A property tax cut and juvenile justice reforms emerged from the 2022 legislative interim and will be introduced as bills during the 2023 legislative session.

 

On a 10-3 vote, members of the Property Tax Structure and Tax Burden interim committee approved a proposal providing an eight-figure property tax cut.

 

In the proposal “one hundred thousand dollars of the full and true value of each owner-occupied single-family dwelling is exempt from property taxation” with Rep. Mike Derby telling fellow committee members the proposed legislation would result in “$70-90 million range for property tax cut.”

 

“Using this mechanism, we can cut as many property taxes as we can afford,” Rep. Derby said.

 

Property taxes, whether agriculture, commercial or owner-occupied, account for a large portion of the local effort of school districts and any property tax cut would have an effect on that collection.

 

Rep. Derby said “there’s no harm, no foul on school districts” as the property tax cut public school districts take would be offset with “back filled money from general funds.”

 

However, at this time, there is no clear mechanism within the proposed legislation or in the appropriations process to ensure funds are backfilled in the state budget to make up for the property tax cut.

 

ASBSD will monitor and scrutinize the proposal closely to ensure schools are not negatively affected.

 

Six proposed pieces of legislation found favor from the interim Committee on Juvenile Justice. Those proposals include:

• Draft 141: a concurrent resolution recommending the establishment of a multi-disciplinary taskforce to explore new alternatives to keep individuals age 16 and older engaged in learning opportunities that lead to high school completion;
  • “We would do anything to help such a multi-disciplinary task force” that would develop “alternatives for kids that are needing education,” ASBSD Executive Director Wade Pogany testified during the interim committee hearing;
• Draft 148: requires a local law enforcement agency to inform officials when a juvenile is suspected of violating drug or alcohol laws or threatening violence. The proposal would change current law that allows law enforcement to determine if notification of the offense is needed;
  • “I don’t hear the communication breakdown” being between law enforcement and schools, but rather is “hit and miss between the courts” and schools, Pogany stated;
• Draft 149: allows a court the option to commit a juvenile who has been adjudicated of three separate criminal acts in a six-month period to the Department of Corrections;
  • Pogany called the proposal a “good balance” for the school, court and DOC when dealing with habitual juvenile offenders to “find alternatives” that best help the student;
• Draft 151: adds a school representative from rural AND urban school district to the Juvenile Justice Oversight Council;
  • “Schools have been an integral part” of the council, Pogany said, adding the two new members would “bring a completely different perspective” that’s beneficial for schools;
• Draft 152: permits community response teams to recommend alternative community-based resources for juvenile delinquents or those in need of supervision;
• Draft 154: a concurrent resolution encouraging the legislature’s Executive Board to continue researching childhood mental health and mental health services available to children in this state;
• Draft 155: appropriates $20 million to the Department of Health to fund a scholarship program promoting behavioral health careers;
  • “The incentive of this program is tremendous because we really need help in this area,” Pogany said.

For updates on these legislative proposals and the 2023 legislative session, check the ASBSD Blog and Billtracker page.