Budget: State Senate OKs 2-year bill
Indiana Senate Republicans passed their version of a two-year state budget bill on Tuesday, setting the stage for a showdown with the Democrat led-House as lawmakers try to pass a new budget before the current one expires June 30. Senate Republicans billed their $28.5 billion, two-year budget — which includes about $1 billion in federal stimulus money — as fiscally prudent given the economy’s drag on state revenues. It would leave about $1 billion in reserves by July 2011. That’s the minimum amount that Republican Gov. Mitch Daniels wants in the bank at the end of two years. In a symbolic show of unity, minority House Republicans joined Senate leaders in calling on House Democrats to accept the Senate’s budget bill.
Act would build housing after floods
Sen. Evan Bayh is pushing to make $230 million funding available for housing development in flood-ravaged areas. On Tuesday, the Indiana Democrat proposed the Disaster State Housing Recovery Act, which makes funding immediately available to begin work on shovel-ready affordable housing projects. The legislation could create up to 1,728 new jobs in Indiana, according to the National Association of Home Builders. Because of the economic downturn, the number of new residential construction projects initiated each month has dropped 80 percent since the industry’s 2006 peak, the lowest in 13 years.
Daniels on road to push budget plan
Indiana Gov. Mitch Daniels is traveling in the southern part of the state to talk about the special legislative session and negotiations on a new state budget. Daniels will visit Terre Haute and Evansville Wednesday, and will go Thursday to New Albany, Madison and Lawrenceburg. The Republican governor is urging Democrats who control the Indiana House to sign off on a budget proposed by the GOP-led Senate. Daniels says that budget is acceptable to him and that House Democrats should accept the proposal without any changes.
