INDIANAPOLIS– Governor-elect Mike Braun’s call to implement universal school choice proved to be a selling point on the campaign trail but days before he’s set to take office, budget concerns could put that goal on hold.
“We’re a long way there, not quite there yet,” Indiana House Speaker Todd Huston said.
During the latest revenue forecast meeting in November, Republican leadership expressed concerns Medicaid expenditures could soon start driving Indiana’s budget, and severely affect funding for K-12 initiatives.
”As Medicaid grows as a percentage of our budget, K-12 education decreases that same amount, so we have to be very careful,” State Sen. Ryan Mishler (R-Mishawaka) said following that meeting. ”When you look at K-12 and Medicaid, and the percentage of the budget that those two take up, a big increase in one shifts everything.”
During the first day of the 2025 budget session, Speaker Huston said House Republicans would need to wait and see what the budget looks like before approving a universal school choice plan.
”Universal vouchers will always be a priority for me, and I think it’s a priority for our caucus,” Speaker Huston said. “We’ll just kind of see how things shape up in the budget.”
Although House Republicans won’t release their 2025 legislative agenda until next Tuesday, Speaker Huston signaled the highest priority bill will most likely revolve around education deregulation.
”We want a significant deregulation bill, and I think you’ll probably see that next week,” Speaker Huston said.
Indiana Senate Republicans announced their top five bills earlier this week—none of which revolved around education. Across the aisle, Senate Democrats filed a bill to pump more money into public education, an ambitious plan that would guarantee all full-time k-12 teachers receive at least $65,000 a year.
”Education deserves more than a passing glance,” State Sen. Andrea Hunley (D-Indianapolis) said. ”Right now, there are nearly 2,300 teaching positions that are unfilled across our state and that is not just a number, it is a crisis.”
The bill would also expand early childhood programs like On My Way Pre-K and the Childcare Development Fund (CCDF).
”Let’s be clear, creating a waitlist for a program that helps parents afford childcare, like what we’ve seen recently, is unacceptable,” Sen. Hunley said.
The deadline for the Indiana Senate to file bills was Thursday. However, the Indiana House will have until next Tuesday to do so.
