Indiana Could Adopt a Balanced Budget Amendment to its Constitution
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What the Initiative Does
Public Question 1 would amend the Indiana Constitution to require the Indiana state legislature to enact a balanced budget for each biennial budget period. This would mean that the legislature couldn’t spend more than the state’s revenues. This measure would also require public pension funds to be actuarially funded during each budget period. Finally, it’d forbid court-ordered tax increases with the legislature’s approval.
A two-thirds vote in each chamber of the legislature would be required to suspend the balanced budget and pension funding requirements for a budget period.
In Favor
Implementing a balanced budget requirement would force the state legislature to be disciplined about its spending. This would reduce the size of the state government and ensure that Indiana doesn’t incur needless debt.
Opposed
The Indiana Constitution already prohibits the state from taking on debt except in very limited circumstances. There’s no need for this additional amendment, as it duplicates existing law.
In-Depth
Then-Governor Mike Pence (R) proposed a balanced budget amendment to Indiana’s constitution during his January 2015 State of the State address. At the time, he said that such a measure would assure Indiana’s future economic stability:
"A balanced budget requirement in the constitution of the state of Indiana will assure Hoosiers that today and tomorrow, Indiana will spend wisely, protect our state from an economic downturn, and unlike Washington, D.C., we won't bury our children and grandchildren under mountains of debt."
Indiana Republicans have largely supported the idea of a balanced budget amendment since that speech. Democrats have been critical of the proposal, pointing out that the Indiana Constitution already prohibits the state from taking on debt except in limited circumstances. State Rep. Ed DeLaney (D-86) says that this measure seeks to solve a problem that doesn’t exist:
“We're pretending to solve a problem that doesn't exist in order to write an ad. This does not improve our constitution, does not improve our behavior, and is a waste of legislative time."
Summary by Lorelei Yang
(Photo Credit: iStockphoto.com / BrianAJackson)
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