Party lines clear in Senate race

By ERIC SCOTT CAMPBELL
newsroom@newsandtribune.com

— While the incumbent state senator employs the lessons of nearly a decade in office, her challenger in the 46th District is channeling a Republican buzzword from his youth.
You never know where Reaganomics will rear its head.

As the structure of property tax system is debated in Indiana, GOP candidate Ryan Bergman recommends a cut to the bare bones.

“It’s been proven that when you lower taxes, revenue increases because people have more money to spend,” Bergman said. “So you don’t have to replace it with another tax. I guess you could call it Reaganomics, which was a bad word until it started to work.”

Though Sen. Connie Sipes wants a property-tax overhaul herself, she sees need for formal revenue streams.

“I want to support something that will be stable. That’s the big thing with property tax, it’s something government can rely on,” Sipes said. As far as turning to income tax or sales tax, “I’m just going to have to look at what the combination is, the impact it has on people. I’m certainly thinking its time to reform. At one time, property represented wealth, and I don’t think it does that anymore.”

Sipes, a former school principal, has sought to expand her Senate expertise beyond education issues.

“I think every year that I’m there I become more assertive,” Sipes said. “There’s definitely some pieces of legislation that I’m very eager to push. … I’ve broadened my scope a little.”

Read more on the Senate Race from the News - Tribune.