Despite criticizing the latest stimulus package, Indiana Gov. Mitch Daniels said he will ask the federal government to send
the state more than $435 million for schools and Medicaid.
Indiana Gov. Mitch Daniels says the state's current assessment is that education funding will not have to be reduced further
after $300 million in cuts this year.
The State Budget Agency reported Wednesday that Indiana collected $917 million in July, $15 million below the most recent
revenue projections.
Officials say most of the university's nearly 20,000 employees statewide didn't receive any pay increases last year.
As Indiana’s reserves dwindle toward zero and federal stimulus money disappears, trying to keep political debate friendly
and the budget in the black will be quite a challenge. Half a year before they must craft the next state budget, Democrats
and Republicans already are squabbling.
Indiana brought in $957 million less in revenue than it budgeted for fiscal year 2010, forcing it to use almost half its reserves,
Indiana State Auditor Tim Berry announced Friday morning.
A new report says health insurance for Indiana's public schools and universities could cost at least $450 million less annually if they joined the state's plan for public employees.
Indiana's latest effort to cut spending will leave the state office that provides copies of birth and death certificates
open to the public only four days a week.
The State Budget Agency said Thursday that collections through 11 months of the current fiscal year stand about $1 billion
below the budget passed by the General Assembly in June 2009.
Minority Leader Vi Simpson, D-Bloomington, said the Republican governor’s budget director told her that a comprehensive list
of executive branch budget reductions wasn’t available. She said that’s unacceptable.
Committee Chairman Sen. Luke Kenley says it's "vital" for state officials to get a handle on the fiscal impact
of the health care changes as they begin the early stages of putting together the next two-year state budget.
Indiana has missed budget projections for nine out of the last 10 months. April tax collections hit their lowest mark since
2004.
State revenues are $867 million, or 9.4 percent, less than forecast through the first nine months of the current fiscal year.
Tax collections in March totaled $908 million, or $7 million more than for the same month last year.
Indiana had suspended the fund for the Indiana Recycling Market Development Program last year. And last June, it shifted $11
million from the fund that finances loan and grant programs to attract recycling businesses to Indiana to the state's
main checking account.
The full Indiana House returned to the Statehouse after a five-day break, but partisan differences remained over an unemployment
insurance tax bill.
Tax collections for February fell $86 million below a revised December forecast. Revenue is down $166 million in the first
three months since that forecast.
The Indiana House approved legislation Wednesday that would repeal an unemployment-insurance tax increase and approved a package
of tax credits and other incentives designed to create jobs.
The state's eight public television and radio stations, including WFYI in Indianapolis, will not receive their final two
installments of public funding for fiscal 2010 because of Indiana's budget crisis.
Officials in Seymour are protesting the announced closing of an Indiana State Police post in their city.
