The Truth
Lawmakers are supposed to be in Indianapolis for a specific reason -- to pass a budget.
Taxpayers are shelling out more than $12,000 a day and more than $87,000 per week for a special session because the General Assembly couldn't finish its constitutionally mandated work the first time around.
We expect there to be differences between Republicans and Democrats and among regional representatives about what and how much should be in the budget for certain items. We anticipate some give-and-take; government usually involves compromise.
Gov. Mitch Daniels set that standard with his new budget proposal before calling the special session. House Democrats thumbed their collective nose at it, however, by walking out of early budget committee hearings.
The clock is ticking. A budget must be passed by June 30 -- the end of the fiscal year -- or state government will essentially shut down.
For legislators to get the work done in the most effective, timely and efficient way possible, they must be focused on the task at hand and not distracted by a lot of extra stuff. But day one of the session was filled with diversions.
House Democrats are trying to introduce gambling provisions and a measure that would require an independent performance audit of the Family and Social Services Administration. A bill to fix the Indianapolis Capital Improvement Board also is on track to move ahead.
How those are germane to the state budget?
Just because they didn't pass in the regular session doesn't mean they're fair game for the special session.
State Rep. Jackie Walorski, R-Elkhart, put the blame squarely on the shoulders of House Speaker Pat Bauer, D-South Bend. "We're here today because of the theatrics he pulled in the regular session. Today, he used the same theatrics to put non-budget legislation on the fast track," Walorski said in a written release Thursday. "A responsible, two-year budget must be the only focus of this special session. Clearly, House Democrats have other agendas and refuse to cooperate. Consequently, we're right back where we were in the regular session, and I'm afraid taxpayers will be hurt the most."
Walorski is correct. Taxpayers will suffer when legislators can't pass a state budget or they spend so much time on other issues that they hastily throw together something that the entire General Assembly doesn't understand before it approves it. Dangerous things happen when legislators are caught uninformed in the final hours of a session.
We urge the Legislature -- again -- to focus on the budget and leave the rest for the next regular session in January.