legislators look like they're leaping

From Lesley Stedman Weidenbener in Wednesday's C-J...

State lawmakers used what is typically a ceremonial meeting to get started on the real work of property-tax relief -- introducing plans to help homeowners and ratifying some of Gov. Mitch Daniels' earlier tax-related actions....

December hearings are unusual. Typically, lawmakers meet in November for Organization Day and then adjourn until January. But this year, House and Senate committees will get started on the property-tax measures early so they're ready for floor action in January....

This can be taken as a strong sign that property taxes continue to be a big deal politically-- leading to posturing and/or purposeful action...

But even as House Speaker Pat Bauer, D-South Bend, talked about the bipartisan cooperation that marked yesterday's Organization Day, he warned that passing a sales-tax increase -- a key provision of the governor's plan -- will be difficult....

That's always the nagging thing...If government will not shrink, then reducing one tax must lead to increasing others. Good luck with that!