Campbell votes no on budget, bad deal for West Lafayette community

Today, April 25, Indiana Republicans passed the final version of House Bill 1001, sending the budget to the governor’s desk.  State Rep. Chris Campbell (D-West Lafayette) voted against the budget due to insufficient funding for K-12 public education, cuts for Purdue University, cuts for local public health initiatives, changes to the eligibility threshold for On My Way Pre-K, cuts in housing assistance and the elimination of funding for the Public Broadcasting Service (PBS) TV and radio. Campbell supports a few portions of the budget, including cutting funding for the Indiana Economic Development Corporation (IEDC) by roughly 30%. 

Campbell released the following statement: 

“I couldn’t support this budget, which will adversely impact families in West Lafayette. The bad in the budget outweighs the good. Purdue’s funding is getting cut, and they’re receiving no funding for capital projects, even though they’ve been an excellent partner with the state. With Purdue’s housing crisis, the university needs additional funding to build dorms and meet students’ needs. 

“The cuts for local public health initiatives are concerning since that money has been used by Tippecanoe County to prevent chronic disease and improve maternal and infant health. Fewer of our families in need will qualify for state-funded pre-K since we’re changing the On My Way Pre-K threshold. Thank goodness the various attempts to criminalize homelessness all failed, but this budget eliminates the Housing First program.  

“Our public schools also get the short end of the stick. They’ll get a small increase in state funding, but at the same time, they’ll lose an even bigger amount in property tax revenue. This isn’t what our children and teachers deserve. The bad in the budget outweighs the good.”