Governor outlines budget priorities

FORT WAYNE, Ind. (WANE) - Governor Mitch Daniels was at Fort Wayne's Chamber of Commerce Thursday, talking about the state's budget.  Though he wouldn't get into specifics, he says, "Our top priorities will be public education and public safety."

"We'll simply have to tighten the belt and postpone some good ideas or things we'd like to build for instance that will have to wait for awhile," Gov. Daniels told NewsChannel 15.

Daniels is optimistic that a new budget will be hammered out during a special session of the Indiana General Assembly.  Details will be released next week.

Some of the state's savings account could be used to shave off the $1.1 billion dollars, but the Governor wants to hold onto that for emergencies.  "We're considering what is a safe level of reserves? Those reserves are the tax payers last layer of defense against huge cuts in eudcation or a tax increase or both."

One estimate finds a special session will cost the state $75,000 a week.
The governor says that will be a good investment if an acceptable budget is passed.

"It's too bad it didn't finish in April, but if we had let the April budget go through, it would have cost taxpayers a million dollars for every dollar this special session will eat up," explains Daniels.

On Monday, the revised budget will be presented to a special budget sub-committee. Members of that group will have about two weeks to pour through all the findings. The special session will likely start on Monday, June 15.