Blog
| Sen. Deery Shares Update Many of you have shared your thoughts with me over the past few weeks regarding property tax reform. Some have expressed concerns that our system is fundamentally unfair—forcing taxpayers to pay higher taxes on rising home values, even when their ability to pay has not increased. Others have shared how inflation has dramatically inflated their property tax bills. At the same time, I have also received many messages from Hoosiers asking me to make sure our schools, police, firefighters and other worthy local government programs receive the necessary funding to operate at levels Hoosiers expect. While I do not serve on the committee responsible for crafting and amending Senate Bill 1, I have shared with my colleagues on the Senate Committee Tax and Fiscal Policy the importance of both perspectives. The bill is far from final and will change throughout the legislative process, but I want to share with you how it currently stands. In its current state, SB 1 would: Save Hoosiers $1.4 billion in property taxes over the next three years by limiting how much tax bills can grow. Enact targeted tax cuts to reduce how much Hoosiers over 65, disabled veterans, farmers and first-time homebuyers pay in property taxes. Permit counties to allow homeowners to defer some of their tax bill until their home is sold. If local elected officials believe their community needs more revenue, they could put the question to voters through a referendum. This last bullet is important because no local elected official should be able to hide behind state policies when making tax and spending decisions. State government does not collect or spend property tax revenue—property taxes are collected and used exclusively by local governments. The best way to promote efficient, competent and accountable local governments with low taxes may be to give local authorities more control over these decisions while better empowering voters to hold them accountable. The bill isn’t final yet, and I look forward to hearing your thoughts, but I believe this first draft gets us closer to that vision. | |
| Legislative Update This week, two of my bills moved through the legislative process. Here is a quick update. Senate Bill 249 would make it easier for school corporations to give their top teachers and the teachers working in shortage areas a meaningful salary raise. The bill passed the Senate on Tuesday and now heads to the House of Representatives for further consideration. Senate Bill 505 would allow emergency responders to transport individuals to more options than an emergency room. An ambulance could also take someone to mental health facility or urgent care facility that can provide the patient appropriate and necessary treatment. The bill passed the Senate Committee on Appropriations on Thursday and now heads to the full Senate for further consideration. | |
| Supporting Hoosier Educators Our teachers play an important role in preparing the next generation of Hoosiers for success. That’s why I was pleased to support a bill that would increase the starting salary for Hoosier teachers from $40,000 to $45,000 when it unanimously passed out of the Senate last week. If a school district does not reach a $45,000 minimum salary for its teachers, it would need to submit a report to the Indiana Department of Education explaining why it cannot meet that threshold. Senate Bill 146 would also increase the share of state tuition support funding that schools must spend on teacher compensation from 62% to 65%. Thanks to the hard work and dedication of our teachers, Indiana’s reading scores on the National Assessment of Educational Progress saw impressive improvements, increasing from 19th to 6th in the nation among fourth graders and from 17th to 6th among eighth graders. As always, I encourage residents of Senate District 23 to contact me with any questions or comments you may have. I can be reached by filling out a “Contact Me” form online at www.IndianaSenateRepublicans.com/Deery or by phone at 800-382-9467. | |
| College Goal Sunday Coming Soon Financial aid experts will be on hand at 39 sites across Indiana on Feb. 23 to offer free assistance for Hoosier families to file the FAFSA, which is a required form for students seeking financial aid for postsecondary education. College Goal Sunday, the state’s largest FAFSA filing event, will give families an opportunity to ask questions as they fill out the FAFSA for their college student. State Sen. Spencer Deery (R-West Lafayette) represents Senate District 23, which includes Fountain, Parke, Vermillion and Warren counties, and portions of Montgomery and Tippecanoe counties. | |
