The State Legislative Session is “Getting Prickly,” according to House District 41 representative Mark Genda.
The Indiana General Assembly operates on a part-time schedule. During odd-numbered years like 2025, it meets for up to 61 days and must adjourn by April 30. As of March 15, 2025, approximately 70% of its maximum session time has elapsed, with about six weeks remaining until the adjournment deadline. State Senator Brian Buchanan and State Representative Mark Genda each gave a legislative update and answered questions at the Chamber of Commerce Legislative Breakfast at Wesley Manor.
As the Indiana Legislative session approaches the April 30th deadline, three key result areas are making things “prickly” according to Genda. Most conversations are centered around:
- Property Taxes
- Utilities
- Education
Governor Braun ran and won on a platform promising Property Tax relief and reform. This sets the tone for much of the debate and discussion in the State House. Braun pledged to lower property taxes for Hoosiers by working to reduce the financial burden on homeowners and businesses. Specific proposals he campaigned on included measures to cap property tax increases and provide targeted relief to ensure affordability for middle-class families and small businesses.
Senator Buchanan recently had a property owner in his office show him three property tax bills from the last three years. The first year property tax bill had a 14% increase, second year had a 16% increase and the third year had an 18% increase. Buchanan frequently said that when he asks a room full of constituents if they want to “cut property taxes significantly with commensurate cuts in services” OR “control growth and not cut,” about 80% of the audience choose “control growth and not cut.” This is where the Governor will probably not break his property tax pledge while the co-equal branches in the Senate and House are not as hard-line on the issue.
The result? According to Mark Genda, where this may be going is Indiana Property Tax relief will be coupled with local remonstrance voting in communities across Indiana so schools can make annual operating budgets. Typically, remonstrances local taxpayers vote on were for capital expenditures like renovations and new school buildings. Many communities may soon be faced with remonstrances designed to meet annual operational budgets, according to Genda.
There may be language in a bill which will “guarantee a $45,000 starting salary for Indiana Teachers.” While “no one will argue with that being a good thing,” it becomes a mathematical reality this guarantee will just shift money from the more experienced teachers to the less experienced ones, unless the top line fundamental numbers change.
Currently Senator Buchanan stands firmly with 100% school/parental choice and deregulation.
Utility questions center around water and electricity. The legislature is working on enhancing the role of Natural Gas and small modular nuclear reactors. (CLICK HERE for more Information on Reactors)
Legislators have to be mindful of national headwinds and decade-long timelines needed to address rising energy prices in Indiana.
Water rights are also being addressed. Some current verbiage may dictate if enough water is shifted from one watershed to another, the ability to shift may need to be approved by a governor-appointed state DNR board. Genda thinks “water regulation is a good thing.”
Several questions were taken from the audience. The first question was from Dr. Rhoda, superintendent of Frankfort Community schools. He was concerned about the language of the $45,000 beginning salary for teachers, noting that it may amount to almost an unfunded mandate with only 2% support coming from the state. He was also concerned about funding available for curricular materials. According to Genda, this is where the hard truth is, gaps in local budgets may be more reliant on local remonstrances state-wide to fill these gaps. It was pointed out by someone in the audience this merely replaces one tax with another if remonstrances are passed.
Indiana is currently running about a $1,000,000,000 (One Billion Dollar) shortfall for medicaid. It is estimated that number is on course for a 7%-8% increase which is “unsustainable,” according to Genda. He has not yet learned precisely what has caused the shortfall. Some burden shift may have to occur with Medicaid in the coming years. Medicaid fraud, abuse and abuse from undocumented residents were discussed. According to one person in the audience who has worked closely with undocumented individuals on the topic, it is not possible for undocumented residents to receive medicaid, while another individual heard differently and wanted more information on the topic.
Mark Genda summarized the “Prickly” session by saying “I can’t tell you what you want to hear, but I’ll do the best I can with what I got.”