Indiana House of Representatives Republican Caucus: State Representative Tim N. Brown, M.D.

Welcome to my website and thank you for taking the time to visit. It is a privilege to serve as a state legislator for House District 41, which includes Boone, Montgomery and Tippecanoe counties.

Please feel free to access the links on this site to learn more about state government. It is my hope that this site will serve as a valuable resource for west central Indiana, its residents and visitors to our communities.

I am always open to the ideas of my constituents, and I encourage you to contact me with any questions or concerns that you may have. Please feel free to contact me by phone, mail or email. I look forward to hearing from you as we work together to keep Indiana moving forward on the right path.

- Tim N. Brown

Largest tax cut in Hoosier history

Above: Dr. Brown (R-Crawfordsville) presents the biennial budget before the House.

Listen to Dr. Brown's comments on the passage of HEA 1001

STATEHOUSE — Authored by the Chairman of Ways and Means, State Representative Tim Brown (R-Crawfordsville), House Enrolled Act (HEA) 1001, the biennial budget for the State of Indiana, passed this session with a 70 to 30 vote and sent to the Governor for his signature to become law.

“This budget is about giving more to Hoosiers through tax relief and employment opportunities. It will spur economic growth, educational achievement and protect our state for years to come by having prudent reserves in place,” said Rep. Brown. “I’ve said since day one of being privileged to take this position that I want two things: a balanced budget and to get out on time. We’ve accomplished both these feats with a budget that Hoosiers can be proud of.”

Below are highlights included in the state budget bill:

Focuses on Fiscal Integrity

Reduces taxpayer funded debt by repaying $128M in bonds owed on two state facilities
Provides cash funding for nearly $225M in state and university capital projects
o Cash funding will save taxpayers nearly $160M (or 41%) versus debt financing
Maintains strong reserve balances at or above 12.5% of annual operating revenues in both years of the biennium
Preserves strong structural budget surpluses of over $100M in FY 2014 and $275M in FY2015

Protects Hoosier Taxpayers

Provides the largest tax cut in Indiana history
o When fully implemented, the tax cut package will reduce taxes by $650M+ per year
o Immediately repeals the death tax (effective January 1, 2013)
o Cuts the individual income tax rate by 5%
• Rate will lower to 3.3% in TY 2015 and 3.23% in TY 2017
Phases down the financial institutions tax rate to 6.5% over four years and allows for the continued phase‐down of the corporate income tax rate

Invests in Education

Increases K-12 education funding by $390M over the biennium
o K‐12 appropriations exceed pre‐recession funding levels
o K‐12 tuition support increased by 2% in FY14 and 1% in FY15
Provides an additional $30M for K‐12 performance funding in FY15
Provides funding to repay charter school start-up loans
Creates an Early Education Matching Grant program funding Pre-K education at $2M per year for low-income children
Invests an additional $190M over the biennium for higher education
Increase funding for student financial aid by $75M over the biennium

Builds and Maintains Infrastructure

Provides an additional $215M per year in funding for state and local roads and bridges
o 47% of the funds will be directed to local units with no strings attached
Reserves $400M in the Major Moves 2020 Fund over the biennium for future transportation infrastructure needs

Boosts the Hoosier Economy

Increases funding for key workforce development programs such as the Skills Enhancement Fund and adult education over the biennium
Funds new innovative initiatives such as the Indiana Career Council, Indiana Works Councils, the Work Indiana program and the Indiana Biosciences Research Institute

Protects the Vulnerable

Provides an additional $35M per year to the Department of Child Services for staff and improved behavioral and mental health services; fully funds the Medicaid forecast; and increases funding for a variety of programs that serve Hoosiers in need

“This budget shows where the General Assembly’s focus is – jobs and education,” said Rep. Brown. “It’s critical to the entire process that we look at the long-term health and sustainability of the funding levels set in the budget. Indiana will continue to see growth because of the conservative principles put to action and the tax relief provided for Hoosiers to invest and spend their hard-earned money back into the economy. I would always rather see more money in the pockets of Hoosiers than in state coffers. This budget does that.”