Post by Budget on Jun 16, 2009 5:52:15 GMT -5
Panel approves Democrats' budget along party lines
Spending proposal now goes to full House, where another partisan vote is expected
Lawmakers took a step Monday toward creating a new state budget but remained as far apart as ever on an agreement needed to win the bipartisan support to pass a spending plan.
The Democrats' version of the proposed budget, House Bill 1001, was approved 15-10 on a straight party-line vote in the House Ways and Means Committee. The bill now heads to the full House for what is expected to be an equally partisan floor vote.
The proposal -- a one-year budget that differs greatly from the two-year plan Republican Gov. Mitch Daniels laid out this month -- is sure to be dismantled and rewritten in the Republican-controlled Senate.
Monday, House Ways and Means Chairman Bill Crawford, D-Indianapolis, called the differences between the two sides "immense" but said Democrats would "work cooperatively" with Daniels to reach an agreement by the June 30 deadline.
That's the end of the fiscal year, and Indiana has never gone to July 1 without a new state spending plan in place.
This, though, could be the year, said Rep. Jeff Espich, R-Uniondale. He said the two sides remain as far apart now as they were in January, when they began the regular legislative session that ended without a budget agreement on April 29.
The budget laid out by Democrats would give K-12 education about a 2 percent increase in state funding, while Daniels' proposal would rely solely on federal stimulus dollars for any increase for public schools. And while Daniels proposed cutting higher education by about 4 percent, Democrats would give universities an increase of almost 2 percent.
In five hours of testimony Monday, Democrats made other changes that underscored their differences with Daniels.
Although the governor has closed the Indiana Soldiers' and Sailors' Children's Home and handed over the grounds to a youth program run by the Indiana National Guard, the Democrats' proposed budget would allocate $10 million to keep the home open another year.
And while Daniels has set aside $7 million in his two-year budget to create online "virtual" charter schools, Democrats are instead trying to limit the growth of any charter schools, particularly in areas such as Indianapolis, where critics say they drain needed dollars from the existing school district.
Democrats dropped their proposal to limit the growth of charter schools to no more than one per district per year and instead adopted -- again, on straight party lines -- an amendment by Rep. Ed DeLaney, D-Indianapolis, that would limit charter schools to no more than 10 percent of the school buildings in any district without the approval of the local school board.
In Indianapolis Public Schools, DeLaney said, about 20 of the 92 school buildings are operated as charter schools. That's more than 10 percent, so any growth would come only with the IPS board's OK.
DeLaney said it was an attempt at a compromise that also would encourage charter schools to expand in other, nonurban areas. Republicans, though, said charter schools are in demand by parents in cities like Indianapolis.
Spending proposal now goes to full House, where another partisan vote is expected
Lawmakers took a step Monday toward creating a new state budget but remained as far apart as ever on an agreement needed to win the bipartisan support to pass a spending plan.
The Democrats' version of the proposed budget, House Bill 1001, was approved 15-10 on a straight party-line vote in the House Ways and Means Committee. The bill now heads to the full House for what is expected to be an equally partisan floor vote.
The proposal -- a one-year budget that differs greatly from the two-year plan Republican Gov. Mitch Daniels laid out this month -- is sure to be dismantled and rewritten in the Republican-controlled Senate.
Monday, House Ways and Means Chairman Bill Crawford, D-Indianapolis, called the differences between the two sides "immense" but said Democrats would "work cooperatively" with Daniels to reach an agreement by the June 30 deadline.
That's the end of the fiscal year, and Indiana has never gone to July 1 without a new state spending plan in place.
This, though, could be the year, said Rep. Jeff Espich, R-Uniondale. He said the two sides remain as far apart now as they were in January, when they began the regular legislative session that ended without a budget agreement on April 29.
The budget laid out by Democrats would give K-12 education about a 2 percent increase in state funding, while Daniels' proposal would rely solely on federal stimulus dollars for any increase for public schools. And while Daniels proposed cutting higher education by about 4 percent, Democrats would give universities an increase of almost 2 percent.
In five hours of testimony Monday, Democrats made other changes that underscored their differences with Daniels.
Although the governor has closed the Indiana Soldiers' and Sailors' Children's Home and handed over the grounds to a youth program run by the Indiana National Guard, the Democrats' proposed budget would allocate $10 million to keep the home open another year.
And while Daniels has set aside $7 million in his two-year budget to create online "virtual" charter schools, Democrats are instead trying to limit the growth of any charter schools, particularly in areas such as Indianapolis, where critics say they drain needed dollars from the existing school district.
Democrats dropped their proposal to limit the growth of charter schools to no more than one per district per year and instead adopted -- again, on straight party lines -- an amendment by Rep. Ed DeLaney, D-Indianapolis, that would limit charter schools to no more than 10 percent of the school buildings in any district without the approval of the local school board.
In Indianapolis Public Schools, DeLaney said, about 20 of the 92 school buildings are operated as charter schools. That's more than 10 percent, so any growth would come only with the IPS board's OK.
DeLaney said it was an attempt at a compromise that also would encourage charter schools to expand in other, nonurban areas. Republicans, though, said charter schools are in demand by parents in cities like Indianapolis.