INDIANAPOLIS | Lawmakers have agreed to study an Illiana Expressway from Interstate 57 in Illinois to Interstate 65 in Lake County. The plan cleared the Senate 48-0 and the House 95-3 on Sunday.
Proposed by Rep. Ed Soliday, R-Valparaiso, the Illiana study is contained in Senate Bill 105, which also requires the Indiana Department of Transportation to evaluate regional mass transit options across the state.
Soliday's portion of the legislation instructs INDOT to spend two years and up to $2 million to evaluate the need for an Illiana Expressway and report back to a bipartisan legislative committee.
The study would touch on several issues, including acquisition requirements, construction costs, and effects the highway would have on surrounding communities and traffic congestion in the region. The state could study building the road as a tollway, but could not consider private financing.
Schererville liquor licenses fail
A bill that would have left the fate of eight liquor licenses sought for economic development in Schererville in the hands of the Indiana Alcohol and Tobacco Commission failed 22-26 Sunday in the Senate.
The compromise plan would have spared legislators from annual requests made by cities and towns seeking alcohol permits to lure restaurants to new developments. The bill would have given the community that had laid groundwork on a commercial development of at least $25 million the ability to pass an ordinance asking state regulators to grant up to eight new liquor licenses.
The Senate vote kills the effort for the year.
"I'm sorry to see all the work go down the drain on it," said Rep. Dan Stevenson, D-Highland. "There is nothing that says these developers are going to stick around in the community waiting for us ... this could be a deal-breaker."
Developers have promised a combined investment of $200 million for a pair of lifestyle center shopping malls planned for Schererville's north side near U.S. 41. They want the eight liquor licences to attract fine dining options.
The state typically awards communities additional liquor licenses only every 10 years, based on population growth. That forces new businesses to barter permits away from current holders or seek legislative help, as Portage and Valparaiso did the past two years.
E.C. casino agreements
A provision included in the new state budget allows East Chicago to pry casino cash away from embattled economic development groups affiliated with former Mayor Robert Pastrick.
Mayor George Pabey has fought to cancel about $8 million in casino payments that have flowed to a pair of nonprofits collectively known as Foundation of East Chicago and East Chicago Second Century Inc., a private development firm controlled by Pastrick allies.
A clause in the budget would allow the city to take control of the casino money if Resorts East Chicago is purchased by another company. Earlier this month, Ameristar Casinos Inc. announced it has entered into an agreement to buy the East Chicago riverboat from Resorts International Holdings for $675 million.
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