INDIANAPOLIS — The upcoming legislative session is still more than a month away, but Indiana lawmakers in the House and Senate gathered at the Statehouse Tuesday for this year's Organization Day.
That's where lawmakers on both sides of the aisles talk about what they want to work on in the upcoming legislative session.
This session, Indiana lawmakers will be working with a new governor, Mike Braun.
The governor-elect sent lawmakers a letter Tuesday, outlining some of his administration's top priorities. First on the list was property taxes.
It was a cornerstone of Braun's campaign for governor, lowering Hoosiers' property taxes.
In his letter to lawmakers, Braun said he wants to cut, cap and reform property taxes.
According to the New York Times, Indianapolis has seen the biggest average increase in property taxes in the country. They're up an average of 67% since 2019.
Property taxes help fund local government and provide local services.
Republican lawmakers say they'll work with the new governor to address property taxes, so Hoosiers feel less of a financial burden because of them.
"We'll pass common sense property tax relief while ensuring locals can responsibly fund public safety and education," said Republican House Speaker Todd Huston (R-District 37).
"Over time, I think there's some overhauls I think we might see, but it might take longer to do them this year," said Senate President Pro Tempore, Republican Rodric Bray (R-District 37). "This year, though we do want to provide some relief, and it will probably be more than tweaks."
Democrats say changes to property tax impact how much money local governments have for services, so any changes need to come with a way to replace the lost revenue.
Lawmakers are also tasked with creating a new two-year budget that determines how much Indiana spends and what it spends its money on.
Braun also outlined other priorities he'd like to address in the upcoming session. Some were the same issues he talked about during his campaign, public safety, lowering health care costs and economic development.
The governor-elect has appointed 12 people to head up transition councils that he has tasked with evaluating key areas of state government.
Braun said their work will shape policy priorities.
Lawmakers on both sides of the aisle also outlined other issues they hope to tackle this session, like passing a new budget.
"This session we'll pass an honestly balanced budget, continue to make strong investments in education and ensure that Indiana has and continues to have the nation's best infrastructure plan," said Huston. "We'll make sure our energy policy meets the need of an energy dependent economy and that housing options are robust and available throughout our state."
Democratic Senate Minority Greg Taylor (D-District 33) listed priorities he said his caucus wants to address in the upcoming session.
"We face critical opportunity gaps in the state of Indiana, and we have to address some of those gaps," he said. "This is a budget year, and our focus must be clear, addressing the issues that affect Hoosiers' daily lives the most. That's why we have chosen to prioritize public health, housing and education this session."
Braun said, in the coming weeks, he'll be releasing a detailed agenda outlining his primary initiatives for the upcoming session.
