The Indiana House Ways and Means Committee will hear about a plan to use 12.5 percent of Lake and Porter County sales tax money to fund the proposed extension of the South Shore train line to Valparaiso and Lowell.

The plan wouldn’t require any tax increases, reports the Northwest Indiana Times.

The House Ways and Means Committee, which meets at 9 a.m., will hear legislation to divert 12.5 percent of the sales tax money Lake and Porter counties send the state, a move that would generate $30 million a year without rasing local taxes. The proposal, authored by state Rep. Chet Dobis, D-Merrillville, would close a $350 million shortfall in the $1 billion plan to extend South Shore lines to Lowell and Valparaiso.

Dobis met with Gov. Mitch Daniels Wednesday afternoon to discuss the plan.

“They had a good visit. The governor was glad to hear more about the idea,” said Jane Jankowski, the governor’s spokeswoman. “He supports the idea of expanding the South Shore…But there are some practical issues with the funding portion of the plan.”

Expanding train service to Chicago’s Loop promises to be an economic development boon for Northwest Indiana because it will make it easier for commuters to access higher paying jobs in Chicago. Some of the wealthiest areas in Illinois are served by Metra line service.

Technorati Tags: Chet Dobis, Lowell, Mitch Daniels, South Shore Line, Valparaiso

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