The Political Spotlight - Episodes Tagged with “House Bill 1288”

#720 | Thursday, August 20, 2026 | The Political Spotlight

Kristopher H. Bilbrey, Kate Thornburg, & Brandon Rudd (The Political Spotlight) — Thu, 20 Aug 2026 21:00:00 -0400

The weed eaters must be strung!

The trains must have all made it to the stations on time!

And it's clearly not February!

Because this 720th episode is officially a reunion of The Political Spotlight — 3!

Host Kristopher H. Bilbrey...

Producer Kate Thornburg...

& NONE OTHER THAN THE:

PURDUE-ED-U-CATED, ENGINEER-IN', WEED-EATER-STRINGIN', PUN-LOVIN', PROBLEM-SOLVIN', SON OF A GUN, BRANDON RUDD...

ARE ALL IN THE HOUSE FOR THIS BIG-TIME EPISODE!

And now that all of that is out of the way, shall we? We shall... let's roll!

On this 720th episode of The Political Spotlight, Host Kristopher H. Bilbrey, Co-Host Brandon Rudd, and Producer Kate take a hard look at Indiana State Representative J.D. Prescott’s House Bill 1288 — a proposal Prescott has been pushing across Indiana, trying to sell Hoosiers on "HIS PLAN" to fundamentally dismantle Indiana’s property-tax system and move the state toward a sales-tax-driven funding model.

This, as you should know, is not a pro-Prescott show, nor is it an endorsement of HB 1288. That said, Bilbrey, Brando, and Producer Kate will attempt to present the pros and cons of the plan! It's just that the team firmly believes there are far more cons than pros!

The question the audience needs to consider is whether this plan could create a whole new set of problems for Indiana while trying to solve the very real property tax problems Hoosiers already face.

Under the proposal, Indiana would move toward statewide collection and redistribution of sales tax because individual counties—particularly rural counties—might not generate enough sales tax revenue on their own. The proposed distribution formula would rely heavily on population, with a portion tied to roadway miles.

That immediately raises serious questions.

What happens when local government becomes increasingly dependent on funds collected and redistributed through Indianapolis?

Which counties become net contributors, and which become net recipients?

What happens during an economic downturn when consumer spending — and therefore sales tax revenue — falls?

Does replacing property taxes actually reduce the cost of government, or simply shift where government gets its revenue?

What happens to local accountability when the link between local taxpayers, local spending, and local government becomes less direct?

How much additional pressure would this place on Indiana’s sales tax — already paid every day by working Hoosiers?

There are also serious questions about schools and existing voter-approved referenda. HB 1288 would allow existing referendum obligations to continue through a separate recapture mechanism while prohibiting new referenda.

Prescott himself has acknowledged that discussions across the state have uncovered additional problems, gaps, and flaws that still need to be examined.

That is exactly what this program is about.

Property taxes are a serious problem in Indiana. But eliminating one unpopular tax does not automatically lead to better, smaller government, lower spending, stronger local control, or a fairer system.

In this episode, The Political Spotlight examines what HB 1288 proposes, where the plan could go wrong, who could end up paying more, how it could reshape the relationship between state and local government, and why Hoosiers should look very carefully before replacing one deeply flawed tax system with another.

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VIDEO version of Ep 720: https://youtube.com/live/pW1tzv9i5hA

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'The Political Spotlight'
LIVE Sunday - Thursday @ 9 p.m. (ET)
Hosted by: Kristopher H. Bilbrey
Produced by: Kate Thornburg & Brandon Rudd
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Email: tpsprogram@gmail.com
© 2026 Mud Creek Studio.
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#693 | State Rep. JD Prescott’s Property Tax Fantasy Tour Comes to Muncie! | The Political Spotlight

Kristopher H. Bilbrey, Kate Thornburg, & Brandon Rudd (The Political Spotlight) — Wed, 01 Jul 2026 21:00:00 -0400

What really happened when State Representative J.D. Prescott brought his property tax repeal-and-replacement presentation to Muncie?

Kristopher H. Bilbrey and Brandon Rudd of The Political Spotlight attended Prescott's presentation on House Bill 1288. In this 693rd episode, Host Kristopher H. Bilbrey delivers an after-action report on the event. He breaks down Prescott's message and delivery, analyzes the audience's response, and explains why he believes Hoosiers should pay close attention to the proposal.

Bilbrey also previews an upcoming special episode featuring Hosts Bilbrey and Rudd, along with special guest John Bartlett, who'll take a comprehensive look at House Bill 1288, examine the proposal's strengths and weaknesses, and discuss what it could mean for Indiana taxpayers, local governments, and the future of property taxes in the Hoosier State.

Plus, Bilbrey wraps up the show with updates on a couple of developing issues involving the City of Muncie and Delaware County.

If you missed Prescott's presentation—or want to hear Bilbrey's take—don't miss this episode of The Political Spotlight.

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VIDEO version of Ep 693: https://youtube.com/live/eyibG7h7NTs

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Audio Podcast: https://ThePoliticalSpotlight.fireside.fm
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🚨🚨🚨
'The Political Spotlight'
LIVE Sunday - Thursday @ 9 p.m. (ET)
Hosted by: Kristopher H. Bilbrey & Brandon Rudd
Produced by: Kate Thornburg
https://www.youtube.com/@ThePoliticalSpotlight
https://rumble.com/c/ThePoliticalSpotlight
https://ThePoliticalSpotlight.fireside.fm
https://www.facebook.com/Bilbrey318
https://www.facebook.com/PoliticalSpotlight318
https://www.tiktok.com/@ThePoliticalSpotlight
https://x.com/BilbreyLIVE
Email: tpsprogram@gmail.com
© 2026 Mud Creek Studio.
—

#690 | Winning the War Means Losing Some Battles! | The Political Spotlight

Kristopher H. Bilbrey, Kate Thornburg, & Brandon Rudd (The Political Spotlight) — Thu, 25 Jun 2026 21:00:00 -0400

On this 690th episode of The Political Spotlight, Host Kristopher H. Bilbrey breaks down the latest developments across East Central Indiana, including:

• Delaware County / Muncie...
• Madison County / Anderson...
• Henry County / New Castle...

From local government decisions and public meetings to the issues affecting our communities, we'll cover what matters most—and why.

Bilbrey wraps up the show with a discussion of State Representative JD Prescott's "Property Tax Repeal & Replacement Proposal Tour." While Bilbrey is 100% on board with repealing property taxes, he firmly believes it must be done right. Hoosiers owe it to themselves to look beyond the headline and sound bite before deciding whether this proposal is the right path forward.

There's more to this proposal than just "Repealing Property Taxes!" Before forming an opinion, take time to understand what's being proposed, how it would work, who would pay for it, and what the long-term consequences might be.

Join the conversation live or catch the replay. Share your thoughts in the chat, and help spread the word by sharing The Political Spotlight with your friends, family, and neighbors across East Central Indiana and beyond.

Ep 82 of 'The Rob Kendall Show' (06.24.26) Discussion of State Representative JD Prescott's "Property Tax Repeal & Replacement Proposal." Link: https://www.youtube.com/live/C\_uvb\_SO6Qc?si=Rzypa-W6yL\_rGAlM&t=1605 . . .

The Indiana Capital Chronicle article: "Indiana Republican Platform Now Backs Property Tax Elimination, Closed Primaries." Link: https://indianacapitalchronicle.com/2026/06/24/indiana-republican-platform-now-backs-property-tax-elimination-closed-primaries . . .

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VIDEO version of Ep 690: https://youtube.com/live/m-9Wbf3trTM

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Audio Podcast: https://ThePoliticalSpotlight.fireside.fm
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#684 | Panem et Circenses! | The Political Spotlight

Kristopher H. Bilbrey, Kate Thornburg, & Brandon Rudd (The Political Spotlight) — Tue, 16 Jun 2026 21:00:00 -0400

Nearly 1,926 years ago, the Roman satirist Juvenal issued a warning that still resonates today. "Panem et circenses" (bread and circuses)! Host Kristopher H. Bilbrey explains how this warning applies today just as much as it did in 100 AD. This episode explores topics at the local, state, and national levels.

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(LOCAL LEVEL)

First, Bilbrey reviews what occurred at the Delaware County Commissioners Meeting on Monday, June 15, 2026. The main points of interest for Bilbrey were John Coutinho's employment as the Director of Delaware County's Emergency Management Agency and the Commissioners' views on the county's credit cards and employees' compliance with the credit card rules.

Then, Bilbrey turns to the City of Muncie's Parks Board Meeting from earlier today, June 16, 2026. Bilbrey was specifically waiting to see the current "Acting" Mayor George-Jeffrey Howe, the recently appointed "Deputy" Mayor, and the still-acting Director of the Muncie Redevelopment Commission appear at the meeting to address the Parks Board about Tuhey Pool (which is part of his new duties, as outlined in his newest contract, signed on May 21, 2026). But... he didn't appear.

WHY?

Bilbrey shares his thoughts about all that!

Before moving on from Muncie, Bilbrey shares a few other follow-ups on current issues in the city.

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(STATE LEVEL)

Next, Bilbrey reviews the recently launched statewide tour by Indiana State Representative J.D. Prescott (R-Union City). Prescott has been traveling across the state to promote his "Property Tax Repeal and Replacement Plan," outlined in House Bill 1288.

Bilbrey has A LOT to say about what Prescott is doing, how he is doing it, and WHY he is doing it. (Spoiler: Bilbrey doesn't think Prescott is doing it for the benefit of the citizens.)

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(NATIONAL LEVEL)

The episode closes with a conversation about the recent UFC event at the White House and why Bilbrey wasn't a fan of the idea.

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Episode 684 is packed, and you will not want to miss it!

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VIDEO version of Ep 684: https://youtube.com/live/631ScX-qidM

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#587 | Filing Day 2026! | The Political Spotlight

Kristopher H. Bilbrey, Kate Thornburg, & Brandon Rudd (The Political Spotlight) — Mon, 12 Jan 2026 21:00:00 -0500

Host Kristopher H. Bilbrey shares some BIG NEWS from earlier today, Monday, January 12, 2025 (Filing Day 2026). He then reviews documents from the early stages of the 2026 Election Season.

From there, Bilbrey discusses bad bills being pushed by various Indiana State House Representatives and Senators. Bilbrey and Producer Kate highlight the insanity in a passionate conversation that every Hooiser should hear. It's time for people to wake up!

Bilbrey also recounts an awkward encounter with Muncie Mayor Dan Ridenour.

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VIDEO version of Ep 587: https://youtube.com/live/F7N6N_1u0G0

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============================

The Political Spotlight Airs LIVE
(Sunday - Thursday @ 9 p.m. ET)

YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@ThePoliticalSpotlight

Audio Podcast: https://ThePoliticalSpotlight.fireside.fm
& All Other Podcast Hosting Sites

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