Coalition of Central Indiana Tea Parties calls on Governor Braun to veto Senate Bill 1

Submitted by Coalition of Central Indiana Tea Parties

The Coalition of Central Indiana Tea Parties has voted to oppose Indiana Senate Bill 1 (SB 1) and is calling on Governor Mike Braun to veto the legislation if it remains in its current or any worse form.

The Coalition is further urging Governor Braun to convene a special session of the Indiana General Assembly at the close of the regular session to deliver the real property tax reform that was promised to Hoosiers during his 2024 campaign.

SB1 will raise taxes by expanding income taxing power of municipalities without delivering meaningful reform to the property tax system. There is no reset of property tax bills, no caps on individual tax bill increases, and at 355 pages, SB1 is too complicated even for legislators to understand, much less their constituents.

“Governor Braun was elected on a promise to bring meaningful, lasting reform to Indiana’s broken property tax system,” Coalition PR Chairman Rick Barr said. “SB1, as it stands, falls far short of that promise. It is a shadow of the reform plan he laid out to voters. If this bill becomes law, it will be a betrayal of the Hoosiers who put their trust in his commitment to fiscal accountability and tax relief.”

The Coalition’s concerns go beyond the shortcomings of SB1. Hidden within the proposed state budget (HB 1001) are provisions that would strip authority from the Indiana State Treasurer to manage the TrustIndiana investment program – an initiative that has consistently delivered record investment revenues and provided local governments a secure means of managing public funds. TrustIndiana is a local government investment pool that has empowered local entities across the state to earn strong returns on taxpayer dollars while maintaining safety and liquidity.

“The attempt to undermine TrustIndiana through the budget process is another example of legislative overreach and backroom politics,” Coalition Chairman Adam Harvey said. “This is crony capitalism at its worst. They want to put a board of bankers over the elected State Treasurer, directing investments that benefit their shareholders instead of Hoosier taxpayers and local governments.”

The Coalition is urging all Hoosiers who care about responsible governance and true tax relief to contact Governor Braun and their state legislators immediately about SB 1 and the TrustIndiana language in the state budget.

“Governor Braun needs to veto SB1, the so-called property tax bill, if it remains in current or worse form,” Chairman Harvey said. “He must call a special session to come up with something that reflects the promises made to Hoosiers!”

The Coalition also calls on the Legislature to prioritize taxpayers by keeping the elected Treasurer over TrustIndiana.

Click here for more information about the Coalition of Central Indiana Tea Parties.