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02/10/2026

In his second legislative session as a state senator, two bills Mark Spencer authored have passed the Indiana Senate and are now in the House.

Senate Bill 164 would require the Indiana Department of Agriculture to conduct a feasibility study to establish urban microfarm zones statewide, according to the Indiana General Assembly website. The department must submit a report with findings and recommendations to the general assembly by Dec. 1, 2027.

Senate Bill 232, which has moved to the House, would allow the city of Gary to hire a professional to appraise residential and commercial properties. It would prohibit city employees or elected officials from buying the appraised properties.

“(The city of Gary) has 7,000 properties that are stuck in red tape, impossible to move, not on tax rolls, and not generating revenue for the city,” Spencer said. “They’re just in a position where they’re bottlenecked with the red tape language.”

With 7,000 properties, it would cost about $1,000 each to appraise them, which Spencer said was “cost-prohibitive.” If the bill passes, an appraiser could look at 10 residential and 10 commercial properties throughout the city, according to the bill.

“The city would then be able to use the average values from those appraisals as a minimum offering price for sale for those residential and commercial properties,” Spencer said. “I thought it would be a very productive and very resourceful tool for the city and its endeavors to continue to grow.”