Governor urges broader discussion on long-term road funding, says INDOT projects won’t be scaled back; comments on appointments and a resignation

The Governor said long-term road financing will require new discussion because inputs such as steel and concrete have increased sharply, making major projects costlier. He cited the Community Crossings program as a popular state effort that helps rural counties and said he would consider increasing support for similar projects.

On whether INDOT (the Indiana Department of Transportation) will need to scale back highway projects because of lost gas-tax revenue, the Governor said reimbursements and revenue gains mean INDOT will not have to curtail major improvements. “No. No, because INDOT is wrestling with what do we do if we want to improve any highways in a major way in this state,” he said, adding that Community Crossings has helped rural counties.

The Governor also addressed utilities oversight, saying he adjusted a chairmanship to balance input and that two more appointments to the relevant board are forthcoming. He framed these moves as intended to create an “even playing field” while stressing the need for reliable electricity and more generation capacity.

When asked about Mr. Holladay’s resignation, the Governor said Holladay was approaching the end of an expired term and that bringing in new blood is healthy for organizations. On a question about Porter County participation in a Bears-related project, the Governor said the county’s decision about how much to contribute would be tangential to the overall economic benefits and would not derail the project.

The Governor repeated that long-term funding choices are for legislators to weigh and that available surpluses give the state options such as tax reductions or investing more in early-childhood programs.