INDIANAPOLIS - Local units of government can merge without coming to the Statehouse for permission under a bill passed mere minutes before the legislative session expired at 11 p.m. CST Tuesday.
House Bill 1362 establishes a process for local government units to consolidate with approval of the local legislative bodies and after a voter referendum.
The House passed the measure 88-7 and the Senate passed it 44-5, both only slightly before the clock hit midnight EST and closed the 2006 short session.
Local lawmakers all voted for the measure. Sen. Vaneta Becker, R-Evansville, said it wasn't perfect, but it does allow for locals to control their destiny.
"It will allow the community to choose," Becker said. "That will be their choice."
Rep. Dennis Avery, D-Evansville, agreed.
"It basically puts it in the hands of local government to make decisions," Avery said. "It doesn't proscribe anything and allows people who don't like it to beat it."
The bill stalled briefly on Monday and Tuesday, caught up in a debate on merging fire departments in Marion County and Indianapolis, as proponents of that idea tried to revive Indianapolis-specific language by inserting it into House Bill 1362.
The House Democrat assigned to negotiate on House Bill 1362 refused to sign off on a compromise bill, holding out for Indianapolis fire consolidation. But he was yanked and replaced late Tuesday afternoon, leaving the bill with only the statewide consolidation language.
The measure was again moving late Tuesday, being reviewed by a House and Senate committee before being eligible for final floor votes late Tuesday. The measure now goes to the governor for review.