Local Property Tax Freeze Passes House
Air Date:03/08/2011
By Jackelyn Severin
A bill that maintains local school property taxes at current levels has passed the House.
Proponents of Senate Bill 152 say it softens budget cuts for school districts. They say this bill along with another funding measure reduces cuts to education to 6.6 percent for fiscal year 2012. However opponents of the measure say it doesn’t do enough for schools and simply shifts the burden of education funding onto local taxpayers. Representative Marc Feinstein attempted to amend the bill to restore education funding to last year's levels so schools don’t receive cuts.
“It’s ridiculous now to sit here in these times to cut our education funding. Let’s listen to our constituents. Let’s remember that we have to educate. If we don’t we’re going to end up going to incarcerate,” Feinstein says.
House representatives defeated Feinstein’s amendment and went on to pass the bill by a vote of 47 to 21. It now goes to conference committee.
Member stations download audio file here.
![]()
![]()
![]()
![]()
