Legislators share ideas to get out of financial struggle

By Sarah Lang/For the Times Sentinel

The state of Indiana has no money — but according to Sen. Jim Buck, that’s a good thing.

“The advantage is, truthfully, that we don’t have any money,” Buck said Saturday morning, Feb. 20, at the legislative breakfast held at Zionsville’s Hussey-Mayfield Memorial Public Library. “It keeps a lot of the arguments to a minimum.”

Buck explained that, since the state has no money, any bill that requires money isn’t even considered.

But even though Indiana is fiscally struggling, it sits in a much better place than many of the other 49 states. Indiana will be, Buck said, one of the most attractive states for businesses once the economy starts picking up.

“Indiana is one of the only states to still have its nose above red ink. And we’re creating an environment conducive to economic growth,” he said. “We’re primed to be one of those states that will grow its way out of (hard) economic times.”

One of the most important aspects of that conducive environment is the property tax caps that would cap property taxes at one percent for homeowners, two percent for agricultural land and three percent for businesses.

“If we do this cap, we’ll be the only state in the nation to have it,” Buck said.

He continued, explaining that he’s spoken with residents of Michigan, Illinois, Ohio and Kentucky who plan on moving to Indiana and commuting across state lines for work because of this tax cap. Their property taxes would be less if they lived in Indiana. And Buck sees this as a way to bring in more taxes without raising taxes.

“The only way to grow is to create rooftops and employers,” he said. “(Tax caps) will go a long way to accomplish that. Instead of taxing more, we’re hoping to have more people here paying taxes.”

Money was the overall theme of the breakfast conversation. Rep. Jeff Thompson said that right now, the state is spending $2 million per day more than they are taking in.

“That’s our situation,” he said. “The next budget cycle is not going to be easy.”

School budgets inevitably came up after the recent news that the state was cutting funding to schools by $300 million. One public member brought up a concern that part-time school board members are receiving health insurance.

“That’s usually controlled by city or county council,” Buck said. “But the legislature is looking at benefits across the board.”

“That should be addressed by the school board, because they’re facing the shortfall in funding,” Senator Phil Boots added. “We shouldn’t have to tell them how to handle that. That’s what the board is for.”

Though school start dates — non-money related — garnered the most attention from the crowd. Thompson shared that a bill requiring all school corporations in Indiana start on the same date after Labor Day in September passed out of the Senate, but is not getting hearing in the House of Representatives and is therefore dying.

Addressing concerns that having winter break in-between school semesters is better for student learning, Thompson said, after researching the matter, it really doesn’t make a difference.

“I was kind of surprised,” he said. “A couple of weeks back after Christmas, and the students are back to where they were.”

Boots shared his opinion that the decision of when to start school should really be left up to the local corporations. School principals and superintendents want to keep that control also, Buck said.

Although, Buck said he does hope, once the dust settles, schools will not be starting so early. Some are now starting Aug. 7, he said. He’s had small businesses saying they’re losing their summer help because students return to school. Those involved in county and state fairs are missing classes to present projects. Municipalities are closing their pools early because the lifeguards return to school.

On a bright note, Boots shared that after years of effort, Sheriff Ken Campbell’s request to honor former fallen Sheriff John H. Peper has passed. The stretch of U.S. 52 north of Lebanon is now known as the Sheriff Peper Memorial Highway.

“It doesn’t cost any money and it’s the right thing to do to honor someone who has given their life in service to the community,” Boots said.

Rep. Jacque Clements also shared that an addition to the “Slow Down Move Over” law has passed. Utility workers are now included, and “slow down” has been defined as 10 miles per hour under the posted speed limit.

“That to me is a very important thing,” she said.

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