State lawmakers hear funding concerns

As their session winds down, Wayne County’s two state legislators heard residents’ concerns about funding for local services, Head Start, health insurance costs compared to wages, energy, measles outbreaks and more.

State Rep. Brad Barrett and Sen. Jeff Raatz took questions Friday, April 11, during the second of Indiana University East’s two legislative forums. Several standing in line to ask questions had to speak with the lawmakers after the one-hour session.

IU East staff said about 60 people signed in for this discussion, ranging from a group of high school students to Richmond Mayor Ron Oler and Wayne County councilors and commissioners. An estimated 80 attended the March event.

Raatz said he and Barrett have heard frequently from county and school leaders across the state regarding potential funding decreases through property tax reforms. He said they try to balance those concerns with landowners upset about rising bills.

“You can bet your commissioners and council people and mayor here in Wayne County have been after both Representative Barrett and I to make sure we don’t cut things too far where it causes you issues to function,” Raatz said. “I think we’ve landed at a good spot.”

Retired Richmond High School social studies teacher Bill Pendley apologized for his actions at the March forum.

“I was angry and mad. Today, I’m only angry. … What made me mad was when I left home last time, my wife said, ‘Don’t say anything because you might get in trouble.’ I thought about that for an hour and a half before I spoke, and the more I thought the angrier I became because this is America. We should be allowed to say what we want without worrying about consequences.”

Pendley added he used to be proud of being a lifelong registered Republican who’s voted in every local, state and national election since 1960. Although that pride is gone, he’ll continue to vote.

“I haven’t left it, it has left me,” Pendley said of the party. He then asked Barrett’s perspective on measles vaccinations.

Barrett thanked Pendley, saying he was just passionate in March and wasn’t out of line.

“There’s frustration now, there’s frustration six months ago from a different group of people,” Barrett said. “It’s just the way it is. The pendulum swings.”

Barrett said he’s glad Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services and Department of Health and Human Services made a statement advocating for the measles, mumps and rubella vaccine. He and his children are vaccinated for those illnesses, and he’d vaccinate grandchildren.

One speaker asked what Indiana is going to do to keep Head Start. Raatz said he’s investigated Head Start, and he believes it would be a huge issue if it was closed. He’s contacted the federal government, suggesting states should get block grants to run Head Start.

“Any program, whether it’s in the state or federal government, that’s been for 60 years has got some problems,” Raatz said. “I’m not talking about outcomes, I’m talking about the bureaucracy behind the scenes, so I think the state could do a much better job.”

Barrett said there’s now apprehension surrounding any state program receiving federal dollars.

He cited the expansion of the Healthy Indiana Plan, which receives nine federal dollars for every dollar Indiana invests. If that decreases to $7 or $5, for instance, impacts will be felt because the state depends on that money for some programs.

Barrett said Hoosiers who’ve lived through a recession have learned they can’t count on healthy paychecks and Indiana lawmakers are getting “a true wake-up call” during this budget session since future funding might not come as expected.