INDIANAPOLIS-State Senator David Niezgodski (D-South Bend), who serves as the Indiana Senate Democratic Caucus' voting member on the Indiana State Budget Committee, released the following statement reflecting on the two days of Budget Committee hearings between Nov. 10-11:
"The two days of State Budget Committee hearings earlier this week provided us with the opportunity to have extensive, productive conversations with our state agency department heads.
"These hearings allow our committee to identify potential challenges that could arise during the process of crafting our state's next budget, as well as insight into what is currently working.
"I am grateful for those who testified, as well as for my colleagues on the Budget Committee, for fostering a meaningful dialogue regarding the opportunities before Indiana.
"This dialogue is but a step on the path towards the 2027 budget session; one that we expect will give us the chance to address the affordability concerns facing Hoosier families across our state while also ensuring Indiana is positioned to be a beacon of opportunity for the generations who come after us.
"While we have to wait until our December forecast to understand better the full scope of the possibilities in front of us, in the here and now we can continue advocating for the Indiana that Hoosiers expect us to deliver: A state that is a safe and prosperous place to live, work and raise a family.
"As legislators, we must continue to do the very best we can to pass legislation that will propel all communities in our state towards a future we can feel confident will be successful, see generational advancement in science and medicine, and leave our children and our children's children in an even better position than we are in today."
