House Republican Tax Plan

House Republicans offered a $200 million property tax relief plan yesterday with the following are some of its key points:

• Taking $100 million of the state's surplus to fund an additional property tax credit for all homesteads.

• Changing rebate checks, passed by this year's legislature, to credits.

• Extending the filing deadline for homestead credits for this year's tax bills to Sept. 30, or 45 days before a county issues its final tax bill to be paid this year, whichever is later.

• Letting local government decide how best to target the $300 million in property tax relief the legislature approved this year. Under that plan, all homeowners are to receive rebate checks.

• Switching some of the costs of child welfare from the counties to the state.

Something like this needs to be done. However, Daniels still has not given the go ahead for using the $200 million of the state surplus. Neither are Indiana lawmakers agreed on the need for a special session or the timing of that session. So a lot could happen between now and when they do actually do something.

This is only relief, which, while necessary, should only be something to hold us over to a permanent fix, such as the elimination of property taxes.