As Indiana lawmakers prepare to receive the revenue forecast so they can negotiate a budget deal, here are some of the major highlights in both the House and Senate proposals, as well as Governor Eric Holcomb’s proposed spending plan.

Governor Eric Holcomb

  • Increases K-12 tuition support by $431 million or 2 percent each year.
  • Shift $20 million from teacher appreciation grants to tuition support.
  • Increase school supplies tax credit from $100 to $500
  • $14 million in school safety grants
  • $207 million total increase in Medicaid
  • End biennium with $1.8 billion in reserves.

House Republicans

  • House Republicans increase K-12 school funding by 4.3 percent – 2.1 percent in 2020 and 2.2 percent in 2021, which equates to a $461 million boost to local school tuition support over the biennium.
  • $30 million a year for Teacher Appreciation Grants to reward effective and highly effective educators. To support new and veteran teachers, the budget provides $5 million for Teacher and Student Achievement Grants included in House Bill 1008, and $1 million for the Teacher Residency Grant Pilot Program included in House Bill 1009.
  • Funding the governor’s plan to use $150 million from reserves to pay off a teacher pension liability, which will result in $70 million in annual savings for local schools.
  • $20 million per year for local water infrastructure improvements.
  • Fully fund DCS at the governor’s request by appropriating $286 million in new funding each year, which will align with the agency’s current spending levels.
  • Increases funding for Indiana’s First Steps program by $12 million a year.
  • Increases funding from $18 million to $30 million a year for local jails that house Level 6 offenders.
  • $500,000 in additional funding a year for the Indiana Law Enforcement Academy, which annually graduates hundreds of local and state police recruits, and certifies other officers from across the state.
  • End biennium with $1.9 billion in reserves.

Senate Republicans

  • Increases K-12 funding by $775 million, including a $535 million increase in K-12 tuition support; a total of 4.9%..
  • A 50% increase in funding for the Teacher Appreciation Grant (TAG) program, which is a program that allows the General Assembly to provide money directly to teachers. Under the Senate proposed budget, the TAG program would be funded at $90 million, a $30 million increase over the last state budget.
  • Funding the governor’s plan to use $150 million for teacher pay with dollars from the pension stabilization fund
  • Makes available the full budget request of the Department of Child Services (DCS);
  • Increases funding for drug-treatment programs;
  • Creates a new fund to expand access to rural broadband;
  • Increases funding for Secured School Safety Grants;
  • Funds a new Indiana State Police (ISP) lab/post;
  • Fully funds the Medicaid forecast;
  • Increases funding for workforce development training programs; and
  • Provides money to ISP to fight internet crimes against children.
  • End biennium with $2.2 billion in reserves.

Lawmakers are scheduled to receive the revenue forecast Wednesday at 10 a.m.