Could Big Ten Tournament Spur Faster Agreement On Tax Plan?

Advertisement

(STATEHOUSE) - There could be a basketball subplot to the rush to find agreement on property tax relief.

53 state legislators attended Indiana University, and a 54th teaches in the IU School of Medicine. 25 attended Purdue.

Their alma maters play in the Big Ten Tournament Friday evening, the final night of the legislative session. If both win, they play each other Saturday, on what could be day one of a special session.

Some have suggested half-jokingly that could bring a quicker agreement. Legislators say it's irrelevant. Indianapolis Representative Mike Murphy has tickets for Sunday's championship, though his degree is from Notre Dame.

"Obviously, there are a lot of Big Ten fans in the building here, but we're here to get the governor's tax plan passed, and I hope we stay here till we get it done," Murphy says.

Of the four property tax negotiators, only Rep. Jeff Espich (R-Uniondale) has an IU degree, and none attended Purdue.

House Speaker Patrick Bauer (D-South Bend), who's played a key role in negotiations along with the four official conferees, is a Notre Dame alumnus but got his master's at IU.

Print this story