Pierce votes for HB 1002: ‘It’s a step forward but more could be done’

Today, Jan. 28, State Rep. Matt Pierce (D-Bloomington) voted for House Bill 1002, which passed with a vote of 88-4. The bill is a small step towards limiting energy cost increases and expanding protections for utility customers, but it doesn’t provide immediate relief.

Yesterday, Pierce offered two amendments to HB 1002; one was voted down and the other tossed out. One amendment would have imposed a one-year moratorium on the 7% sales tax on utility bills and prevented the Indiana Economic Development Corporation (IEDC) from granting any further sales tax exemptions to data centers. 

“Apparently, it’s fine for trillion-dollar corporations to pay no sales tax on energy use at their data centers,” Pierce said. “But not for Hoosier families to get the same tax break.”

The other amendment would have prohibited utility companies from making customers pay for their lobbying and political activities. House Republicans used a procedural move to avoid voting on the amendment. Republicans deemed the amendment unrelated to the contents of the bill, even though both concern how utility rates will be determined. 

“I appreciate that Republicans woke up this election year and discovered that people are struggling to pay their utility bills,” Pierce said. “Now, they’re doing at least a little something about it, but we could be doing much more to lessen the burden of skyrocketing utility bills.”