ANDERSON — “Budget” can be a scary word.

A weakened economy, dwindling tax revenues and weather-related expenses yet to be incurred make this budget season especially fearsome.

On Jan. 7, the 116th session of the Indiana General Assembly will embark on its “long session.” During odd-numbered years, the chief responsibility of state lawmakers is to formulate a two-year budget and those representing Madison County are taking it in stride.

“Anytime we have a difficult budget year, it makes it easier,” said state Rep. Scott Reske, D-District 37. “When there is a lot of money, people are fighting over it. This will force the collective bodies to get more motivated.”

On Monday, the League of Women Voters and the Chamber of Commerce for Anderson & Madison County hosted the first Third House session at Anderson Public Library. The meetings run the first Monday of every month during the session and allow legislators to share information and constituents to ask questions.

In addition to creating a budget, lawmakers must consider property tax reform passed during the last session. Based on the Kernan-Shepard report, House Bill 1001 created property tax caps that must be passed during two legislative sessions, then approved in a statewide referendum in order to become constitutional amendments.

State Rep. Jack Lutz, R-District 35, said provisions affecting township government must be carefully considered.

“For example, without township government we would lose volunteer fire departments,” Lutz said. “Otherwise, you have to look for the nearest city to cover them and you get into paid positions. But how much we get into Kernan-Shepard depends on other factors.”

One factor is what the Democrat-controlled House plans to do. That doesn’t mean that Lutz and the Republican minority won’t be pushing theirs agenda.

“Our caucus will initiate from the minority, which is not as much fun as initiating from the majority,” Lutz said. “Across the state, we need economic growth and jobs, jobs, jobs.”

As part of the newly formed Elections Committee, state Sen. Tim Lanane, D-District 25, said he looks forward to creating change.

“We learned a lot in the last election cycle,” he said. “When you look at early voting we saw 11,000-plus people who either voted absentee or showed up at the (Madison County) Government Center. We ought to be looking at multiple sites, perhaps based on population.”

He said Indiana might also find opportunity in Washington, as President-elect Barack Obama brings with him an agenda for the entire country.

“On the federal level, we have a new administration coming in and targeting the economy,” he said. “There could be federal assistance coming down and we need to be ready.”

State Rep. Terri Austin, D-District 36, said new players at the state level could also have an effect.

“We also have a new cast of characters,” Austin said. “We have a new superintendent of public education (Tony Bennett) for the first time in 16 years and a new attorney general (Greg Zoeller). Each position will bring its own set of priorities it wants enacted.”

She remains hopeful that a proposed rail transit system will come to central Indiana and said the plan has gained bipartisan support. Austin said the funding structure now in place would use 80 percent federal funding and 20 percent local funding.

“It’s not a question of mass transit versus roads, we’re going to need both,” Austin said. “I intend to file a bill for mass transit again this session.”

Reske criticized efforts by Gov. Mitch Daniels to privatize state-run departments. He attended a summer study committee on the Family and Social Security Administration (FSSA).

“Moving FSSA under a private contractor has totally failed,” he said. “Most of the people are sick and they can’t have a person on the phone helping you. We need to reform what has been a tragic experiment.”

The League of Women Voters and the Chamber of Commerce for Anderson & Madison County have been sponsoring Third House meetings since the 1980s.



Third House

The 116th session of the Indiana General Assembly convenes Jan. 7, 2009, and lasts until April 30. State legislators representing Madison County will provide updates and answer questions from constituents on the first Monday of each month during the session.

n Monday, Jan. 26, 2009, at 8 a.m., Anderson Public Library