The legislative session has begun at the Indiana Statehouse. Both chambers of the legislature gaveled in on Wednesday.
Already, the hot-button topics have to do with the state’s finances going forward, especially how they pertain to growing calls for relief on property taxes throughout the state. Lawmakers plan to look at a plethora of legislation to make that happen.
Of course, the issue of property taxes will be closely tied to how lawmakers formulate the state’s budget for the next two years. Much of that depends on what state revenue experts have to say in their next revenue forecast due to come out in April.
“We’ll work our way through (the budget) and then we’ll get to April and make the necessary adjustments,” said Indiana House Speaker Todd Huston.
Huston said they are already getting lots of input from stakeholders when it comes to the property tax issue.
“Obviously you talk to homeowners. They are our constituents,” Huston said. “So are our local units of government and their elected officials. They are weighing in and providing feedback.”
Huston said they will look at all avenues to ensure Hoosiers get some relief on property taxes without cutting funding to essential services that some of that tax money goes to support.
The House is taking a back seat to the property tax issue for now, according to Huston.
“It makes sense that our Senate colleagues, in the first half, have a chance to look at a property tax plan,” he said. “Then send us over something they feel really good about and we can react to that.”
Lawmakers have until mid-May to pass a budget and with it a plan on property tax relief.
3 comments
Eliminate property taxes! You should not need to rent your land that you paid for from the government!
The last time the state legislature “fixed” the property tax system they doomed property tax payers into a dystopians system that no one can figure out. I have not sold my property for the last 15 years but the tax assessment goes up every year. This increase is IMAGINARY because no one knows what my house is worth until there is an accepted offer to buy it. It goes up based only on the greed of the assessor and those who spend money they have no right to spend. My ignorant HOA leaders think they are keeping our properties well maintained and keeping the worth high. But they are only causing my tax bill to go up. Besides, 80% of the property tax goes to the failing school system where kids cant read or write at grade level or even make simple change when buying something.
I will not be holding my breath to see what they make this time around.
Remember, these same incompetents at the legislature blew through $1 billion to add people to the state medical insurance system who were the least likely to even need medical care.