Gary casino move moored by Northwest Indiana legislators

By Patrick Guinane, Times of Northwest Indiana
patrick.guinane@nwi.com

INDIANAPOLIS | A legislative reshuffling of Gary's two lakefront casinos is off the table as a funding source for construction of a teaching and trauma hospital and other economic development desires for Northwest Indiana.

State Rep. Charlie Brown, D-Gary, on Tuesday told the House Ways and Means Committee he won't pursue the issue this special session because Republicans have used gambling as a "bogeyman" to divert attention from state budget talks.

"I will not give them any smoke, and I am keeping my mirrors at home," Brown said. "(Gaming) was getting in the way of doing other things."

The focus of Northwest Indiana lawmakers now turns to securing state or federal dollars within the next budget to begin architectural and engineering work on a roughly $400 million hospital in Gary's Glen Park neighborhood. Brown said he plans to meet with Republican Gov. Mitch Daniels to discuss up to $60 million in federal stimulus money or state bonding authority.

Legislators want to pair the hospital with Indiana University Northwest's plan to expand its two-year medical school to a four-year program. Students then could serve residencies in the region and consider staying after graduation.

Meanwhile, Rep. Chet Dobis, D-Merrillville, is reviving legislation to create an overarching agency to manage regional bus service and extend South Shore commuter rail lines to Lowell and Valparaiso.

"Representative (Ed) Soliday (R-Valparaiso) and I worked pretty long hours to try to get this together," Dobis told colleagues Tuesday. "Northwest Indiana wants to help itself."

The regional transit authority, which could be amended into legislation today, would impose a local income tax of up to 0.25 percent in Lake, Porter, LaPorte and St. Joseph counties. The amendment also will include a $1 million state appropriation for Lake Michigan shoreline redevelopment sought by Rep. Earl Harris, D-East Chicago.

Region lawmakers planned to attach the shoreline, transit and hospital plans to legislation that would raise hotel, car rental and ticket taxes in Indianapolis to address a $47 million deficit at the capital city's convention and stadium authority.

But the state budget soon might be the only target for the region plans. Republicans refused Tuesday to vote for the Indianapolis stadiums bill, which Democrats had loaded with economic development goodies for other regions of the state.

House Ways and Means Chairman William Crawford, D-Indianapolis, said he will give GOP committee members another chance to back the legislation this morning.

"Otherwise, it's dead," Crawford said. "The issue is dead."