IANAPOLIS - In a close vote, the Senate passed its version of the governor's transportation plan Thursday afternoon 29-20. Area Senators split on House Bill 1008, which allows the administration to lease the Indiana Toll Road.
Sen. Vaneta Becker, R-Evansville, said for days that she would vote against the bill because of its negative impact on the Interstate 69 project. But Thursday, after a meeting with the governor and several chats with Senate leadership on the floor, she flipped and voted for the bill.
The Senate version of the bill bars I-69 from running through Perry Township on the Southside of Indianapolis. State officials say the change would move the route outside of the federally approved corridor and would cause a three to five year delay by forcing the state to redo portions of the environmental study. They say construction of I-69 couldn't begin without the rewrite.
The bill also requires the administration to return to the legislature for permission to do I-69 as a toll road instead of blanket authority to public-private agreements given in the House version of the bill. I-69 supporters fear that's a roadblock to getting I-69 started quickly.
Becker said she voted for the bill to keep it moving. Sen. John Waterman, R-Shelburn, said he voted against the measure exactly because it doesn't have I-69 in it or requirements that the contractor pay prevailing wage.
Sens. Larry Lutz, D-Evansville, and Lindel Hume, D-Princeton, joined all but one Senate Democrat in opposing the bill. The caucus argued the state would be better off bonding to do road projects.
The bill now goes to a conference committee where two House and two Senate appointees will attempt to reach a compromise bill.