Dozens of people testified before the House Ways and Means Committee Thursday to request the committee to either continue to fund or increase funding in the two-year budget the legislature is drafting.
In the 2025 legislative session, the legislature will be crafting a budget to cover state funding over the next two years. The legislature will determine how to spend $44 billion for schools, health care insurance programs and infrastructure, among other things.
Angel Acosta, a junior student at Cardinal Ritter High School in Indianapolis, testified before the committee to continue funding the Career Scholarship Account program, which was established in 2023 and grants $5,000 per student per school year to participate in career preparation programs.
Through the CSA program, Acosta said he is learning HVAC skills. Acosta, a first-generation Mexican American, said he is from a lower middle-class family and helps support his mother and brother.
“What I am most thankful for is the financial support of the CSA. The financial burden that has been lifted off of me and so many other students,” Acosta said. “Cardinal Ritter High School has given me the privilege to be among the trades where I can make a liveable wage and provide for my family if anything were to occur, after I get my license of course.”
His dream, Acosta said, is to become a lawyer to defend those who experience injustice.
“Sadly, due to recent changes in the world, I’m not very sure if I’ll have that opportunity one day,” Acosta said.
Through the CSA, Acosta said working in HVAC has provided him with a backup plan as a way to provide for his family.
House and Ways Committee Rep. Mike Andrade, D-Munster, told Acosta he is also a first-generation Mexican American. His goal was also to become a lawyer, Andrade said, and now he is a state legislator.
“I am very proud of you. Keep pressing on. Keep working hard. You can achieve anything you want in life,” Andrade said.
Emily Bryant, the executive director of Feeding Indiana’s Hungry, said in 2024 the organization distributed about 140 million pounds of food, which represents an 8 million pound increase from 2023.
Bryant said the organization appreciates the $2 million, per year, of the upcoming budget allocated to it.
Sarah Bosslet, past president of the Indiana chapter of the American Academy of Pediatrics, requested $300,000 to fund the CARE Program, which helps families connect with pediatric mental health care.
Kacie Chase, vice president of performance improvement at Lifespring Health Systems, requested an additional $53.1 million toward its community mental health fund and $21 million each year toward group homes for individuals with serious mental illness.
Erica Briggs, the Midwest Policy Manager with Rails to Trails Conservancy, asked the committee to fund trails over the next two years.
Briggs said the organization highlights Indiana as a model of success in the nation as it recognizes that trails as cost-effective investments that spur economic development, improve public health and quality of life amenities.
In the last 6 years, Indiana has invested $180 million to develop and connect locally and regionally significant trail networks, Briggs said. Unfortunately, Briggs said, the proposed two-year budget doesn’t include funding for trails.
“Indiana would not only lose its place as a leader; unfortunately, it’s going to drop to dead last in the nation,” Briggs said.
The committee should allocate $30 million toward trails, which would reflect a 5% decrease in funds that other state agencies have been asked to do, Briggs said.
“Trails .. are essential infrastructure where small investments have outsized returns,” Briggs said.
Khepri Hazel, the executive director of Greenways Foundation, said the committee should continue to invest in trails in the upcoming budget. Trails are an infrastructure investment, proven economic engines and catalyst for job creation, she said.
“Communities across Indiana, from our largest cities to our smallest towns, are seeing first-hand the transformative power of trails. They attract visitors, support local businesses and increase property values,” Hazel said.
Further, trails help improve public health, Hazel said. Studies have shown that for every $1 invested in trails translates into a $3 savings in health care costs by reducing rates of disease, obesity and mental health challenges.
Trails also help with conservation, protect green space, protect wildlife and offer community connection, Hazel said.
“Without continued investment, we risk stalling momentum and leaving countless shovel-ready projects unfunded,” Hazel said.
The bill will continue to be heard in committee.