Education, unemployment talks to resume Monday in Indiana General Assembly

INDIANAPOLIS | State lawmakers took a day off from conference committee negotiations on unemployment insurance and education funding proposals Friday, while legislative leaders spent the day blaming each other for Thursday night's unplanned adjournment of the Indiana House.

Unemployment conferree state Sen. Karen Tallian, D-Ogden Dunes, and education conferee state Sen. Earline Rogers, D-Gary, both said they expect negotiations to resume Monday.

State lawmakers are far apart on compromise legislation that would delay or repeal a scheduled increase in employer-paid unemployment insurance premiums and give schools added budget flexibility.

The Senate met for about two hours Friday and voted to send 15 other proposals to the governor. The Senate will be back in session Monday. The next scheduled House session is on Wednesday.

Late Thursday night, the House unexpectedly adjourned, despite House Speaker Patrick Bauer's stated plan to work through the night. The speaker said he thought negotiators needed a break "to contemplate the importance of some of these issues."

Bauer, D-South Bend; House Republican leader Brian Bosma, R-Indianapolis; Senate President David Long, R-Fort Wayne; and Senate Democratic leader Vi Simpson, D-Elletsville, all held separate press conferences throughout the day Friday to say the legislative impasse was someone else's fault.