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Last updated on Tuesday, May 5, 2009
(STATEHOUSE) - The governor’s call for a reduction in spending plans draws a challenge from the legislative leadership.
Speaker of the House Patrick Bauer (D-South Bend) says Governor Mitch Daniels needs to "come forward with a budget" of his own. Bauer says he wants a budget that creates jobs and maintains funding for schools.
Senate Appropriations Chairman Luke Kenley (R-Noblesville) questions the governor's call for a billion dollar reduction. Kenley says it's not likely that revenues will remain this low for the next two years.
But Kenley says he told Daniels the budget that failed to pass might have required the use of the governor's own budget cutting authority, and that was before the new revenue report.
Are the legislators passing off the tough decisions? Bauer says Daniels "hasn't made any tough decisions yet so I don't know that that's what we're doing."
And what about the cash crisis faced by the Capital Improvement Board? Will that come up in the special session? Kenley could only say he hopes so.
Kenley suggests the leadership meet with the governor and "agree to some ground rules" before Daniels issues the call for the expected session.
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