. And Hoosier employers will lose more than $50 million over the next two years in federal unemployment tax credits because, under HB 1379, Indiana will not be able to repay the loan in a timely manner. This effectively equals $700 million in tax increases on employers over the next two years. Don't forget: The fund is expected to take in approximately $500 million this year while paying out more than $1.4 billion in benefits. With the current economy, it may very well get worse. The budget was another mess. It is unfortunate we could not come to an agreement about what the budget should have included. It would have helped if the House Republicans were included throughout the budget-crafting process, but we were not. The budget bill that came before us in the final hours of session was everything I was afraid it would be. It failed by a 27-71 vote. The proposed budget would have wiped out the state's reserves, created a structural deficit of more than $800 million for the next budget cycle, misused the one-time federal stimulus money and led Indiana to a tax increase within two years. Overall, it was a disappointing session because too many people were afraid to take on the leadership role and do what was right - and necessary - for Indiana. Now, we are heading into a special session, which no one wanted. I hope this time the General Assembly will tackle issues, such as the budget, with participation by all four caucuses. I expect everyone to step up, play the role they were elected to play and be true representatives of their districts. We cannot create another budget that proposes a two-year deficit of $1.6 billion. We must stand up, take the hard licks and do what is best for the people of Indiana. |
