House District 31 Happenings
- krobinsmedia
- 2 days ago
- 4 min read
Updates From the Campaign Trail
Greetings, House District 31! As campaign season heats up, I want to make sure that you’re right there with me. So over the next few months, you’ll hear from me and the team about what’s happening on the campaign trail with our newsletter, House District 31 Happenings.
We have had a busy few weeks! We joined our community for the Van Buren Popcorn Festival parade and had a great time helping families get ready for the new school year at Hive Mind Market's Back-to-School event.
This week, we are looking forward to getting yard signs out across the district, knocking doors with our volunteers this weekend, and getting together for Postcards & Coffee next Monday!
What’s happening in House District 31?
Mississinewa Community Schools recently announced that voters will have an operating referendum on the ballot this year.
What this means is that voters will have the opportunity to vote Yes or No to approve additional funding for MCSC when they cast their ballot this November. This funding will come from property tax revenue.
According to the district, “MCSC will be asking the community to pass an operating referendum in November 2026 at a tax rate of $0.47/$100 Assessed Value.” For most homeowners, this works out to a net increase of $10 per month on your property taxes once the savings from SEA 1 are applied.
I’m supporting MCSC’s referendum, and I’m asking you to stand with me. Here’s why:
In 2025, state lawmakers approved SEA 1, a massive overhaul to Indiana’s property tax structure. Although supporters of the bill claimed it provides “historic levels of property tax relief,” that’s not the whole story. It’s quite a misrepresentation, actually. In fact, this lack of transparency and accountability from our current elected officials is one of the reasons why I decided to run for office!
SEA 1 will only provide up to $300 in property tax credits for homeowners. Meanwhile, businesses got a major boost from the bill, which will allow them to exempt up to $2 million in personal property taxes. Now, I support our small businesses, but a business that has $2 million in assets isn’t just a small business. Why are homeowners–who are struggling with rising home values that drive up their property tax burden–getting the shaft while bigger businesses enjoy a bigger tax cut at their expense?
But it gets worse. Those property tax cuts are going to be felt somewhere. You can’t just snap your fingers and say, “Historic levels of property tax relief!” without acknowledging what happens to the systems that rely on property tax revenue: our local governments and public schools.
These units are facing imminent funding cuts that will approach $2 billion in lost revenue over the next couple of years. For our local county governments, that impacts parks, roads, first responders, and other important infrastructure. For public schools, it hits their Operations Fund. It’s important to understand that school funding is a complex issue, and that there are different funding “buckets.” So, you can’t just take money that is allocated for new construction and use it to pay teacher salaries, for example. The Operations Fund is what pays for school transportation, utilities, maintenance, and day-to-day operating costs. This is where the money will be cut from SEA 1, and it is to this fund that the Operating Referendum will go.
SEA 1 is forecast to cut over $1.2 million in funding for MCSC (Figure 1). That’s not frivolous spending by the district; it’s dollars needed for getting kids to and from school safely and for keeping the lights on. That’s what the referendum is for.
So what happens if the MCSC referendum does not pass? MCSC says it will have to cut bus transportation. This is not hyperbole; it’s already happening in other school districts. A northwest Indiana school district is eliminating its busing, sports, and clubs due to the fallout from SEA 1. This kind of systemic disinvestment from public education is unfortunately not new in Indiana. Not only are schools having to contend with funding cuts from SEA 1, but lawmakers have failed to fund schools to inflation since 2009 (Figure 2). MCSC is over $7 million short because of this! Plus, the private school voucher program has cost MCSC alone over $4.5 million in less than 10 years (Figure 3).
If you’re counting, that’s nearly $13 million that state lawmakers have taken away from MCSC in less than a decade.
With this understanding, it’s not hard to see why Indiana recently received a failing grade in its support for public schools, ranking 45th in the country. It also underscores the seriousness of the problems facing our public schools and our students.
Here’s what’s really frustrating: it doesn’t have to be like this. Educational disinvestment is a policy choice.
As a state representative, I will be a proud advocate for public education, because it’s more than just schooling. It’s infrastructure. It’s investing in our future workforce and the long-term economic growth of Indiana. Join me in standing with our schools and students in solidarity, and vote YES to fund MCSC.
Help Us Reach More Voters!
Campaign season is in full swing, and we need your help!
Whether you have 30 minutes or a few hours, there's a place for you.
Want to canvass your own neighborhood? We'll provide the walk list, literature, and everything you need.
Prefer to canvass with a group? Join us every Tuesday and Saturday as we knock doors together throughout the district.
Rather stay home? You can phone bank from the comfort of your own home on your own schedule.
We also have postcard packets available! Help us reach voters by handwriting and mailing a pack of 30 postcards.
No experience is necessary, we'll help you get started!
Simply reply to this email and let us know how you'd like to volunteer, and we'll get in touch with the details.
Every conversation helps us connect with another voter, and every volunteer makes this campaign stronger. Thank you for being part of this people-powered movement!
– Team Katie Robins For Indiana
P.S. Not following us on Facebook yet? That's where you'll find campaign updates and event announcements. 💙
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