STATEHOUSE UPDATE
With a little more than 8 hours to go before the end of session deadline, Indiana House Republicans are crying foul over the current tentative budget agreement and say they won’t support the measure unless there is more tax relief for Hoosiers. Minority Leader Brian Bosma called the plan for a tax rebate check a “hair-brained scheme” authoored by House Speaker Pat Bauer.
Republicans are demanding an addition $50 million in property tax relief, $5 million in education tax credits and the removal of language that would mandate no more than 55 percent of the 14-member Ivy Tech State Community College Board be of the same political party.
Bosma says the tax relief can be paid for by reducing spending increases in certain programs such as the Indiana Public Defender Commission and Tobacco Use and Prevention program.
Bosma would not say if all three proposals had to pass before House Republicans signed on the budget, however he did say there were no votes for the budget plan in its current form.
Democrats control the House of Representatives by a 51-49 margin.
