INDIANAPOLIS -- Talk about a legislative wish list.
An agenda released by Indiana Senate Democrats last week included full-day kindergarten for every child, free textbooks for all students and universal access to health care. Then there were proposals to ensure that all Indiana residents can attend a state college or university, offer new tax credits and incentives and add police at the state and local levels.
They're among 82 initiatives in the plan, which Senate Democrats -- outnumbered by Republicans 33-17 -- said they would campaign on and pledged to pursue in the legislative session come January.
Lots of voters will surely find many of them worthy. But what's the cost to taxpayers?
They didn't have one.
When asked how they would pay for their proposals in a new, two-year budget lawmakers must craft in 2009, caucus leaders spoke only in generalities.
"Budgets are about setting priorities, so what we are trying to demonstrate -- and we will do so through legislation and through our work on the budget -- is that this caucus has different priorities perhaps than other caucuses, and we want to focus on the issues we spoke about today," said Sen. Vi Simpson, D-Bloomington.
She said some of the proposals would cost money, but some would save money. She said Senate Democrats would look for efficiencies, and there were references to some in the plan.
It's hard to argue against the idea of finding efficiencies to save taxpayer money while maintaining, even improving, the level of services. Both major state parties often pledge in election years to find ways to free up money for other causes. But once the election is over, you rarely hear about efficiencies again until the next campaign season.
The Senate Democrat agenda includes several vague proposals for boosting the economy, starting with updating the state's tax structure to encourage business growth. There were no details on how that might be done.
They want to reward Indiana companies that do business with other Indiana companies, provide lifelong learning opportunities for all Hoosiers, end corporate welfare for businesses that don't pay a living wage or don't meet their commitments to the state or community, and promote jobs in green industries.
Simpson said with the economy sliding nationally and in Indiana, many of the proposals they were putting forward would improve the economy and help families afford "just their day-to-day needs."
But a sagging economy affects state revenues. It's why Gov. Mitch Daniels, after revenue projections were lowered last December because of the economic downturn, ordered spending restraints. The state ended the fiscal year in June with revenues exceeding spending by $321 million.
That number would have been lower if the administration had not spent $133 million less over the last fiscal year than was allocated by lawmakers.
Even with those cuts, state Auditor Tim Berry has said the state expects to spend nearly everything it takes in through June 30, 2009 -- the end of this two-year budget cycle. The state is still projected to have $1.3 billion in its main checking account and reserves, but that would be barely enough to meet what many analysts believe is a prudent amount to protect the state from an economic downturn.
Unless the economy improves significantly, top budget officials and House Speaker Patrick Bauer, a Democrat from South Bend, have said there won't be much money for new spending.
Senate Democrats deserve some credit for being the only caucus so far to make an agenda public before the election and legislative session. Go to www.indianasenatedemocrats.com if you want to check it out.
You might like what you see. But as in a high-end store, if you have to ask what it costs, you might not be able to afford it.
Mike Smith of the Associated Press has covered Indiana's Statehouse and political scene since 1993.