(Statehouse) Thursday, March 29 – House Republicans today called on their Democrat counterparts in the Indiana House of Representatives to work with a greater sense of urgency for the taxpayers of Indiana.  With only four weeks left in the 2007 legislative session, Republicans are pointing to the slow pace and lack of effort to pass key legislation in the House.  This session appears to be the antithesis of the past two legislative sessions when Republicans were in control of the Indiana House and made some of the boldest, most progressive changes seen in decades to set Indiana in a positive, new direction.
                                         
“We are sent here to do a critical job, not just bide our time until the last minute,” said House Republican Leader Brian Bosma.  “We need a sense of urgency today to avoid a crisis at the end.”

House Republicans listed the top five legislative priorities that need to be acted upon immediately:

Immediate Property Tax Relief
State Representative Jeff Espich has announced a plan to offer immediate relief to property taxpayers with state funding to provide an 8 percent cut in this year’s property tax bills.  Without this assistance, property taxes are projected to raise an average of 15 percent statewide.  House Democrats have offered no immediate property tax relief and are not pursuing the idea of assisting Hoosier property owners in this tax year.

A Responsible Balanced Budget
Before the House Democrat budget was released in late February, House Republicans issued their “Standards of Success” (see attachment).  These parameters included an honestly balanced budget with no fund transfers, payment delays, or gimmicks, no general tax increases, full disclosure of the fiscal impacts of the budget to Hoosiers, and to provide 48 hours to review the budget.  Of the dozen goals set, the Democrat budget met only two, conditionally could meet two more standards and completely neglects eight steps necessary for a responsible budget. 

The Democrat budget proposal did not receive Republican support because it was not honestly balanced - other spending bills passed by the House were not accounted for and the Medicaid appropriation was artificially suppressed to create false savings. The bill leaves out over $1 billion in appropriations from the Major Moves Fund, effectively postponing hundreds of projects the Indiana Department of Transportation has listed on their construction planning schedule and jeopardizing thousands of jobs.  Finally, in a last minute deal, House Democrats granted a $2 million special line item appropriation for Penn-Harris-Madison School Corporation in St. Joseph County for one holdout Democrat vote.

“This type of political gamesmanship is completely unacceptable and must not take place when we debate the final budget,” said Rep. Jeff Espich.  “I am hopeful that the Senate will restore some discipline and responsibility to the budget process and that in the end we will have a budget that is honestly balanced and provides Hoosiers with the critical services they need.”

Education Improvement
House Republicans have proposed the Full-Day Kindergarten Block Grant Program, which empowers local schools by increasing funding and giving added flexibility and control over choosing what programs are needed by their student populations.  House Republicans have also proposed Scholarship Tax Credits allowing businesses to receive a tax credit for donations to scholarship organizations or school improvement organizations targeted at students from low income families.  Income tax credits would be provided for education expenditures for qualified students of lower-income families enrolled in K-12 at a school of choice.  House Republicans are also renewing their call to Focus Dollars on Classroom Spending rather than non-classroom expenditures and to implement recommendations from the Government Efficiency Commission.

A Vote on the Traditional Marriage Amendment (SJR7)
House Republicans continue to support and call for a vote both in committee and on the House floor this year on SJR7 – the amendment to define marriage as a union between one man and one woman.  House Democrats have not yet allowed a vote in committee on SJR7 and have flip-flopped in their public statements on the issue.  House Republicans support placing SJR7, as passed in 2005, on a referendum ballot for Indiana voters to consider in November of 2008.  The amendment must pass two consecutive General Assemblies.  The amendment passed the 114th General Assembly by a vote of 76-23 in the House and 42-8 in the Senate.  This year, the amendment has passed the Senate by a vote of 39-10, but is stalled in the House because of a lack of commitment by House Democrats.   

Health Care for the Uninsured
House Republicans remain committed to addressing Indiana’s growing health care problem and support the common sense market based legislative program passed by the Indiana Senate.  A majority of House Republicans back a substantial cigarette tax increase to fund Senate Bill 503, The Healthy Indiana Plan. 

“This is not a Democrat or a Republican issue.  It is a Hoosier health issue,” said Rep. Bosma.  “Our Democrat colleagues have long portrayed themselves as the champion of this cause, but in the end Hoosiers are still suffering with inadequate health care.  Now is the time to act but it will require a bipartisan, cooperative effort.  Actions speak louder than words and we challenge House Democrats to act with us rather than obstruct the goal of providing health care to the uninsured.”

Last year, House Republicans traveled the state sharing 12 Pledges for Indiana’s Progress, a visionary agenda to continue Indiana’s recovery.  At the beginning of the legislative session, that plan was paired down when Republicans found themselves in the minority position in the House.  Today’s call to action is for work to be completed on items House Republicans set as top priorities in the beginning of session that still have a chance for success and additional items that are weighing heavily on the public.  House Republicans pledge to make every effort to see these priorities acted upon in the closing days of the 2007 legislative session.

“I realize there are different approaches to conducting legislative business,” said Rep. Bosma.  “There is the old school approach laced with political showdowns, delay, and retribution and there is the straight forward approach that Hoosiers deserve and expect.  It’s time to be on the straight and narrow with those that sent us here to do the people’s business.  Let’s put the gamesmanship aside and make this a legislative session that is worthy of the duty entrusted to us by Hoosier voters.”