Republicans reject cascade of Democratic amendments to budget

The Republican Senate supermajority spent nearly four hours beating back attempts to amend the state’s two-year budget on Monday ahead of a key deadline, mostly spurning ideas from their Democratic colleagues.

The body opted to accept just three changes to House Bill 1001, including one to clarify that the Midwest Continental Divide Commission would get $4 million over the biennium—and not $2 million—and another reviving a specialty license plate.

But another 60-plus amendments, mostly from the chamber’s 10-member Democratic caucus, were rejected.

Sen. Andrea Hunley, still emotional after getting her amendment to require doula reimbursement defeated without discussion, decried lack of support for Democratic motions related to health care.

“Those aren’t partisan issues. At least, they shouldn’t be. But not a single one was accepted—at least not yet. I’m going to be optimistic,” said Hunley, D-Indianapolis. “Our state’s budget is intended to be a reflection of our values in our state … (and) our Hoosiers deserve better than a chorus of ‘no,’ ‘no,’ no.’”

Saying ‘no’ to Democrats…

At various points, Democrats tried to increase funding for subsidized child care and tuition support.

One such amendment from Sen. Fady Qaddoura separated curricular materials from the overall formula—funding them at $244 million rather than $160 million—while another boosted complexity funding to support impoverished students.

Qaddoura’s motions, like others, were quashed with little discussion.

Republicans also rejected Democratic amendments to raise funds through cigarette, alcohol or gaming taxes, sometimes known as sin taxes.

Speaking on cigarette taxes, Sen. Ryan Mishler said that he wanted to “keep all options open,” but wished to wait until the revenue forecast slated for Wednesday before implementing a tax increase.

Mishler, R-Mishawaka, is the Senate sponsor for House Bill 1001 and chief budget architect for Senate Republicans.

“We may not have a full budget forecast but we already know … it’s going to be very, very tight,” countered Sen. Shelli Yoder, D-Bloomington.

Public health advocates have long sought an increase to the cigarette tax in Indiana, which has one of the lowest taxation rates in the region. But senators have repeatedly batted away such increases even after House lawmakers advanced them in back-to-back budget cycles.

In a perennial effort, one suggestion sought to create a pathway for legalizing marijuana for recreational purposes, arguing that it would reduce the legal burden imposed on courts for minor possession, provide veterans and other first responders with requested medicinal relief and bring much-needed revenue to the state.

Many Hoosiers, said Sen. Rodney Pol, already cross into Illinois, Michigan and Ohio to legally purchase cannabis. The majority of Hoosiers support legalizing marijuana to a certain extent, according to public policy polling.

“This is a conversation that we just keep avoiding and it’s just inevitable,” said Pol, D-Chesterton.

The amendment, like the ones proposing sin tax increases, was defeated on a voice vote.

… and rejecting Republican ideas

Even ideas that had previously passed the chamber were voted down by Republicans when suggested by Democrats, including an effort that would have established a newborn tax credit.

“Raising a child is incredibly costly, especially as the cost of living continues to rise and more families struggle to make ends meet,” said Pol. “Parents are stretching their budgets to afford diapers, secure reliable child care and care for their own mental health.”

A bill from Sen. Greg Walker, R-Columbus, to create just that passed out of the chamber unanimously in February but died in the House without a hearing. No Republican spoke on the amendment to say why it was defeated on Monday.

And while the House version of the budget struck a tax on the period products, Senate budget writers nixed that proposal.

“These are very necessary products,” said Hunley. “What I’m really asking us to do is stay in alignment with what our bipartisan friends in the House did.”

The sole Republican to speak on the amendment, Sen. Liz Brown, compared purchasing period products to other expenses for children, such as sports equipment.

“That becomes an essential item in your budget. Whether it’s a new pair of sneakers, making sure your kid has soccer cleats, making sure you can pay for a jersey—whatever it is. All those items that you purchase become essential,” said Brown, R-Fort Wayne.

Hunley’s amendment, which also exempted the sales tax on adult diapers, and Yoder’s amendment on just period products were both rejected.

Even Gov. Mike Braun’s ideas didn’t get the greenlight from Senate Republicans.

Qaddoura introduced a measure that would have created a school tax holiday for student supplies. However, Mishler pointed to concerns from retailers around implementing it as well as concerns about potential future expansions.

One Republican senator who does not caucus with the GOP also had his proposals defeated, though some colleagues broke ranks with the supermajority to support his ideas.

Sen. Mike Young, R-Indianapolis, introduced four separate efforts that were all rejected, including the expansion of the homestead exemption for senior citizens and requiring the Senate wait 24 hours after a conference committee report on the budget before calling a concurrence vote.

On the latter, he pointed to the 2023 budget vote, when a last-minute adjustment to school runs upended a seemingly routine process—meaning that a newly written budget was published just a few hours before the final vote.

“That’s not fair. It’s not fair to us; it’s not fair to our constituents that we don’t have enough time to read and understand what’s in the most important bill we pass,” said Young.

Though a general practice, the Senate doesn’t have a firm rule. Citing that tradition, Mishler asked for the amendment to be rejected.

A full vote on the budget is expected in the Senate Tuesday but the spending plan will likely change following the forecast revenue on Wednesday.

The Indiana Capital Chronicle is an independent, not-for-profit news organization that covers state government, policy and elections.