Indiana

33 Hours and Counting

By Abdul Hakim-Shabazz

The House has adjourned until 6 p.m., but not before Speaker Pat Bauer offered up a few thoughts on the last hour budget negotiations.

He says they are making progress, but still won’t say whether lawmakers can meet tomorrow’s midnight deadline.  He says they are working from the same numbers and leaving about $1 billion in surplus.   He had praise for Senate Republican Luke Kenley but accused the Governor of wanting to jump start the shutdown by sending notices to state employees that they could be furloughed.

Bauer says they are working to reach an agreement on charter and virtual schools, but he says the Capital Improvement Board is being negotiated separately.

You can hear the Speaker’s entire comments to the press below.

bauer-budget

Full post as published by Indiana Barrister on June 29, 2009 (boomark / email).