Jackson votes against Republican tax hike on Hoosiers

Today, Indiana House Republicans passed Senate Bill 1 with an amendment that will potentially increase Hoosiers' local income taxes by $1.1 billion annually while cutting police, fire, EMS and public school services by $1.4 billion over three years. While the bill was pushed through with very little time to review the possible fiscal impact, it's clear that SB 1 will provide minimal property tax relief to Hoosiers. Republican leadership told Hoosiers it's time to "tighten our belts" while discussing this legislation, despite House Democrats' concerns that SB 1 will choke the life out of vital services provided by local governments.

State Rep. Carolyn Jackson (D-Hammond) issued the following statement after voting "no" on SB 1:

 "Senate Bill 1 is not the property tax relief bill that Republicans promised Indiana residents. This bill does very little to limit property taxes while gutting local governments' ability to fund essential services. To make up for that fact, they have added provisions to raise local income taxes.

"Lake County alone stands to lose over $200 million by 2028 as a result of this bill's passage. These massive cuts will leave our public schools, libraries, fire departments and police departments struggling to operate. Republicans have talked about property tax relief for months. Instead of compromising, they are rushing a bill through the legislative process that does very little to help Indiana homeowners. No one is happy with this bill, and it's extremely disappointing that Republicans were unwilling to work with us to come up with a plan that actually benefits Hoosier taxpayers.”

The bill now heads back to the Senate for a concurrence vote. During House session on Wednesday, April 9, Gov. Mike Braun signaled that this was the Indiana GOP's final property tax plan, despite House Democrats still working to make the bill better on the House floor via amendments which were all voted down by the majority.