SB 1 – Indiana Commerce Connector and Illiana Expressway. Sen. Wyss.
The Governor’s Toll Road bill passed the Senate by a vote of 36 to 13. Theodore Kim has the story for the Indianapolis Star.
The digest:
For purposes of the statute concerning tollways, permits the designation of the Indiana Commerce Connector, the Illiana Expressway, or both (instead of a part of Interstate Highway 69) as a tollway. For purposes of the statute governing public-private agreements concerning toll roads, deletes the prohibition against a public-private agreement (without legislative authorization) that would permit an operator to impose tolls for the operation of motor vehicles. Provides that, for purposes of statutes governing public-private agreements concerning toll road projects, neither the Indiana finance authority nor an operator may issue a request for proposals for or enter into a public-private agreement (other than for the Indiana Commerce Connector or the Illiana Expressway) unless the general assembly enacts a statute authorizing that activity. For purposes of the statute governing public-private agreements by the department of transportation: (1) authorizes public-private agreements for the Indiana Commerce Connector, the Illiana Expressway, or both (instead of a part of Interstate Highway 69); and (2) deletes the current authority for offerors that submit a proposal on a project that consists in whole or in part of a tollway to submit alternative proposals based upon the assumption that a different part or none of the project will consist of a tollway. For purposes of the statute governing the designation of state highways as tollways, permits the designation of the Indiana Commerce Connector, the Illiana Expressway, or both (instead of a part of Interstate Highway 69) as a tollway without legislative authorization. Creates legislative review committees for proposals concerning the Indiana Commerce Connector and the Illiana Expressway.
Seems like those I-69 provisions (wise or not) were integral parts of the Toll Road privatization deal. Certainly one General Assembly can undo what a previous one has done, but I can’t help but wondering if any gentlemen’s deals are being renegged on here.
[tags]SB1-2007, Privatization[/tags]
I saw in the Star the breakdown of votes. It really was not along party lines like I thought it would be (Rep. for Dem aginst) Maybe this has a better chance of passage in the house than I thought it would have been……….
I was interested to see several Johnson County senators vote against it. Of course, I doubt any of them checked the bill to see if it would prevent them from upgrading local roads.
Today’s Daily-Journal has an article about the county officials talking about building an east-west road that can handle the expected population growth. Nothing notable about that – except that they’ve been talking for 25 years now. Several good routes are not off the table because they didn’t enforce the easements and/or let developers build in them.
Johnson County gives progress & change the middle finger at every opportunity. Long range planning makes it wet its pants. I’d move but Marion County these days isn’t much of an alternative.
Info you may find useful on this issue http://www.ooida.com/Documents/Press_Releases/Poll_road_privitize.html
Norita:
Care to share the questions in that poll? Kind of hard to verify the quality of your stats without seeing how the questions were phrased.