After Gov. Mike Pence and key lawmakers initially said coming up with an extra $42 million in funding for Regional Cities Initiative wouldn’t be a problem, there’s now talk in the Statehouse of not following through.
Wait, what?!
Northern Indiana is in line to get one of the three pots of money under the economic development initiative, but now not even all the lawmakers who represent this area believe the state should spend $126 million on investing in three key areas of the state.
This is like being given a gigantic Christmas gift and then a few weeks later being told we may have to return it. That shouldn’t happen. Lawmakers need to get this done.
It’s not a matter of the state not having the money. Indiana has taken in $50 million more than expected from a tax amnesty program last year.
The support is there from the governor and others.
But now the House Ways and Means Committee, or at least some of its members, are questioning whether it’s the right way to spend state money.
This is a lot of money, but it’s not a boondoggle. Eight communities in Indiana put in bids for the $42 million chunks of funding. Pence and lawmakers had initially agreed to two being awarded. Conventionally, one would go north of Indianapolis and one would go south. That’s the political thing to do, no matter how proposals stack up.
The Indiana Economic Development Corp. and Pence decided three regions submitted proposals that are worthy of the funding, and the governor was confident the additional money would come through for the Allen County and southwest Indiana initiatives, in addition to northern Indiana.
Pence, who is running for re-election and has been battered on civil rights, road funding and other issues is looking for a political win. On Dec. 22, he stood in the Crystal Ballroom of the Lerner Theatre and said, “I think there’s a genuine enthusiasm in the General Assembly for this concept.”
On Thursday, news broke indicating that at least in some corners, there’s not only a lack of enthusiasm but a lack of support.
Elkhart Mayor Tim Neese, a former state representative, is working the phones to lobby his former colleagues to back the additional funding. It’s great to see him use that experience and those connections to try to build support for investment that could multiply in St. Joseph, Elkhart and Marshall counties that won the award.
If only State Rep. Curt Nisly, R-Goshen, was doing the same thing. He said he isn’t surprised the proposal doesn’t have the necessary support. He noted that the program isn’t even a year old and now IEDC wants to grow it by 50 percent. “That feels like the tail is wagging the dog,” he told The Elkhart Truth Thursday night.
In response to Pence’s assurances, he said, “You’ve got to remember that the legislators are the ones who actually decide to make the laws and decide how the money is spent.”
When a rookie lawmaker touts the role of the General Assembly, it comes off as snarky, and perhaps behind closed doors in Indianapolis, there’s a lot of snark and disagreement.
Pence wants funding for roads and lawmakers, even those in his own Republican party, are unsure.
Pence assures three regions they’ll get funding for economic development after submitting detailed proposals and the potential impact has already been studied. Those in his own party are unsure.
This is politics at its worst. This time the political football that Lucy (lawmakers) may be pulling away from Charlie Brown (Hoosiers) is Regional Cities funding.
It shouldn’t be so. Neese and Kyle Hannon, president and CEO of the Greater Elkhart Chamber of Commerce (and a former Republican spokesman in the General Assembly) said they are hopeful the money will still come through. Hannon used another sports analogy and said the legislators shouldn’t do a pump-fake saying they support the funding and then not follow through.
Let’s hope Neese and Hannon are right about the end result.
Some Republican lawmakers and Pence clearly aren’t at the same place on this and they need to work together. It’s time for Pence to show leadership and get his legislative agenda passed in a Statehouse where he has a super majority.
They need to put aside politics and get this done.
While it’s appropriate for our lawmakers to question spending, this initiative should be funded to move Indiana forward. This funding will help make the Hoosier state better for business and more attractive to the young people who too often carry out “brain drain” and leave the state to work elsewhere.
The money is there. The return on investment has already been studied. It would be silly for Indiana lawmakers not to follow through on this proposal and back the Regional Cities funding.