The state of Indiana functions on a biennial budget. Every two years, lawmakers work together to pass a law outlining appropriations for Medicaid, higher education, health services, public safety, general government, capital projects and K-12 education. My goal for the next state budget is to make sure we keep it responsibly balanced and remain prudent with taxpayer’s money, while adequately funding vital services like education and public safety.
The first step in the process is for the governor to draft a budget proposal and then present it to the State Budget Committee. This already occurred in early January. From there, the legislative budget process starts in the House of Representatives’ Committee on Ways and Means. Beginning with the governor’s recommendations, the committee takes testimony from state agencies, like the Department of Natural Resources and the Department of Health, on what funding they believe they need to continue operating. Once all state-funded groups have presented their budget breakdown, members of the committee examine the state’s revenue forecast for the next two years and put together a comprehensive plan for the entire House to approve.
The majority of the state budget – 52 percent – goes to K-12 education. With more than half of Indiana’s General Fund going to the state’s education system, lawmakers are trying to find ways to channel more money directly into classrooms. This means saving teachers out-of-pocket expenses, increasing their take-home pay and improving classroom equipment. On top of the K-12 funding, Indiana sets aside another portion of the budget – 12 percent – toward higher education.
Another budgetary priority is health care. Medicaid takes nearly 13 percent – $4 billion – of the budget. Indiana’s Medicaid expansion, the Healthy Indiana Plan, also known as HIP 2.0, is nearly another $3 billion – 9 percent of the budget.
As the chair of the House Committee on Veterans Affairs and Public Safety and a retired firefighter, it is also my goal to ensure our budget adequately addresses Indiana’s public safety needs. Currently, it accounts for only 1 percent of our total general fund expenditures. When House Republicans announced our legislative agenda, we said raising Indiana State Police salaries would be a top priority. The governor echoed this in his budget proposal. It’s important we offer salaries competitive to other municipalities and states in order to attract and retain these highly trained professionals.
When it comes to crafting the budget, I will remain committed to serving as a responsible steward of your taxpayer dollars, balancing the need to fund critical government services with a commitment to keep taxes low and passing a balanced budget. We will not saddle future generations with mountains of debt.
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State Rep. Frye (R-Greensburg) represents House District 67, which includes Ohio, Ripley and Switzerland counties, as well as portions of Decatur, Jennings, Jefferson and Dearborn counties.
A high-resolution photo of Frye can be downloaded by clicking here.
