Analysts assess blocking U.S. Steel sale INDIANAPOLIS (WISH) — Two members of Indiana’s best political team on Friday said there are real chances for bipartisan deals on taxes and teacher pay during the upcoming legislative session. When state lawmakers gavel in on Wednesday, they will have to decide on the state’s budget for the next two years. Gov.-elect Mike Braun has called for major changes to property taxes and a financially sustainable increase in teacher pay, among other things, and lawmakers have already filed legislation on both topics. On taxes, Republican strategist Whitley Yates said lawmakers will need to find ways to not only reduce the property tax burden for the most vulnerable Hoosiers, particularly seniors, but will also have to get creative with both property and income taxes to ensure any changes don’t adversely affect the local property tax revenue used to fund emergency services and schools. As for the teacher pay issue, Yates said meeting Braun’s goal of raising teacher pay in a “financially sustainable” way ultimately comes down to how lawmakers manage the finances Indiana already has. “Addressing teacher pay and looking at how we are equipping, supporting and training teachers in the state of Indiana is a top priority for this administration and I’m very excited to see the way in which they will sustainably have a path of success for teachers,” Yates said. Democratic strategist Dana Black said lawmakers will have to be very careful not to hamstring the finances of local governments. Black said small towns in particular already have suffered from loss of tax revenue that could have been used for infrastructure projects such as flood control. On teacher pay, Black said she hopes Braun succeeds but she’s not sure the legislature will follow his lead. “We want to turn out these exceptional humans that are going to be prepared and ready for the work that’s needed in the future,” Black said, “but if you don’t invest in the people who are actually teaching the young people, you will not achieve that goal.” As part of the panel discussion for All INdiana Politics, News 8 also asked each panelist which additional issue Indiana taxpayers should pay particular attention to this session. Black said to closely watch what lawmakers do with Indiana’s Medicaid system, particularly given last year’s Medicaid funding crisis. Yates said to keep an eye on legislation dealing with pharmaceutical prices and health care prices more broadly. All INdiana Politics airs at 9:30 a.m. Sunday on WISH-TV.