On Tuesday, the Senate approved Senate Bill 319 to prevent an estimated $57 million property tax increase on Indiana farmers.

SB 319 would delay, for an additional year, the implementation of a new federal formula for assessing farmland property taxes. This means the formula used for the March 1, 2011, assessment date will be used again for the March 1, 2013, assessment date.

This legislation is all about helping the 62,000 farmers and their families in our state. The new proposed "soil productivity factors" for farmland assessment could cause an 18 percent average increase in property tax payments for these residents, depending on which counties they call home.

I’m afraid that could be enough to put some of our hard-working farmers — who are already struggling because of last year’s drought — out of business. That is why I supported SB 319, which will now be heard in the House of Representatives.

Indiana has made important gains in protecting Hoosier children from abuse and neglect since the Department of Child Services was created in 2005, but there is still work to do. Tragic news reports and comments from local officials and constituents have made it clear to all state leaders that certain changes are necessary to improve DCS.

This week the Indiana Senate unanimously approved Senate Bill 105 to allow for more direct communication between local DCS offices and professionals who work with children. The bill would allow any law enforcement official, judiciary employee, medical professional or school official to report suspected cases of child abuse or neglect directly to local DCS caseworkers rather than to the statewide child abuse hotline based in Indianapolis. 

This change will reduce caller wait times and give local caseworkers the freedom to respond to reports from professionals without having to wait for direction from Indianapolis.

SB 105 now moves to the House of Representatives for further consideration.