Daniels on no federal hearings

This reaction from Governor Daniels in a WNDU story entitledIndiana dealing with reality, as time zone debate heats up is a little hard to take:

Governor Daniels reaction
Some say the Daylight Saving Time bill wouldn’t have passed, without the provision for regional public hearings.

Governor Mitch Daniels said on Tuesday that he expects many Indiana counties will approach the federal government about a switch to Central Time.

“Now we have two time zones in this state and I think we always will have, I’d love to see it different,” said Daniels. “You know Chicago is going to be Central. Evansville is going to be Central. Cincinnati is going to be Eastern. Louisville is going to be Eastern. That is not going to change. The question is, how much else should be Central?”

Daniels said after Indiana counties make their case to the government, his administration would do everything possible to bring federal officials to Indiana for public hearings.

The fact is the federal hearings won’t happen because Governor Daniels didn’t do “everything possible to bring federal officials to Indiana for public hearings.” In fact, he didn’t even do everything the Daylight Saving time legislation required him to do with respect to petitioning for federal hearings.

As I pointed out at some length yesterday, SECTION 3 of the Daylight Saving Time law, SEA 127-2005 required Governor Daniels to submit with his petition for hearings “a copy of [the] act along with any other necessary documentation prescribed by the United States Department of Transportation. The United States Dept. of Transportation prescribes that such a request such a request be accompanied by “detailed information supporting the requesting party’s contention that the requested change would serve the convenience of commerce.” Governor Daniels merely sent a letter with the Act. He did not submit any other information. He did not comply with the law, and that is why there will be no hearings.