Schemenaur wants to halt tax (07/11/2008)

Democratic candidate for state representative Andy Schemenaur called Thursday for an emergency suspension of the sales tax on gasoline and said if elected he would push to eliminate that part of the sales tax permanently.

"This is a state of emergency, right now," Schemenaur said at a press conference near a downtown Portland convenience store.

"We believe this administration has the power to do this," he said, joining Democratic gubernatorial candidate Jill Long Thompson on the issue.

Schemenaur, who is running this fall against Republican two-term incumbent Bill Davis for the District 33 seat (Jay and parts of Randolph and Delaware counties, noted Indiana is one of only seven states that apply a sales tax to gasoline. Eliminating the sales tax on gasoline would save Hoosiers about 24 cents a gallon.

He acknowledged that the lost tax revenue could have an impact on the state's budget but said he believes there would be a positive economic impact by keeping that money in consumers' hands.

"There may need to be adjustments" (in other taxes), Schemenaur said. "But the money is not going to go away. It's going back into people's hands."

Long Thompson recently called for the sales tax suspension for a 60-day period between July 3 and Labor Day. Schemenaur went further Thursday, saying he'd like to do away with it entirely.

"If you eliminate it permanently, it's not a gimmick," he said.

Schemenaur, a farmer and principal of East Elementary School, is a former member of the Jay County Council.[[In-content Ad]]