FreedomWorks Urges Indiana Lawmakers to Support HB 1001
Indianapolis, IN- FreedomWorks is mobilizing its membership of over 12,000 Indiana state activists in support of HB 1001, also known as the “Automatic Taxpayer Refund Program.” Originally proposed by Indiana Governor Mitch Daniels, the bill would put money back into the pockets of Hoosiers by automatically returning all excess state revenue back to the taxpayers.
In its current form, the bill recommends that the level of fiscal sufficiency—the point at which taxpayers receive their money back— should be when reserve balances are 10 percent of budgeted appropriations. It passed the House as part of the state budget bill, but was removed by the Senate Appropriations Committee before reaching the Senate floor for debate.
“Excess money left in government coffers will inevitably be misappropriated by politicians and state bureaucrats,” commented Matt Kibbe, President of FreedomWorks. “The automatic taxpayer refund program is a major step towards preserving fiscal responsibility and limited government in Indiana.”
“Last year, Hoosiers worked 95 days before they earned enough money to pay off their federal, state and local tax obligations. That means for over one quarter of the year, everyone working in Indiana is in financial bondage to the government. If those dollars are not serving a clear constitutional purpose, they should not be taken from the hard working people of Indiana.”
FreedomWorks created a petition site where activists can voice their support for HB 1001 and send emails directly to the offices of Indiana lawmakers demanding the language be returned to the budget bill and passed in the Senate. This vote will count as a key vote in the FreedomWorks economic freedom scorecard for the state of Indiana. The scorecard will be used to educate FreedomWorks members about how their legislators vote on key limited government issues.
For more information about the FreedomWorks campaign for HB 1001, contact Brendan Steinhauser at bsteinhauser@freedomworks.org.
