Pence uses budget cuts to free up cash and redirect how he, and not legislature, sees fit
12/18/2013

We believe something was lost in the narrative this week in reaction to Governor Pence’s decision to order state agencies to cut $57 million from their budgets in order to preserve a $2 billion surplus on paper.

Governor Pence is continuing a trend which was popular with former Governor Daniels. And that is ordering agencies to not spend what the state legislature provided them during budget negotiations and redirect those funds how he sees fit. This allows Governor Pence to refocus tax money to priorities of his choosing, rather than the legislature. Pence’s forming of the duplicate education agency, the CECI, is a prime example.

Governor Pence’s actions feed further into the argument that he is making the legislature and their constitutional budget writing responsibilities as a mere statutory suggestion made available for his discretion.

We believe that the legislative branch by design of our state’s founders is the “people’s house”. Their fiscal writing responsibility should be respected and not treated as a “roadmap” where the state’s fiscal route can be altered at the whim of the Governor.