By Stephanie Gattman, Truth Staff
sgattman@etruth.com
In the final state budget, there was no money to help Elkhart County's struggling RV industry, but Ivy Tech Community College and local tourism will get a much-needed financial boost.
The new Ivy Tech campus received the extra $4 million requested by Gov. Mitch Daniels and local officials in the version of the budget approved by the Indiana General Assembly Tuesday, according to State Rep. Jackie Walorski, R-Elkhart. The House passed the budget bill 62-37 late in the afternoon, with the Senate following 34-16 in the evening.
Walorski said the county's tourism industry also received money in the budget, which she called "absolutely critical for Elkhart County."
At least part of the money will be used to fund matching grants for local tourist attractions.
The city of Elkhart also will receive a $400,000 allocation for a cleanup project.
The RV industry didn't get anything in the new two-year budget.
State Rep. Craig Fry, D-Mishawaka, was able to include a number of provisions in the Democratic budget. They were taken out in the Senate by State Sen. Luke Kenley, R-Noblesville. "There's always been an issue with Kenley. He's always been our biggest stumbling block," said Walorski, who worked with Fry on the same issues during the regular session.
Fry had all the language in the House bill, including a sales tax exemption for those who live out of state but purchase RVs in Indiana, as well as a couple of provisions that would have provided money to the Economic Development Corp. of Elkhart County.
None of it came out of the Senate.
Meanwhile, Walorski said local schools should fare better than Indianapolis and Gary with funding from the two-year budget.
She said local legislators met with the county's school superintendents a couple of weeks ago. They said the new formula where money follows students, rather than going to school districts with declining enrollment, should benefit local schools.
"Virtually all my school districts had a .5 to 1 percent increase in funding" whether the money came from the federal stimulus package or the school funding formula, Walorski said.
Her district covers 22 districts, she indicated.
Walorski also noted that Daniels had pledged half of any extra money that comes into the state will go toward education.