House Democrats walk out of state budget hearing

INDIANAPOLIS – House Democrats walked out of a state budget hearing Thursday after complaining that the Republican governor injected politics into the process — and said they don’t plan to attend other hearings scheduled before a special legislative session starts next week.

Democrats on a special joint budget committee complained that Gov. Mitch Daniels was trying to take credit for giving public schools a 2 percent funding increase in each of the next two years, even though the majority of that boost comes from federal stimulus money.

“This is a sham and this is a gimmick,” said Rep. Terry Goodin, D-Austin.

State budget director Chris Ruhl said Daniels and his administration have made no secret about the sources for the school funding increase.

House Ways and Means Chairman William Crawford, D-Indianapolis, was unhappy that the Indiana Republican Party and Daniels’ campaign committee sent out e-mails Wednesday urging people to attend Thursday’s meeting and support the governor’s budget proposal. Crawford said those people had a right to testify, but he considered the meeting “staged.”

“You can do whatever you want,” he said before leaving the meeting.

Republicans on the committee said Democrats had a duty to stay and listen to public testimony.

“We have tough work to do in this state,” said Republican Rep. Randy Borror of Fort Wayne, pounding his fist on the long desk in front of him. “Let’s get on with this hearing.”

Republicans and some Senate Democrats stayed in the meeting and continued the hearing, listening to school superintendents talk about how the budget would affect their districts.

Democrats said they will not attend any more meetings of the special joint committee but will return for the special session that begins June 11.

Daniels said Democrats had the right to not attend the meeting but that the most important thing was eventually reaching an agreement on a new state budget before the current one expires at the end of June.