Pence signs budget, power grab bill, promises veto
INDIANAPOLIS (WISH) — Governor Mike Pence says that a new state budget backs up his promise to make the 2015 Session of the General Assembly an “education session.”
The governor signed that budget into law Thursday in a ceremony that may have something to do with rebuilding the governor’s image.
Pence has been advised that in order to get his sagging approval rating back up following the RFRA disaster, he needs to concentrate on jobs and education.
He leaves on a trade mission to China Saturday. On Thursday, he spent some time with school children.
It was a big show. More than 300 school children joined the governor for a bill signing that he called historic because of 2.3 percent increases in school funding over the next two years.
“We provide the kind of funding that more accurately supports the principle,” he said, “that the resources should follow the student.”
But the superlatives weren’t matched by the governor’s host, Lebanon superintendent Robert Taylor who described the budget by saying, “As we sit today, it is sufficient and adequate.”
And Democrats who voted against the budget on the last night of the General Assembly eight days ago stand by the arguments made then.
“The governor said this was going to be an educational session,” said Rep. Greg Porter (D-Indianapolis) “unfortunately, ladies and gentlemen, it devolved into a RFRA session and now from the budget we present today. it’s going to be a RIF session.”
In fact, more than a hundred school districts will lose money under the budget.
And before the governor left Lebanon, he promised to sign an even more controversial education bill, the one that takes power away from state school Superintendent Glenda Ritz.
“I also said we needed to fix what’s broken,” said Pence, “and the challenges we face in the State Board of Education are well-known to people all over the state.”
The governor did wait until a Board of Education meeting ended before he acted.
On Friday, the governor will finish acting on bills passed by the General Assembly and there may be a surprise or two.
He promised at least one veto and he declined to indicate what he will do with the gambling bill. It permits riverboats to move on land and could lead to live dealers at racinos in 2021, and suddenly appears vulnerable.