Continuously serving Kosciusko County since 1854
Deficit spending and lack of property tax reform are two reasons Kosciusko County's state legislators voted against the proposed state budget.
Rep. David Wolkins (R-Winona Lake) and Sen. Kent Adams (R-Bremen) said they voted against the budget in part because it spends $800 million more than it takes in.
"It's a major deficit budget," Wolkins said last week.
The Senate passed the two-year $17.6 billion budget package with a vote of 35-15; it was rejected in the closing minutes of the legislative session last week by House Republicans, and fell one vote short of being passed. All 50 House Democrats voted for the budget.
Republicans charged the proposed budget would spend $800 million more than all the tax revenues collected by the state, which would reduce Indiana's $1.8 billion surplus to less than $1 billion.
Many Republicans campaigned last fall on a platform calling for property tax reform, and the budget failed to provide much reform or relief, Wolkins said.
Both said they disliked the way the final proposed budget was distributed only 20 minutes before midnight April 29. Because of the time crunch, legislators didn't have an adequate amount of time to read and analyze the budget.
"There was no reason for it to come down to the last minute as it did," Wolkins said.
"That budget's going to have to change drastically," Adams said.
Adams finds fault with the large number of pork projects dedicated to Michiana, the home of new Lt. Gov. Joe Kernan. South Bend area projects included in the budget are $500,000 for the Collegiate Hall of Fame in South Bend, $300,000 library renovation in Mishawaka, $150,000 for street repairs in St. Joe County and $250,000 for John Adams High School.
Adams said he believes there is a disproportionate number of projects for that area while other communities are being neglected.
Both lawmakers continue to support one of the biggest projects in the state budget - $350,000 for the Billy Sunday Museum in Winona Lake. The project was originally earmarked for $500,000.
Adams said he could envision the museum project being cut even more before the budget stalemate is resolved.
The project is financed through lottery proceeds.
Adams said he's upset with the public school spending plan in which the state is providing an average of 4.8 percent in additional monies over the next two years. But Warsaw Community School Corp. would get 3.8 percent the first year and 3.1 percent the following year, he said.
"I don't understand why some schools are getting more than others," Adams said.
Wolkins said he also believes the $60 million in additional funding comes "with very little accountability."
The problem, he said, is that 80 percent of education money goes to teachers' salaries, "and I'm not sure how much good that's going to do for education."
Wolkins expects Gov. Frank O'Bannon to call the legislature into a special budget session around the first of June.
