Speaker Bosma Calls for the General Assembly to “Do their Duty” for Indiana
STATEHOUSE—House Republicans began the 2010 legislative session with the swearing in of a new Speaker of the House, Brian C. Bosma and new members of the house. Organization Day is a ceremonial tradition where elected leaders are formally sworn in to uphold the State Constitution and the Speaker of the House is selected by the members. Chief Justice Randall Shepard administered the oath.
Today, Speaker Bosma presented his goals and priorities for the upcoming session, which is scheduled to begin January 5, 2010. After all 100 State Representatives were sworn in, including 19 new members to the House Republican Caucus giving the Republicans the majority of 60-40 the newly elected Speaker took to the podium to deliver a powerful speech.
“Our top priority will be to protect Hoosier taxpayers and our state’s struggling economy by forcing government to live within its means. We are going to do what families and employers all over the state have done—we will adopt a spending plan that addresses our state’s critical needs without increasing taxes on Hoosier families or employees. Without a doubt this won’t be easy, at no time in our state’s history have revenues lagged six years behind—we have the same revenues that we once had in 2005, now in 2011.”
Speaker Bosma renewed the pledge that the House Republican caucus made before the election to deliver a balanced budget and continue to protect Hoosier taxpayers. When Rep. Bosma was first elected speaker and the House Republicans controlled the majority in 2005-2006, they delivered the first honestly balanced budget in a decade and championed transparency initiatives.
In September, the House Republican Caucus released their legislative plan, addressing job creation, education reform, spending and budget integrity, and taking a stand against runaway Federal initiatives. At the time, Leader Bosma also called for all members to ‘reach across the aisle’ and ‘bring civility back to the house chamber’. Today, Speaker Bosma reinforced the legislative plan, and the importance of working together for the future of Indiana.
“To demonstrate my commitment to bipartisanship, for the first time—to my knowledge—in state history, a Speaker of the Indiana House will reach across the aisle and appoint two members of the minority party to serve as committee chairs. In addition, I am pledging weekly meetings with the leadership of the Democrat Caucus to discuss events of the coming week and areas of agreement, disagreement and concern,“ stated Speaker Bosma.
Among the most dramatic changes announced today was the intent of the Speaker to appoint two democrats to key committee chairmanships. He also announced the creation of the Select Committee on Government Reduction.
“In Indiana, over the next two years, we are going to buck the over regulation status quo with the goal of streamlining, deregulating and unburdening Hoosiers from unnecessary and outdated laws and regulations. The select committee composed of some of our most experienced legislators will be tasked with examining and reducing the Indiana Code, taking public testimony from all sectors regarding deregulation efforts,” said the Speaker. He continued, “and we will do our own part to stem the regulatory tide – the rules we are about to adopt to contain strict bill introduction limits to reduce our own avalanche of paperwork.
“If you can’t forward your legislative agenda with a ten bill limit in the long session, then maybe your agenda is too long,” said Speaker Bosma.
House Republicans also elected Caroline Spotts as the new Principal Clerk for the House of Representatives.
Speaker Bosma closed with, “No one writes our destiny in this nation—we write our own."
“We must think anew and act anew—I pledge to you that I will do my duty, and ask you to do the same.”
STATEHOUSE (July 1, 2009) — The new state budget, based on solid common-sense principles, is a success for Hoosier taxpayers and education.
“Despite numerous compromises, House Republican principles remained at the core of the state budget,” House Republican Leader Brian C. Bosma (R-Indianapolis) said.
Today is the first day for the two-year plan, passed Tuesday evening with bipartisan support. All 48 House Republicans were among the majority in the 62-37 House vote. The Senate vote was 34-16. The budget’s framework is based on five Republican parameters:
- It contains no general tax increases.
- It maintains at least $1 billion in state reserves.
- Spend a dollar, cut a dollar.
- It uses one-time federal stimulus money responsibly, including statewide infrastructure and university construction projects.
- It does not raid trust funds or other dedicated money for operating expenses.
- Gov. Mitch Daniels, along with House and Senate Republicans, outlined those standards early in the process and did not waver.
“Hoosier taxpayers and students are the winners in this budget,” Rep. Bosma said. “House and Senate Republicans, along with the governor, entered into the budget process with key principles, including maintaining appropriate state reserves and protecting public education and public safety funding.
“While most states are cutting education, raising taxes or both, this budget does neither. It maintains public education spending and promises even more support for education through additional funding when the economy improves.”
The “education trigger” would allot 50 percent of state revenue to education when income exceeds revenue projections. The other half of the money would be designated for the state’s general fund.
Education receives solid support:
- K-12 education receives with an average increase of 1.1 percent in calendar year 2010 and 0.3 percent in calendar year 2011.
- The budget fully funds enrollment increases at rapidly growing schools.
- Ivy Tech Community College receives enhanced support, improving the state’s community college network as well as training opportunities for unemployed workers.
- The state’s higher education scholarship grants program receives increases of 6 percent in fiscal year 2010 and 3 percent in fiscal year 2011.
- Bonding is authorized to fund 38 university capital projects throughout the state, including Indiana University Southeast, Purdue University and Indiana University-Purdue University Fort Wayne.
- Other Critical Programs Serving Hoosiers Funded
Thousands of Hoosiers will also benefit from other programs included in the budget:
- Community and Home Options to Institutional Care for Elderly and Disabled. The CHOICE program allows the elderly and disabled — among our most vulnerable Hoosiers — the opportunity to continue living at home while still receiving the care they need.
- Community Health Centers. These provide medical care to Hoosiers who might not otherwise have the resources for it.
- Department of Child Services ombudsman. The ombudsman position will increase accountability within DCS through an independent review of sensitive cases.
- All of this is done without a general tax increase now, without the threat of one within two years and without a shutdown of state agencies and services.
“This budget is the right budget to assure Indiana’s fiscal future,” Rep. Bosma said. “Republicans stood firm for the taxpayer, and we will continue to do so in the future.”
Rep. Jeff Espich (R-Uniondale), the ranking Republican member of the House Ways and Means Committee and the House Republican conferee on the budget conference committee, said that while the budget may not have included everything every member wanted, it is a budget that reflects the best interests of Indiana.
“This is an Indiana budget,” Rep. Espich said. “Not everyone got their wishes, but, through all the discussions and hard work, the state is well-served by this budget. It does not increase taxes, the state maintains healthy reserves, and education spending is protected. Other states would love to be in our position.”
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