Lawmakers who will return in January will be charged with approving the first two-year state budget fully crafted by Gov. Mike Pence's administration. Former Governor Daniels' team drew up most of the current $30 million budget that expires in June. Pence has already given department heads their marching orders to cut 3 percent from their 2015 appropriations and identify potential cuts to offset requests for new or expanded programs. Each agency also has been asked to rank the programs it oversees in order of importance to help prioritize funding. The State Budget Committee will hold hearingsin November and December.
