The legislation, sponsored by State Senator
Jean Leising (R-Oldenburg), passed unanimously in both the Indiana House and
Senate.
In recent years, the DLGF requested and
received new soil productivity factors from the United States Department of
Agriculture. The proposed new soil productivity factors used for farmland
assessment in Indiana could have caused an estimated 25 percent average increase
in property tax payments for Indiana's farmers, dependent on the county in which
they live.
"Indiana
is agriculture, and Lt. Governor Ellspermann and I appreciate the
General Assembly's bipartisan effort to quickly pass this critical piece of
legislation to help Hoosier farmers," said Governor
Mike Pence. "It was a privilege for us to provide tax relief for
family farmers in the very first bill we signed into
law."
Governor Mike Pence signs SEA 319, the first
piece of legislation he has signed into law, which prevents a $57 million
property tax increase on Hoosier farmers.
