Ind. legislators give preview of 2011 agenda

Although the Indiana General Assembly will not convene until January, state legislators have already started to think about the top issues to add to the 2011 agenda.

“This will be a budget year,” said Indiana State Rep. Peggy Welch, D-Bloomington, about the local legislative agenda for 2011.

Every two years the Indiana General Assembly addresses the budget and allocates funds for the coming years. Although 2011 is a budget year, Welch said there will be time for other important issues.

“As legislators, we can multi-task,” Welch said.

Indiana has a bipartisan group of fiscal experts who meet in December to give a revenue forecast. Together, they come to an agreement on how much can and should be spent. The budget committee then has to work within those constraints.

Welch said that the budget committee has January through April to create the budget. In April, an updated revenue forecast is given and adjustments are made. On July 1, the fiscal year starts and the new budget is implemented.

Although the process may sound simple, Welch, a member of the State Budget Committee, said that’s not always the case.

“It was tough in 2009, but because of the current economic environment,” she said. “It will be even tougher in 2011.”

In lieu of the tough economic climate, House Minority Leader Brian Bosma, R- Indianapolis, said job creation is and will be a priority for Republicans.

“Good jobs and low taxes are the cornerstone of a successful economy, and it is our goal to build an economic climate that creates opportunity for every Hoosier family and employer,” Bosma said in a press release.

Though there is no one initiative that can create jobs, legislators are trying to find a combination of many initiatives that will get Hoosiers back to work.

Other committees in the legislature will likely focus on education, passing laws that are required by the Federal Health Reform Law, tackling Methamphetamine problems in Indiana communities, creating jobs and addressing safety issues.

In an effort to combat meth problems in Indiana communities, legislators are debating whether pseudoephedrine should be made a prescription drug, like it was in the past, or if electronic tracking systems should be put in place to prevent the misuse of it.

Welch reiterated that although the budget will be important in 2011, other issues will not be forgotten about.

“Yes, it is a budget year, and we have a lot to accomplish, but there are other committees that will focus on other issues,” Welch said.