The 2022 legislative session is just over two weeks away from gaveling in as state lawmakers will gather to figure out how much the state will spend over the next two years.
Governor Eric Holcomb will preside over his last budget session as governor this year and said he intends to keep things balanced as they have been for over a decade in Indiana.
“We will present an honestly balanced budget,” Holcomb told Indy Politics. “We’re on a streak of honestly balanced budgets. We’re not going to go back to the days of delaying payments. We’re not going to go back to the days of borrowing to make ends meet.”
Budget forecasters estimate that the state will have about $20 billion to work with over the next two fiscal years. That’s up from around $18 billion under the current budget.
“Inflation is a factor,” Holcomb said. “We can get creative about this and talk about timelines, but we want to make sure that all these capital projects are on track.”
Those capital projects include infrastructure improvements and investments in healthcare, which Holcomb said is his big priority for this session. He plans to roll out some sort of healthcare initiative that will involve all 92 counties if they opt to “buy-in.”
Holcomb also clarified that he will not be getting involved in the governor’s race come 2024, a race in which his current Lt. Governor Suzanne Crouch announced she was entering last week. She and Sen. Mike Braun (R-IN) are both running for governor in the GOP primary. Holcomb said he would not be endorsing anyone in the governor’s race.
