The legislative leaders some say are trying to stop Illiana Expressway legislation are now sponsors in the Indiana House, reports the Post-Tribune’s Jon Seidel
(T)he lone living bill authorizing a public/private partnership to build the highway finally has its House sponsors: Speaker B. Patrick Bauer, D-South Bend, and House Minority Leader Brian Bosma, R-Indianapolis.
The fact that the House’s top Democrat and Republican, neither from Northwest Indiana, have signed on to the bill has its author, Republican Sen. Ed Charbonneau of Valparaiso, scratching his head.
“This is the first time I’ve ever seen something like that happen,” Charbonneau said.
Bauer says he isn’t trying to block the Illiana Expressway with requirements contained in his bill, reports NWI.com.
House Speaker Patrick Bauer, D-South Bend, is willing to alter a House proposal on the Illiana Expressway provided that several specific components remain unchanged.
Bauer’s plan, presented exclusively to The Times, includes requiring public access to project information, holding public hearings in affected communities, conducting economic and environmental impact studies and setting clear terms regarding due process, eminent domain and reimbursement for local services.
“It’s a statewide plan that would enable the Illiana, and other private projects, to be done in a uniform manner, ad infinitum,” Bauer said.
In exchange, Bauer said he would drop a requirement that every local government sign a memorandum of understanding before work on the Illiana could begin. …
On Tuesday, Bauer said he wasn’t trying to kill the Illiana, as Dobis claimed. Instead, he wants to make sure that all future public-private partnership deals take into account public input and protect local governments, he said.
“Once you do one project, this will be the first, many will follow,” Bauer said. “That’s the way Indiana is.”
