Porter unimpressed with House Republican budget, thankful for the reinstatement of critical commissions

Today, Feb. 17, the House Ways and Means Committee amended and passed House Bill 1001 along partisan lines 14-7. The main topic of discussion was Chairman Jeff Thompson’s (R-Lizton) amendment to the proposed budget. The committee accepted one amendment from State Rep. Gregory W. Porter (D–Indianapolis) that restores the 15% cut to the Indiana Civil Rights Commission (ICRC), reinstates the Indiana Native American Indian Affairs Commission (INAIAC) and provides a $1 million increase for the Minority Health Initiative. 

“First off, I am thankful my amendment passed to restore critical funding to the ICRC, reinstate the INAIAC and provide some additional dollars for minority health. This state budget has to include provisions for all Hoosiers, including our marginalized communities. 

“But the majority’s amendment is lackluster and leaves a lot to be desired. The funding for our K-12 public schools is inadequate with many corporations receiving cuts. Higher education is flat-funded even though our college-going rate is a dismal 53%. There’s no mention of the roughly 10,000 vulnerable Hoosiers on the Medicaid waitlists. There’s no money for our trails or land preservation. 

“Money is tight, but we should prioritize funding for programs that benefit Hoosiers. We have a long way to go until this budget is truly beneficial.”