By ANNIE GOELLER, Daily Journal of Johnson County staff writer
A proposed toll road through six central Indiana counties likely will face resistance in the House of Representatives, local legislators said.
Two lawmakers who represent Johnson County said not enough information is known about the plan.
"If I don't get any more information, I'm not going to be supportive of it," said Rep. David Frizzell, a Republican who represents White River Township.
The House now gets to examine, debate and approve or deny the governor's plan to build the toll road, which would pass through Johnson County.
The bill passed the Senate on Monday and will now move to a House panel before the full 100-member chamber can consider it. The measure has not yet been assigned to a committee but likely would be considered by the roads and transportation committee.
Frizzell and Rep. Woody Burton believe the House likely will split the two projects in the bill, which as it stands now would allow a private company to build, maintain and collect tolls on the Indiana Commerce Connector through central Indiana and the Illiana Expressway in northwest Indiana.
Speaker Pat Bauer, D-South Bend, has said he doesn't believe representatives will split the bill.
"Everyone is upset. It's not nailed down where this is going to go, and it affects a lot of people," Frizzell said.
A third local legislator, Rep. Ralph Foley, said he hasn't had time to look at the bill or the amendments proposed by the Senate. His legislative assistant has been taking and keeping track of calls from his constituents about the issue so he can consider their input when the bill comes before the House, he said.
Frizzell said the House could decide to send the central Indiana toll road to a study committee and move the Illiana Expressway forward.
Burton believes the committee that first reviews the bill will propose an amendment, similar to one proposed in the Senate, that would send the central Indiana toll road to a study committee for at least one year.
If the committee does not propose the change, Burton said he would strongly consider proposing it himself and asking the committee to study a more detailed route, costs and the environmental impact.
Burton also would like the House to add a requirement that the projects come back to the legislature for another approval after studies are completed and the state starts negotiating a lease with a private company.
Even if both of those are added, the bill doesn't have the best chance of passing, he said.
"I think it's got a 50/50 chance of passing if it has legislative oversight," said Burton, a Republican who represents parts of Whiteland, Franklin and Greenwood.
He wants more information before he will approve the bill.
"I'm not opposed to the concept. I've been opposed to the plan and how they want to do it," Burton said.
Rep. Matthew Whetstone, who is a sponsor of the bill in the House, said he has heard from lawmakers who support and oppose the bill.
"If they can give it a fair shake, hopefully we can make the case that it will only benefit Indiana," said Whetstone, a Republican who represents part of Hendricks County.
A House committee likely will not consider the bill for a few more weeks, he said.
Whetstone said he hasn't talked to legislators about the bill because he has been focusing on other issues in the House. He has heard some lawmakers talk about the proposal, but he said he doesn't know how much support it has.
"Right now, it's just people talking on the street," he said.
Frizzell and Foley said they don't know what, if any, amendments they might propose and need more time to review the bill and what was proposed and approved by senators.