Governor’s Recommendations for the State’s Budget
As most of you know, the governor proposed his recommendations for the 2010-2011 state budget this week. If you missed the televised broadcast, below are some brief highlights that were included in his proposal.
■ NO TAX INCREASES. Indiana is one of only eight states that plans to avoid an increase in taxes.
■ Protects against future economic decline by maintaining a prudent level of reserves.
■ Reduces spending, compared to the current 2008-2009 budget.
■ The ONLY increase in the budget is for public K-12 education and public safety.
– School corporations will receive an average increase of 2 percent.
– Creates an “Education Trigger,” an automatic additional funding mechanism for K-12 education if actual revenues exceed forecast. For every two dollars actual revenues exceed forecast, one dollar will automatically go to education.
The following information compares Indiana’s state of education to other states:
■ At least 35 states have proposed cutting funding for education or have already cut funding for K-12 education.
■ Alabama cut K-12 education funding by 13 percent, the biggest cut to education for the state in 48 years.
■ New York has proposed cuts in education funding by 13 percent to all school districts.
■ California cut K-12 education funding by more than 16 percent.
■ State education grants to school districts have also been cut in Alabama, Connecticut, Delaware, Georgia, Iowa, Kansas, Kentucky, Maine, Mississippi, Ohio, Oregon, Utah, Washington and Virginia.
■ Indiana is one of only five states to accomplish having no state tax increases AND no education cuts. All of the surrounding states have done both, cut education and increase taxes.
State legislators will be entering special session on June 11, 2009 at 1 p.m. to deliberate their version of the budget. It is my hope that legislators will use the governor’s proposed budget as a roadmap to establish a balanced budget that will keep Indiana moving forward.
I encourage all my constituents to stay tuned. If you want to see the action as it occurs, you can log onto www.in.gov/legislative/session/video.html and watch delegations on the House or Senate Floor and in the Ways and Means committee meetings. You can also view the governor’s budget proposal telecast online when you log onto www.in.gov.
Community News: State Fair Hosting Job Fair
The Indiana State Fair is hoping to draw a crowd to fill more than 800 positions during it’s first-ever job fair. Most of the jobs are temporary positions that cover the duration of the fair, August 7-23, but some will begin in July.
The job fair will be located in the Pioneer Our Land Pavilion at the State Fairgrounds on June 4 from 4-7 p.m. and June 6 from 10 a.m.-2 p.m.
More than 800 positions will be available, including: ticket sellers, ticket takers, gate supervisors, parking attendants, parking supervisors, grounds maintenance, barn cleaners, security personnel, receptionists, visitor information booth attendants, cashiers and shuttle bus drivers.
“I encourage anyone interested to take advantage of the opportunity, especially students that are home for the summer or someone looking for something exciting to do this summer,” said Rep. Woody Burton (R-Greenwood). “The Indiana State Fair offers a great opportunity for Hoosier families to see a wide variety of entertainment through exhibits, events and performers while showcasing agriculture and Indiana’s heritage. Anytime you can visit or, in this case, work at the fair, I encourage you to do so.”
Interviews will be conducted on site and resumes are welcome. Informal dress is fine. For more information, contact the Indiana State Fairgrounds at (317) 927-7614 or employment@indianastatefair.com.
Stay in touch:
If you have any questions or comments concerning these issues, please contact me. I enjoy hearing from constituents to find better ways to serve you. Contact me by phone at 1-800-382-9841 or e-mail at h58@iga.in.gov.
