EDITORIAL: Pence's balanced-budget amendment could prove a tough sell

Republican Pence laid out his vision for the state in the coming years. Indeed, his thoughts were part vision and part substance, such that he raised what is to lead to a debate on education spending and more long-term on discussion of leading the state to a balanced budget in the future.

Of course, the Indiana Legislature has Republicans holding a supermajority in both houses. So even though Democrats will argue about education spending and other such issues, in the end, Republicans will determine ultimately where to take such issues as education spending and a balanced budget.

The event of the week was Pence's third State of the State as governor in which attempted to determine the future of Indiana.

He said he wants lawmakers to begin a multiyear process for Indiana's constitution to require the state to balance its budget. Courier & Press staff writer Chelsea Schneider reported that Indiana is one of only six states not to specifically require a balanced budget in its constitution.

Of course that might surprise most Hoosiers who already understand that Indiana's constitution already bars the state from incurring debt.

If Pence's desire for a balanced budget requirement develops, then the earliest it could go before Indiana voters would be 2018, with two separately elected General Assemblies agreeing to the constitutional provision. Pence said he believes the amendment is needed to lock in the state's financial future.

He said in Schneider's report, "A balanced budget requirement in the constitution will assure Hoosiers that today and tomorrow Indiana will spend wisely, protect our state from an economic downturn and unlike Washington, D.C., we won't bury our children and grandchildren under mountains of debt."

Republican House Speaker Brian Bosma called Pence's proposal for the balanced budget provision a "footnote" to the remainder of Pence's address.

He pointed out that when Republicans took over the majority in the legislature, they brought with them a sense of strong fiscal discipline.

Bosma said Pence would like to see that discipline buttress what the legislature does, adding "We'll discuss the best approach on that."

That tells us that it may be a hard sell to convince lawmakers to spend much time on the balanced budget proposal, especially if lawmakers become engaged in a debate on increased education spending, and how to spend money on charter schools, vouchers, preschool programs, and K-12 spending.

Meanwhile, Pence will attempt to sell his balanced budget proposal as a governor who could be running for president next year.