Democrats upset by budget situation

TERRE HAUTE, Ind. (WTHI) - Tuesday at midnight, thousands of Hoosiers could get an unexpected and unpaid vacation.

Since the beginning of the year, lawmakers have been working on a budget for 2010. Normally a budget would pass sometime in May, but this time that did not happen

Lawmakers went back to work this month for a costly special session. Some democrat representatives have been battling against Gov. Mitch Daniels' budget.

From the beginning, State Rep. Clyde Kersey, of Terre Haute, said the governor did not take part in this budget. He said Daniels stayed out until two days before the end of the general session.

Instead of fixing this in May, Kersey said the governor called them back in the middle of June.

"The governor is orchestrating this whole thing. He wants this to be a crisis situation. A situation where we have a deadline and if we don't do certain things and get a budget passed then the state shuts down," Kersey said.

Daniels said he has the authority to keep prisons operating and state police on the roads. A decision must be made no later than midnight Tuesday, before state government shuts down.