In a session that’s moving along at breakneck speed, several bills have been filed that would make it more difficult for the public to know what their government is doing with their tax dollars.
House Bill 1003 (http://iga.in.gov/legislative/2020/bills/house/1003#digest-heading) filed by Rep. Jack Jordan, R-Bremen, would eliminate the publication requirement for the annual financial report of school corporations.
If passed, school districts would be the only local government units not required to publish a report on how they spend taxpayer dollars.
That move is being attempted despite the reality that school budgets account for the largest portion of how property taxes are spent, said Steve Key, Hoosier State Press Association executive director and general counsel.
In a time when calls for increased school funding resonate across the state, we believe it’s imperative that our school administrators remain transparent with how funds are being spent, especially when we’re told there’s no money available for much-needed raises for Hoosier teachers.
We urge our legislators to say no to this bill, as they’ve done to so many others in past sessions.
Logic and transparency must prevail. Few tenants are more important in our form of government or society.
Public notice is an important check on local governments. Better decisions get made when they have to be published.
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