INDIANAPOLIS — The Senate Appropriations Committee met for the second of several budgetary request hearings. State Senator David Niezgodski (D-South Bend), ranking minority member on Appropriations, released the following statement following the discussions.

Among the many testifiers was the Office of Health and Human Services, which encompasses multiple agencies, including the Family and Social Services Administration (FSSA), which has been a focus of the General Assembly in recent discussions.

He emphasized that critical funding priorities were addressed during the hearing.

“I’m pleased to see key priorities in the Office of Health and Human Services’ budget, including fully funding families on the Child Care Development Fund (CCDF) and creating a local child care assistance fund, said Niezgodski. “The Governor’s proposed budget took a critical step by eliminating the CCDF waitlist, but the House-passed budget fails to do the same—only maintaining funding for families already in the program. We will work to ensure the Senate budget fully addresses this need so more Hoosier families can access affordable child care.”

“At the same time, Medicaid waitlists for home and community-based services under PathWays and the Health and Wellness waiver remain unaddressed in both the Governor’s and House-passed budgets,” Niezgodski stated. “Thousands of Hoosiers rely on these services, yet funding gaps continue to leave them waiting for essential care. Senate Democrats will continue fighting to ensure that Medicaid funding reflects the needs of Hoosier families.”

The committee also heard budget requests from the Office of Education, which highlighted improvements in Indiana’s national rankings for reading and math. However, Niezgodski said there is still work to be done, particularly in addressing teacher retention and compensation.

“The agency has a focus on teacher retention and pay, which is a priority for the Senate Democratic Caucus as well,” he said. “However, their proposal does not go far enough. Our teachers and educators play a vital role in the lives of Hoosier children. Without them, students would lack fundamental reading and writing skills. We must start showing them the appreciation they deserve.”

As the hearings continue, Niezgodski said he remains committed to ensuring the budget reflects the needs of Hoosiers.

“After hearing from members of the Governor’s cabinet and several agencies today, I look forward to continued discussions with them to ensure we maximize the more than $46 billion biennium budget and keep Hoosier lives at the forefront,” he said.