Keeping Indiana affordable for Hoosier families

readthereporter.com · Posted By: The Reporter · September 8, 2026

Keeping Indiana affordable for Hoosier families

# Keeping Indiana affordable for Hoosier families

Posted By: The Reporter September 8, 2026

By CHRIS JETER State Representative

Everywhere I go, I hear the same concern from families: everything costs more. Groceries, electricity, healthcare, property taxes, and the everyday expenses of raising a family have all increased. Government cannot control every price, but we can control how much government takes from your paycheck and whether our policies make the problem better or worse.

That is why keeping Indiana affordable has been one of my priorities at the Statehouse since my first session in 2021. I supported legislation cutting Indiana’s individual income tax rate from 3.15 percent in 2023 to 2.95 percent today, with another reduction to 2.9 percent coming in 2027. I also supported last year’s property tax reform package, which is projected to save Hoosier homeowners $1.3 billion over three years. It includes a new homestead credit of up to $300 and additional relief for seniors, veterans, farmers, and small businesses.

We have worked on utility bills, too. In 2022, I voted to eliminate Indiana’s utility receipts tax, requiring utilities to pass that savings directly to customers through lower rates. The repeal represented more than $220 million annually in tax relief. This year, I supported House Enrolled Act 1002, Indiana’s major utility-affordability legislation, which expands assistance for struggling families, provides more predictable billing and strengthens protections for residential customers.

And Indiana continues to exempt most grocery food from the state sales tax, meaning families do not pay Indiana’s 7 percent sales tax on staples like bread, meat, milk, fruits, and vegetables.

But there is more work to do.

We need to keep driving down property taxes, demand affordable and reliable energy, confront Indiana’s high healthcare costs, and look for responsible ways to reduce the everyday cost of raising a family.

My standard is simple: if government can responsibly leave another dollar in the pocket of a Hoosier family, we should look for a way to do it. Indiana should remain a place where families can afford to live, work, raise their children and retire.

I intend to keep fighting to make sure it does.

State Rep. Chris Jeter (R-Fishers) represents House District 88, which includes portions of Hamilton, Hancock, Madison, and Marion counties.

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