House rejects Democratic alternative to biennial budget; multiple budget amendments fail on roll calls

INDIANAPOLIS — The Indiana House of Representatives on the floor on Feb. 19 rejected a Democratic substitute amendment to the chamber’s biennial budget bill, House Bill 1001, after roughly an hour of debate and a recorded vote of 29 in favor and 68 opposed.

Representative Porter, who introduced Amendment 11 as the House Democrats’ alternative to the majority budget, described the package as “a budget for the people, by the people,” and urged support for measures that would boost school funding, expand Medicaid reserves and increase investments in mental-health programs. "This is the House Democrats' budget that was proposed by the people when they came and spoke to us in ways and means," Porter said on the House floor.

The amendment would have restored a uniform 2% increase for school corporations, funded a $2-per-pack cigarette tax to generate money for Medicaid reserves, added money for mental-health outreach and the 988 suicide-prevention line, expanded slots for home and community services and increased funding for early-education programs and public television. Representative Porter cited line items including $600 million in Medicaid reserve funding tied to a $2 cigarette-tax increase, $250 million for outreach in underserved areas, and $7 million for public television. He also proposed restoring funding for programs such as the Dolly Parton Imagination Library and increasing dual-credit support to $55 per credit hour.

House leadership, including Representative Thompson, urged colleagues to reject that amendment and to leave the chairman's underlying budget in place while continuing negotiations. "We fund students," Thompson said in rebuttal, and argued that existing proposals would send substantial funds to traditional public schools if…