Education became the main player Saturday morning at Third House or what Purdue University economist Larry DeBoer jokingly calls “Dungeons & Legislators” — a role-playing game for local leaders and business owners to understand the legislature by acting it out.
Third House is a Greater Lafayette Commerce function that allows members to hear from Indiana General Assembly legislators and share input on pending legislation.
The group meets every other week during budget years. Members serve on one of six issue committees, review bills that are pending in the General Assembly and vote on whether the bills should be passed.
DeBoer, a professor of agricultural economics at Purdue, traditionally opens the Third House session with a debriefing on the state budget.
Since more than half of the state’s general fund goes toward funding K-12 education, DeBoer said legislators will have to grapple with how to properly allocate that money among voucher programs, public and charter schools.
While the state’s sales and income tax base is growing modestly, the state will continue to cut individual and corporate income tax rates this year and during the biennium or the next two fiscal years, reducing available revenue.
“When there are fewer dollars that always makes the debate in the legislature, sharper and more difficult,” DeBoer said after his presentation.