Senator Tallian responds to state budget surplus

INDIANAPOLIS — State Senator Karen Tallian (D-Ogden Dunes) had the following response to Governor Holcomb’s proposal to use $300 million of Indiana’s budget reserves to pay for projects that were already appropriated in the budget:

“I’m extremely frustrated that the governor has decided to use $300 million of the budget reserves to pay down projects already appropriated in the budget, especially when there are so many programs that have been completely ignored that desperately need funding. Raising teacher pay, addressing beach erosion issues, funding the mortgage foreclosure program – these are all things that we could have done with our $2.3 billion surplus.

“Instead of paying for those things in the first place, the governor chose to store money away and deprive our state of much needed improvements. Now he’s using the excess revenue to fund projects that have already been funded! I wish I could say I’m surprised, but I’m not.”