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House GOP Unveils Budget

Brandon Smith
/
http://www.ipbs.org/

House Republican budget architect Tim Brown says his caucus’ proposed budget will include more money spent on education than ever before in state history.  The spending plan was unveiled Monday.

House Republican leaders have said for months that education was their top priority this session and that they planned a significant increase in funding for K through 12 schools.  To that end, House Ways and Means Chair Tim Brown says, under the House GOP budget, schools would get 469 million more dollars over the next two years than they did in the last state budget.

“6.83 billion the first year, nearly seven billion the second year," says Brown. "a new track record.”

That increase includes more money in what’s called the foundation – the basic amount every school gets per student.  The House GOP budget raises the foundation by more than five hundred dollars per student over two years, a more than 11 percent increase.  In line with the governor’s budget proposal, Brown says his caucus’ proposal will eliminate the cap on how much individual school vouchers are worth…but he says that should only cost a few million dollars and won’t erode money for public schools.  Brown says he plans to vote on the proposed budget in committee this week.

Brandon Smith is excited to be working for public radio in Indiana. He has previously worked in public radio as a reporter and anchor in mid-Missouri for KBIA Radio out of Columbia. Prior to that, he worked for WSPY Radio in Plano, Illinois as a show host, reporter, producer and anchor. His first job in radio was in another state capitol, in Jefferson City, Missouri, as a reporter for three radio stations around Missouri. Brandon graduated from the University of Missouri-Columbia with a Bachelor of Journalism in 2010, with minors in political science and history. He was born and raised in Chicago.
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