Harris votes ‘no’ on state budget, advocates for public health and public education

Today, April 25, Indiana Republicans passed the final version of House Bill 1001, sending the biennial budget to the governor's desk. State Rep. Earl Harris Jr. (D-East Chicago) voted against the budget, citing inadequate funding for public education, public health and stripped funding for Public Broadcasting Services.

"This budget fails to adequately fund public K-12 education, which is critical to the success of our state. Throughout the state, we're facing teacher shortages and underfunded classrooms. We had an opportunity to address this issue in our biennial budget, and Indiana Republicans squandered that chance. Along with the impact of House Bill 1001, Lake County is set to lose hundreds of millions of dollars thanks to Senate Bill 2. This budget will do nothing to help Lake County residents who will pay much more in local income taxes while getting minimal property tax relief. No one wins under this budget proposal.

"It's also worth noting the underfunding of public health under this budget, just a week since Gov. Mike Braun met with RFK Jr. to supposedly 'Make Indiana Healthy Again.' Over the next two years, funding for the Health First Indiana program has been cut to $80 million from $225 million in the 2023 biennial budget. How can we expect Hoosiers to be healthier when we are actively taking away funding from the very programs designed to increase public health?

"Higher education is taking a cut under this budget, with the Commission of Higher Education receiving a funding cut for student scholarships. As a lawmaker, I'm proud to say I've championed the 21st Century Scholars program, helping more Hoosiers achieve a higher education. Having more college graduates in Indiana means a stronger economy, a more robust workforce and more incentives for workers and families to move to our state. When we fail to prioritize higher education, we fail to prioritize the future of Indiana.

"With everything going on in our state right now, I find it odd that Indiana Republicans are focusing their efforts on stripping funding for Public Broadcasting Services (PBS). For over 50 years, PBS has helped keep Hoosiers informed on their local governments and communities. Perhaps most importantly, PBS has been a champion in early education since its founding. With Indiana's growing brain drain problem, we should be prioritizing any opportunity to help our children get ahead and prepare them for a lifetime of learning and civic engagement. An informed electorate helps create a stronger state and a government more representative of the people it serves.

"House Bill 1001 is fiscally irresponsible and will harm Lake County and Hoosiers throughout the state."