Indiana

STATE OF THE STATE

By Abdul Hakim-Shabazz

Don?t expect Indiana Governor Mitch Daniels to stray too much from the subject of property taxes when he gives his state of the state address on Tuesday. Lt. Governor Becky Skillman says the speech has been written since Thanksgiving and will likely be the shortest of his four State of the State speeches.

Skillman also told me this morning that the Governor will layout where the state was when he took office and where it is now. She also says he will reiterate his call for lawmakers to pass his property tax relief and reform plan. Although lawmakers heard testimony last week on the elimination of property taxes, Skillman says the Governor is open to the idea if lawmakers can make the numbers work.

The Lt. Governor also says there would be no short-term harm done if the General Assembly were to pass SJR-8, a Constitutional amendment that would abolish property taxes in Indiana, because it would be four to five years before the measure would go into effect if it passed as second general Assembly and the voters approved it in a statewide referendum. Skillman says the measure could always be pulled back at a later date and she also reminded Hoosiers that SJR-8 would do nothing in the near term to reduce their property taxes.

The Governor will deliver his address tomorrow night. You can catch expanded coverage of the speech on RTV 6.

Full post as published by Indiana Barrister on January 14, 2008 (boomark / email).