By State Sen. Daryl Schmitt (R-Jasper)
While the Indiana General Assembly only meets a few months each year, our roles as legislators continue even after a session has ended. From attending local meetings, events and fairs to formal discussions about future legislation, the work continues all year long. This includes serving on interim study committees, which are comprised of legislators from the House and Senate that meet in the summer and fall months to take an in-depth look at complicated issues.
On May 12, the Legislative Council, which includes members from both the Indiana House of Representatives and the Senate, assigned topics for interim study committees to discuss ahead of the 2027 legislative session.
One of the topics that will be studied this year is how to improve property tax assessments for Hoosiers.
Lowering property taxes has been a top priority in recent years, and I supported a law in 2025 that lowered most Hoosiers' property tax bills.
Indiana is one of the most affordable states in the nation and has some of the lowest property taxes for homeowners in the country. This year, Indiana was ranked No. 4 in the nation for best property tax climate by the Tax Foundation.
However, I acknowledge many Hoosiers have been frustrated by the considerable year-over-year increases in their bills, which have largely been caused by inflationary increases in their property assessments.
I believe it's important to understand how our state and local governments can work together to improve property tax assessments in our communities so that even more Hoosiers can pay lower property taxes, and I look forward to working with the study committee to find solutions for the unprecedented changes in assessed valuations.
As always, constituents can reach out to me with any questions or concerns by email at s48@iga.in.gov or by phone at 1-800-382-9467.
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State Sen. Daryl Schmitt (R-Jasper) represents Senate District 48,
which includes Crawford, Dubois, Gibson, Perry, Pike and Spencer counties.
Click here to download a high-resolution photo.
