Thus far, the month of November has been anything but boring. We started off the month with nine new members being added to the Indiana House of Representatives, we took pause the following week to honor our veterans for their noble sacrifices and much to everyone’s surprise, we recently had our first notable accumulation of snow. Although the interim tends to be less exhilarating than the legislative session, now that we held our first official meeting of the 119th General Assembly last Tuesday, known as Organization Day, the energy has already started to pick up. If you have never been to the Statehouse while session is in full-swing, I encourage you to go. I guarantee it is unlike anything you have experienced, and it is difficult to describe in words, especially as a lawmaker. It reminds me of that feeling you get just before the clock strikes midnight on New Year’s Eve; when you are surrounded by friends and family. On one hand, you are reflecting on the past, reminiscing on the good times and bad, and on the other, you are looking towards the future. That is how a new legislative session feels, particularly for those of us who are always looking for ways to better our communities and state. Although the Legislature will not meet again until after the first of the year, Organization Day was significant for a variety of reasons. It marks the ceremonial start of another session, new members are sworn in and legislators can begin filing bills. Each legislator brings their own ideas and solutions to the table, but together, we have an overall vision on how to improve the state. Organization Day provided the perfect opportunity to come together once again and recommit to these priorities. Each year presents its own challenges, but since we know this will be a budget session, I believe we have a responsibility to live within our means and pass an honestly balanced budget. Although the state’s budget is larger and a little more complex than a typical family’s budget, we use the same guiding principles in crafting it that every Hoosier family uses when managing their own finances. When someone receives a paycheck, they must first pay obligations like rent and utilities. Once those are taken care of, then they can start to pay down any outstanding debts they may have. Whatever is left over can be used to purchase non-necessities and save for the future. When it comes to looking at our state’s budget, I examine it with these same criteria. In the back of my mind, I am constantly asking myself, if this were my family budget, and my family’s hard-earned dollars, is this how I would spend it? These are the budgeting principles that I was brought up on, and if we wish to leave our state in a strong financial position for our children and grandchildren, they are the principles we must continue to govern by. I am eager to begin working on the budget, among other important pieces of legislation, and I look forward to working together to find solutions on the issues Hoosiers care about most. -30- |
