Indiana budget includes $73M for new Purdue animal hospital
Purdue President Mitch Daniels had urged state lawmakers to approve funding for the new hospital, saying it's vital to Purdue's veterinary college and the state.
Purdue President Mitch Daniels had urged state lawmakers to approve funding for the new hospital, saying it's vital to Purdue's veterinary college and the state.
The Indiana General Assembly ended the 2019 legislative session Wednesday night after passing a $34.6 billion two-year budget with an emphasis on K-12 school funding.
Republican leaders on Tuesday afternoon released the final version of the two-year Indiana budget, which includes $539 million in additional base funding for K-12 education, and described it as a historic amount of funding for education.
The Senate version of the two-year, $34.6 billion budget allocates $22 million per year for the state’s 21st Century Research and Technology Fund. That’s $8 million less per year than in the current budget.
Supporters of Amtrak’s Indianapolis-to-Chicago service, including Sen. Ron Alting, R-Lafayette, rallied at the Statehouse on Wednesday to make a last-ditch appeal for the funding.
Indiana schools aren't being promised much additional money after the latest projections showing slower growth in state tax collections.
Some Indiana teachers don't believe the latest Republican-backed state budget plan does enough to support public schools—and legislative leaders are warning that they might even be faced with tightening up that spending proposal.
The Indiana Senate approved its two-year state budget proposal Tuesday morning, setting up final budget negotiations between both chambers as lawmakers close out the last two weeks of this year’s General Assembly.
A new state budget plan would send some more money to Indiana schools but at a level short of what advocacy groups say is needed for meaningful teacher pay raises.
Amtrak on Monday issued an official notice that it plans to suspend operation of the Hoosier State line, which provides Indianapolis-to-Chicago service, starting July 1. The state hasn’t included funding for the line in its next budget.
For Indianapolis Public Schools, the proposed cuts could mean $7 million less to meet the needs of its students from low-income families between now and 2021.
The first half of the legislative session was generally quiet (save an emotional debate about a hate-crimes bill) but that might just be the calm before the storm.
The proposed budget includes an additional $286 million per year requested by the Indiana Department of Child Services and increases K-12 spending slightly more than suggested by Gov. Eric Holcomb.
The Indiana House Ways and Means Committee fended off amendments and objections from Democrats on Tuesday and ushered the bill to the full House for consideration.
The spending plan includes the additional $286 million per year requested by the Indiana Department of Child Services, covers increases in Medicaid costs, and hikes K-12 spending by 2.1 percent in 2020 and 2.2 percent in 2021, which is slightly higher than the 2 percent annual increase suggested by Holcomb.
Supporters are fighting for continued public funding of the Indianapolis-to-Chicago rail service—even as they acknowledge the route’s travel times and ridership levels need improvement.
One of Gov. Eric Holcomb’s top priorities for the legislative session passed the Indiana House on Tuesday afternoon with nearly unanimous support.
On Tuesday night, Holcomb said in his State of the State speech that the state will use $150 million from its surplus to pay off a teacher pension liability that schools have been gradually paying down.
The goal for school districts would be to use 85 percent or more of their state funding for instruction-related costs, such as teacher salaries.
Members of the General Assembly return Thursday to the Indiana Statehouse in Indianapolis for a session expected to last until late April. Budget issues are expected to dominate the session.