“Today the Democrat majority in the House Ways and Means committee set back the spirit of bipartisanship that House Republicans have worked towards throughout this legislative session. By ignoring the voice of the minority and rejecting a dozen House Republican amendments, the Democrats have sent a clear message that they intend to bully their way through this process without acting on reasonable suggestions to their legislation.

“The Democrats have touted this as property tax reform, but the reality is a potential tax increase of over a half billion dollars per year on Hoosiers if the plan is adopted across the state.

“Furthermore, the Democrat plan offers nothing to address the 2007 property tax crisis. It does nothing to address the growth in school property tax. It hurts employers, thus jeopardizing Hoosier jobs. The new proposed commuter tax creates an unfair advantage for big cities like Indianapolis while hurting rural parts of Indiana. This plan does not simplify the property tax system, nor does it make it more efficient. It is a resurrection of the same tired old tax and spend policies of the past that will set us back years.

“The House Republican amendments would have improved this bill in a variety of ways, including using 100 percent of any new local income taxes raised to provide property tax relief and giving immediate homeowner property tax relief in 2007 of 7 percent to 8 percent.”