Indiana

Kenley to the Rescue?

By Abdul Hakim-Shabazz

Although he didn’t say the House version of the budget will be dead on arrival, Republican State Senator Luke Kenley says his chamber will write its own version and it will be much closer to the Governor’s vision.

Kenley says they’ve been writing their version and are building on the Governor’s plan. He says it will be a much leaner budget and will not spend money the state doesn’t have.  It will also include a school funding formula where the money follows the student.

On the Capital improvement Board, Kenley says the plan will include hotel, car rental and ticket taxes as well as a state contribution to the professional sports development area.

He adds it probably won’t include the Governor’s plan to create a new facilities management board to oversee all Marion County properties because lawmakers have been getting a lot of push back on that idea.

Kenley says it will include a new CIB, noting the structure of the board has to change. Kenley says lawmakers will still have to look for the savings the Governor was hoping to reach by creating a new board.

The Senate is expected to hold its first budget hearing on Monday.

Full post as published by Indiana Barrister on June 18, 2009 (boomark / email).