Pence Urges Caution On Spending

The House GOP budget proposal unveiled last week largely drew praise from Gov. Mike Pence.  But he indicated House Republicans have to be careful about spending too much.

Pence’s proposed budget kept nearly 13 percent of state revenue in reserve.  His administration says that’s to hold back money in case of emergency.  But House Republicans spent more in their budget proposal, keeping reserves below 12 percent. 

That small percentage difference translates to tens of millions of dollars.  Pence notes that in January – as it has been for much of the fiscal year – revenue collections fell below projected targets.

“While the Indiana economy is growing, the American economy is growing, I think that common sense says that we ought to be cautious about the commitments that we make,” Pence said.

Speaker Brian Bosma says he’s comfortable with spending levels in his caucus’ budget proposal.

“We’re trying to meet all the needs of Hoosiers right now, especially with respect to traditional public school funding, so we were aggressive in that regard," Bosma said.

Pence acknowledges that a new revenue forecast in April will ultimately help establish the budget picture before the end of session.