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Rep. Pelath: "We can't believe anything we're hearing"
Democrats call special budget committee meeting a "show," walk out of meeting with plans for own budget
By Katie Coffin, June 4, 2009
INDIANAPOLIS – The special budget committee met again on Thursday to go over the governor’s education formula and hear testimony from school officials and the public.
However, after about an hour of discussion between committee members and State Budget Director Chris Ruhl, Rep. Bill Crawford, D-Gary, Rep. Terry Goodin, D-Crothersville, Rep. Scott Pelath, D-Michigan City, and Sen. John Broden, D-South Bend, left the meeting with no intention of returning that day.
The tension arose from the governor’s budget claiming that education would get a 2 percent increase in the budget. But Goodin pointed out there is really only a .25 percent increase with state money, and not every school will be receiving more money. This, he said, is a “sham” and a “gimmick,” two things the governor vowed to avoid in the special session.
“We can’t believe anything we’re hearing,” Pelath said.
Democrats are also concerned that suffering schools systems such as Indianapolis Public Schools and Gary will actually lose money. However, the Republicans counter that those school systems are losing students, and that the money is being distributed on a per student basis.
“Every school corporation should be treated fairly,” Goodin said.
However, before some Democratic members left the meeting, Rep. Randy Borror, R-Fort Wayne, said they have serious challenges and hard work ahead of them. The rest of the committee remained to hear testimony.
“It’s a sham if we do not move forward with this committee right now,” he said.
Crawford said that there are possibilities other than Daniels’s proposal, which the four members said was inaccurate and untruthful. He said that Democrats will be back on June 11 with their own budget that will probably be a one-year proposal.
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