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Committee approves joint interim committee to study alternatives to local property taxes
Summary
Senators approved Senate Bill 11‑21 to establish a joint interim committee of five senators and five representatives to study alternatives to local ad valorem taxes; members debated transparency, staffing, open‑meetings requirements and whether the measure should be decoupled from a proposed constitutional amendment.
Senate Bill 11‑21, authored by Senator Ron Devers, was approved by the Revenue and Taxation Committee to create a joint interim committee charged with studying alternatives to local ad valorem (property) taxes. The committee voted 8‑3 to advance the bill after discussion and proposed amendments.
Devers told the panel the task force would analyze alternatives to local property taxes and quantify what replacement tax rates or revenue streams would be required should the Legislature choose to reduce or eliminate ad valorem taxes at the local level. He said he would amend the bill to decouple it from a related resolution (SJR 12) so the study can stand alone.
Committee members asked about transparency and staffing. Senator Kurt asked whether the committee's report would be public and whether task‑force meetings would be subject to the Open Meetings Act; Devers said he would add language to ensure electronic submission of the written report and an open meetings commitment. Members also discussed whether the pro tempore and speaker should be directed to select members that ensure bipartisan representation; Devers said he intended to leave appointments to leadership discretion but was open to amendments.
Other questions examined who would do the research and whether the task force would impose any local fiscal changes directly. Devers said House and Senate staff would support the committee and stressed the committee would provide recommendations to the Legislature; any policy changes would be for future legislatures to consider.
On a roll call, the clerk recorded 8 ayes and 3 nays and the chair declared the bill passed with the title stricken pending further amendment.
