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Committee considers narrower referendum timing and new limits on exceeding maximum levy growth quotient
Summary
Senate Bill 8 as amended would restrict when local units (including school districts) may seek referenda to the fall general election, add disclosure requirements about expected revenue to the ballot question and prohibit certain levy appeals while preserving emergency exceptions. School groups urged changes to protect districts' ability to fund
Senator Buchanan presented an amendment to Senate Bill 8 that narrows when local units may place referendum questions—limiting new referenda to fall general elections only—and creates new guardrails around levy appeals and renewals. The amendment would require DLGF to provide standardized ballot language and would bar renewals that would overlap with other referendum levies; referenda approved under the new process could not exceed an eight‑year duration.
School superintendents, school boards, the Indiana School Boards Association and the Indiana Association of School Superintendents urged caution, arguing referenda are infrequently used but often essential when districts face shortfalls or large capital needs. Terry Spradlin of ISBA said voters are already asked complex ballot questions and recommended a simpler, clearer question rather than further restrictions that would reduce districts’ local flexibility.
Witnesses proposed amendments to improve ballot wording and to preserve the ability for districts with time‑sensitive needs to act outside the fall general election calendar. Several superintendents said timing matters in negotiations and budget cycles: smaller districts with rapid enrollment growth or urgent capital needs said a required fall‑only window could force program cuts or layoffs if a district misses the date.
Committee members said they would take the concerns into account and requested additional drafting to address ballot language, documentation of expected revenue and the interplay between new restrictions and existing appeal mechanisms. The committee held the bill for further work.
