STATEHOUSE - Indiana is feeling a bit like poor parents in December. Parents want to provide great presents for their children, but sometimes the money just isn't there. They could max out the credit card, but that choice would come back to haunt them later, after the holiday spirit has faded. Indiana's March revenue report shows the state took in 9.5 percent - about $87 million - less than was forecast. That's 15 percent less than March last year. The decrease in revenue means legislators who decide on the budget bill's final version during the last weeks of April will have fewer resources available than we assumed when we created the first draft earlier this session. Like those hard-hit parents, we're going to have to make some choices in deciding what's truly important. Toys or food? Funding vital programs Indiana already has in place or creating new programs? This session, we've had a lot of positive programs and bills. Legislators on both sides of the aisle have encouraging ideas for solving problems such as education inequality and health-care programs. Many of these bills have sound reasoning and are sincerely directed at positive change for Indiana, but they have fiscal implications that make their feasibility limited right now. Instead, Indiana needs to make sure that we can fund our current services. Indiana has an obligation to keep education strong in our state. We must maintain funding for the Department of Child Services to guarantee the safety of our children. And the Major Moves must stay intact. Therefore, I will have some tough decisions to make, as will the other 99 state representatives. There are deserving bills we all want enacted, but the money to fund them just isn't there. Indiana's decrease in March revenue underscores a final important point: It is crucial our reserves are left alone when we're formulating the budget. The fact that March revenue was below our expectations tells us plainly this ride isn't over yet. Our reserves may be needed before this is over, so we should not allocate them to new programs before we know whether our core services will need a monetary boost. It's hard to watch the state pinch pennies when there are so many deserving programs that should be funded. We can't test all our new ideas this session, but we will not shortchange the people of Indiana. My votes will be both compassionate and smart. Please continue to contact me. I need your input to know what concerns weigh most heavily on residents of southwestern Indiana to guide my voting. I can be reached by e-mail at h78@in.gov, by phone at 1-800-382-9841 or by writing me at the Statehouse, 200 W. Washington St., Indianapolis, IN 46204. |
