School Safety, Taxes on Special Session ‘To Do’ List

A bill to provide additional funding for the pilot program has cleared the Senate Appropriations Committee.

Governor Eric Holcomb says school safety and tax code changes are on his to do list for next month’s special session. Holcomb has called the session for Monday, May 14, and says he believes lawmakers can finish their work in a single day.

The governor says he’s looking for lawmakers to approve $5 million in additional funding now and for fiscal year 2019 for the Indiana Secured School Fund. He says the money will allow the state to provide more financial support for school safety efforts. He also wants legislators to approve a measure allowing districts to get advances of up to $500,000 for capital and school security equipment purchases. Another bill on Holcomb’s list would give Muncie schools a $12 million loan to remain operational.

Holcomb also says legislators need to update the state’s tax code to match up with federal tax changes. He says the state must change its conformity date to match federal rules so taxpayers do not have to calculate their taxes twice in order to file.

Holcomb calls the measures "critical issues," adding "with sharp focus, I’m confident they can finish this work in a single day."