The Need for a Fair and Open and Full Debate – Part Two

The Indiana House and the Indiana Senate should fully debate all of the property tax reform and repeal proposals in the 2008 session of the Indiana General Assembly. Virtually every Senator and Representative believes that we are in the midst of a property tax crisis. For this reason and because property taxes affect all of the citizens of the State of Indiana, a handful of Senators and in the Indiana State Senate and a handful of Representatives in the House of Representatives should not kill any of the property tax reform proposals from coming to the floor of the House and Senate.

When the House Ways and Means Committee and the Tax and Fiscal Policy Committee of the Indiana State Senate consider the Constitutional Amendment to repeal property taxes, they should conduct their hearings at night and in a location where the public can attend. These committee hearings need to be conducted live over the internet so that citizens who can not travel to the committee hearing in Indianapolis can see the proceedings and hear the debate and see how these Representatives and Senators vote. Both committees need to pass the property tax reform and repeal proposals to the floor of the House and Senate. All 100 Representatives and all 50 Senators should have the opportunity to fully debate all of these proposals. To do anything less would be an abuse of power!

Advance America will continue to lead the effort for transparency in government and an end to politics as usual. There needs to be a full and fair and open debate in committee and on the floor of the House and Senate on all property tax proposals including the effort to repeal property taxes with a Constitutional Amendment.