Indiana property tax bill amended in House Ways and Means, advances to House

The property relief bill was further amended to draw from components of three bills in the Indiana House Ways and Means committee Monday, which Democratic members voiced concern about and Republican members praised for its property tax relief.A 368-page amendment to Senate Bill 1 was approved Monday. The amendment includes elements of the Senate amended Senate Bill 1, like allowing a county’s fiscal body to set up a property tax deferment program, and Senate 518, which would require by 2027 that school corporations share referendum revenue with charter schools and by 2028 all school corporations begin sharing revenue from the school corporation’s operations fund levy with charter schools.Further, the amended Senate Bill 1 contains language from House Bill 1402, proposed by House Ways and Means committee chairman Jeff Thompson, which includes a 5-year phase-in of exemptions and deductions so that every parcel in the state hits the property tax cap.The amended Senate Bill 1 states that t...