By Sydney Byerly
The Indiana Citizen
April 25, 2025
As gavel echoed off the wooden podium of the Senate and the last of the Indiana legislators shouted, “Sine die,” adjourning the 2025 legislative session about 1:38 a.m. on April 25, Lt. Gov. Micah Beckwith’s chances of getting additional funding evaporated.
In March, Beckwith, who is a pastor at Life Church in Noblesville and an avowed Christian nationalist, requested a $3 million boost to his office’s funding for what he called “faith-based initiatives.” However, the Senate Appropriations Committee did not include the extra money in its version of the state budget and lawmakers did not drop any more dollars as they debated the biennium budget until early Friday morning.
The Indiana General Assembly passed the budget, House Bill 1001, with a vote of 66-27 in the House, and 39-to-11 in the Senate. It now heads to Gov. Mike Braun who has indicated his support for the bill.
“We’ve accomplished a great deal this session,” Braun said in a press release. ”Despite the challenges posed by economic uncertainty, we embraced an entrepreneurial spirit, tightened the belts of state government, and passed a responsible biennial budget that will keep Indiana among the top states in the nation to raise a family and start a business.”
Appearing jovial at the end of the legislature’s marathon final day, Beckwith echoed Braun in applauding the lawmakers and Statehouse staff.
“The 2025 session of the General Assembly is officially over! I want to thank all of the Statehouse employees that keep ‘the people’s house’ and its staff, safe, beautiful, informed and well fed. Its been an absolute privilege to have spent the last four months getting to know so many of you. Your dedication and service has made us proud!”
The lieutenant governor did not release any statement or respond to an inquiry from The Indiana Citizen about not receiving the additional funding. It’s unclear what his office’s plans are for implementing his “faith-based initiatives” with less money.
Even without the extra $3 million, Beckwith was already facing a cut to his office’s budget.
The original version of HB 1001, included $3.95 million for the lieutenant governor’s operating expenses for each of the next two years. In the final version of the budget, the office’s appropriation was chopped by $250,000 per year to $3.70 million.
Moreover, Beckwith was given a smaller budget than the $4.15 million yearly appropriation to former Lt. Gov. Suzanne Crouch.
The 2025 legislative session ended with the passage of the state’s roughly $45 billion two-year budget, after the gloomy revenue forecast just one week ago predicted a $2.4 billion shortfall attributed to policies at the federal level related to tariffs, tax cuts, federal layoffs and immigration under the current Trump administration.
Lawmakers attempted a balancing act, hoping to make up the multi-billion-dollar difference by essentially tripling the current tax on cigarettes and tobacco to roughly $3 per pack, which is estimated to bring in nearly $800 million over the next two years and encourage Hoosiers to quit smoking. Public health, the Indiana Economic Development Corporation and public broadcasting also experienced large spending cuts. The budget also included some nonfiscal language that would allow the Governor to replace alumni members of the Indiana University board of trustees at will.
Chair of the Senate Appropriations Committee, Sen. Ryan Mishler, R-Mishawaka, in a statement, said, “Despite the concerning revenue forecast that was presented earlier this month, I worked with my fellow budget leaders to craft a balanced state budget for the next biennium that reflects Senate Republicans’ commitment to fiscal responsibility.”
“Thanks to our fiscally conservative approach in previous years, Indiana is still in a stable position, but we need to tighten our belt and remain cautious with the changes in the economy,” the Mishawaka Republican said. “I will continue to work toward finding ways to increase efficiency and transparency during the next biennium.”
Some Democratic lawmakers expressed their frustration that there was little time to review the budget prior to it being introduced and called for a vote.
The new budget was announced Wednesday, put on the docket for the final day of session Thursday, but not called up until late Friday evening before being voted on long before the sun rose.
Rep. Gregory Porter, D-Indianapolis, in a statement, said: “Every year in this building, I hear that the Statehouse is nothing like Washington D.C. But these are empty words. This is the least transparent budget process in my legislative tenure. I was not consulted, and I was not told the contents of this budget until thirty minutes before it dropped. It’s disrespectful to my community and the millions of Hoosiers Democrats represent.”
In a statement, House Speaker Todd Huston, R-Fishers, said: “We’re ending the 2025 legislative session with the passage of a balanced state budget that makes government more efficient, supports our key priorities and provides tax relief for Hoosiers.
“Between property tax relief and income tax cuts, Hoosiers will see approximately $600 million in tax cuts in 2026 and $700 million in 2027. We’ve doubled down on our commitment to fiscal responsibility and are keeping Indiana on track for continued growth and success.”
Senate Democrats called the budget a “dangerous misalignment of values” that does not protect children, working families and aging parents and grandparents.
“We walked into this session with a historic opportunity — and this budget squandered it,” Senate minority leader Shelli Yoder, D-Bloomington, said in a statement. “We could’ve invested in working families. We could’ve fully funded schools. We could’ve protected public health. We could’ve provided access to child care and pre-k. Instead, this budget turns its back on Hoosiers and hands over the reins to those who already have the most.”
This story has been updated to correct the budget appropriation to the lieutenant governor’s office.
Sydney Byerly is a political reporter who grew up in New Albany, Indiana. Before joining The Citizen, Sydney reported news for TheStatehouseFile.com and most recently managed and edited The Corydon Democrat & Clarion News in southern Indiana. She earned her bachelor’s in journalism at Franklin College’s Pulliam School of Journalism (‘Sco Griz!).
The Indiana Citizen is a nonpartisan, nonprofit platform dedicated to increasing the number of informed and engaged Hoosier citizens. We are operated by the Indiana Citizen Education Foundation, Inc., a 501(c)(3) public charity. For questions about the story, contact Marilyn Odendahl at marilyn.odendahl@indianacitizen.org.
