Occasionally I tell you about my conversations with Buddy, our family golden retriever. I recently had another conversation after the abrupt adjournment of the Indiana House by Speaker Pat Bauer who sent me home with much work still to do. Buddy listened to me complain about the speaker's actions and seemed to agree that they were childish as well as wasteful with taxpayer's money. He rapidly wagged his tail when I told him that we were close to getting done with the General Assembly, and I would be home soon to help him operate and protect the farm. My goal is to wrap this up. The last bill we passed in the House on Thursday dealt with the formula that calculates the assessed value of farmland for property tax purposes. Senate Bill 396 would retain the six year rolling average of crop values and farm income, but it would subtract the highest value year. This formula would reduce the effects of spikes in farm income. This action would be helpful to agriculture by reducing the base rate used for the calculations. I was a conferee on this bill and am pleased it passed the House. The real deal-breakers for this General Assembly are two bills: the unemployment insurance legislation that could delay or repeal a huge tax increase on Indiana businesses; and the bill that would allow more flexibility for public school spending. These bills are contentious because they polarize the groups supporting each side. Organized labor groups want more than what's available and advisable. The negotiations are very contentious and difficult. I realize everyone is working for their members and constituents, but everyone must comprehend our resources are limited, sometimes even non-existent. The state revenues have missed monthly targets for 17 consecutive months. I want the best and most reasonable solution for all our problems. They are formidable, so the solutions will not please everyone. I am touched by the support from the district as we work on these complex issues. Thank you for communicating with me and understanding if the result is less than perfect. Buddy eventually became bored with my conversation and decided to chase some birds. He is a very smart dog. He knows how to solve a problem and he acts on it. I will report on the final product. More later, Bill Friend |
