From the Batesville Herald-Tribune:
Two state legislators informed 6th District U.S. Rep. Luke Messer and about a dozen other attendees of General Assembly progress during a lunch meeting at the Brau Haus in Oldenburg Feb. 8.
A bill by District 42 state Sen. Jean Leising (R-Oldenburg) to prevent an estimated $57 million property tax increase on Indiana farmers may be the first piece of legislation approved by the full General Assembly.
Senate Bill 319 would delay, for an additional year, the implementation of new soil productivity factors proposed by the Indiana Department of Local Government Finance used to assess farmland property taxes.
“Much to my surprise, state Sen. Luke Kenley (R-Noblesville) made it the first bill heard on the agenda.” The Senate passed it 48-0 Jan. 29.
“Clearly, the governor is in support of this as well,” she reported. The fast-tracked bill was approved by the House Committee on Ways and Means Feb. 12 with a 20-0 vote and now goes to the full House of Representatives for further consideration, according to Leising’s Web site. It is moving quickly because of assessors’ timetables.
The Republican explained the soil productivity factors were set in 1979 and never changed since. A formula looks at six years of data, such as yield grain price, interest rate and terrain type, kicks out the highest year and averages the five left.
“Out of the clear blue, DLGF (officials) decided, through their rule-making authority, they would change the soil productivity factors, increasing them substantially ... an average of 25 percent.” Property tax payments for Indiana’s 62,000 farmers, depending on which counties they call home, would rise between 15-45 percent.
SB 319 would also require the DLGF and Purdue University College of Agriculture to submit a report on proposed soil productivity factors by Nov. 1 to the General Assembly. She added Purdue experts told her they don’t think soil productivity has changed much in recent years.
Leising said her legislation was developed after she led the General Assembly’s 2012 Interim Study Committee on Agriculture.
http://batesvilleheraldtribune.com/local/x1633480419/Legislators-boost-farmers-and-students
