January 8, 2010
Declining revenue, 2010 election set stage for legislature, says ICC director
By BRIGID CURTIS AYER (Indiana Catholic Conference)
Short, but not necessarily sweet,” says Glenn Tebbe, Indiana Catholic Conference’s executive director. “That is the general consensus among state lawmakers who headed back to the statehouse Jan. 5, for a two-and-a-half-month ‘short’ legislative session.”
The 150 state lawmakers, 50 senators and 100 house members who make up the Indiana General Assembly, are expected to raise a myriad of important issues to the Church this session, says Tebbe, who serves as the official spokesman and rep-resentative for the five Indiana bishops on public policy matters, “but all of the issues will be filtered through two lenses — the problem of declining state revenue and the 2010 election.”
Hints of the two looming issues and how these issues will color the 2010 legislative agenda have been made by Gov. Mitch Daniels, Republican leaders in the Senate and Democratic leaders in the House in statements released in late 2009. (Related story: ICC makes political action easier than ever in 2010)
Gov. Daniels, who discussed the state’s fiscal concerns in a Dec. 15 news conference at the statehouse, said, “For over a year, I’ve cautioned that the revenue forecast used by the legislature seemed too rosy and out of touch with the severity of the national recession. Today forecasters faced the reality we’ve been dealing with every day.” The governor has offered several cost-cutting legislative proposals for the General Assembly to consider beginning in 2010.
Since July 1, general fund revenues are $475 million or 9 percent below the May forecast, according to the State Budget Committee’s report released last month.
Speaker of the House Rep. Patrick Bauer (D-South Bend) said in a statement released Dec. 4, “Indiana House Democrats will seriously review and consider the legislation that contains the cost savings proposed by the governor.”
While the Senate will also be concerned with the state’s fiscal constraints, President Pro Tempore of the Senate, Sen. David Long (R-Ft. Wayne) and other Senate Republicans will be pushing for legislation to create an independent redistricting commission to draw the new state legislative and congressional district boundaries. Long detailed the initiative in a letter to the editor released statewide Dec. 14.
Even though these two issues will overshadow the 2010 session, Tebbe says, “there will be several large issues that will dominate the 2010 session, many of which are a continuation of previous session fights.” They include property tax caps; constitutional amendment and adjustments in assessment; local government reform especially trustees, townships and consolidation; gaming industry seeking adjustments and expansion; adjustments in providing social services, and lobbying reforms. Other issues to be addressed include a constitu-tional amendment to define marriage, and abortion-related issues.
“Given the wide range of issues, their moral implications and impact on families and children, the Indiana Catholic Conference will be present inside the capitol dome watching these issues, talking with lawmakers, and offering a moral perspective,” said Tebbe. “But we can’t do it alone. We need input and involvement from Catholics in the pew all across the state to work in unison with the Church’s voice to make a real impact on lawmakers and the lawmaking process.
“I hope everyone will visit our web page at www.indianacc.org and use our new Legislative Action Center to be engaged in 2010 and beyond,” said Tebbe. “We welcome your involvement and look forward to working together for the benefit of the common good in Indiana.”