STATEHOUSE (Feb. 27, 2013) — Gov. Mike Pence showed his support of Indiana agriculture today by signing Senate Enrolled Act 319 — a measure authored by State Sen. Jean Leising (R-Oldenburg) to prevent a $57 million tax increase on Indiana farmers.

SEA 319 will now take effect March 1. It delays, for an additional year, the implementation of new soil productivity factors proposed by the Department of Local Government Finance (DLGF). That means the soil productivity factors used for the March 1, 2011, assessment date will be used again for the March 1, 2013, assessment date. SEA 319 additionally requires the DLGF, with the Purdue University College of Agriculture, to submit a report on proposed soil productivity factors to the General Assembly for consideration by Nov. 1, 2013.

“I’m very pleased to have the governor’s support of this bill,” Leising said. “That says a lot about the importance of farmers and agriculture to Indiana’s economy. We want to help those families and the industry. I think protecting them from a 25-percent average increase in property taxes is a good way to do that.”

SEA 319 was the first piece of legislation to be signed into law during the 2013 session and the first to ever be signed by Pence.

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