Pence vows to keep fighting for missing tax cut

INDIANAPOLIS (WISH) - Governor Mike Pence spoke out Monday in the effort to save his proposed cut in the state income tax.  The House GOP budget eliminates the governor's tax cut. It's a spending plan that won bi-partisan support Monday in the House Ways and Means Committee.

The GOP governor campaigned on a plan to cut the state income tax by 5 percent this year and 5 percent next year. The House budget put before the Ways and Means committee uses the money for other priorities.  The committee voted 18-to-4 with two Democrats joining majority Republicans to replace the governor's budget with the new plan. 

"I was disappointed that the House budget didn't include any new tax relief for Hoosiers," said Pence.

The House budget has more money for schools, universities, and highways but Democrats who voted against want more spending, not less. 

"No matter what they say, how they frame it, the dollars are not there," said Rep. Greg Porter (D-Indianapolis) "and it hurts various school corporations, particularly minority school corporations."

"I do know people are disappointed," said Committee Chairman Tim Brown (R-Crawfordsville.)  "Not everyone can have everything they needed, or wanted, or desired."

As House leaders attempt to balance needs, the governor has a single focus. 

"We're going to continue to fight for a budget that let's Hoosiers keep more of their hard-earned tax dollars," said Pence, "because I think that'll create jobs."

The Ways and Means committee will consider amendments to the budget Tuesday.  Only one member of the committee even mentioned the governor's tax cut on Monday.  Democrat Sheila Klinker said she was glad GOP leaders left it out of their spending plan.