Hamilton County Legislators gathered at Conner Prairie Friday morning to answer questions from the moderator, Kevin Rader of WTHR, and the crowd at a Chamber of Commerce breakfast.  Many issues were discussed, including funding of pre-kindergarten education programs and the chemical substance abuse epidemic in the state.

But a lot of the discussion centered on work toward a long-term infrastructure funding measure.  The House has passed a bill that is now under consideration in the Senate.

“We have to get this right,” said Senator Jim Merritt of the infrastructure legislation.  “Anybody that’s traveled our highways and our roads understands that we need a severe focus on it.”

Senator Luke Kenley, Chairman of the Appropriations Committee, says the state needs between $800 million and $1.2 billion more per year to finish Indiana’s current projects underway, and to maintain the highway system in place.

“We have had no tax increases in this area since 2003,” Kenley said.  “In essence, the flat tax on gas, which you pay 18 cents a gallon, (has) actually been a tax cut every single year, because the buying power of 18 cents has gone down every year since 2003.”

The House bill calls for a gas tax increase and the possibility of establishing toll roads. In order to construct six lanes on Interstates 65 & 70 (three lanes in each direction).  Kenley says those improvements will be “contingent, probably, primarily, on developing some kind of a moderate, and it can be a moderate in price, tolling exercise in order to pay for this.  That’s a user’s fee.”