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Chicago Tribune
16-04-2025
- Business
- Chicago Tribune
Toll road bill passes Indiana Senate; amendments to remove tolls failed
The toll road bill passed the Senate Tuesday, which followed Sen. Rodney Pol Jr., D-Chesterton, proposing amendments Monday to remove the toll language from the bill, which failed. House Bill 1461, authored by state Rep. Jim Pressel, R-Rolling Prairie, would allow the state to charge tolls on all Indiana interstate highways, including I-80/94 and I-65. Specifically, the bill would allow the Indiana Department of Transportation to submit a request to the Federal Highway Administration for a waiver to toll lanes on interstate highways. If the waiver is granted, the legislature would not have to enact a statute for the Indiana finance authority to take action on tolling. As he presented the amendment to his bill to the Senate Appropriations Committee last week, Pressel said the bill includes 'a check and balance' on potential tolling. 'We put a check and balance in there to report back to the state budget committee that if any tolling is going to be done or considered that they would have to go through the state budget committee at least to make them aware of that,' Pressel previously said. Along with tollways, House Bill 1461 allows for wheel tax, addresses bridge construction funding, allows excess distributions from the state's Community Crossings matching grant program to be distributed to all communities based on lane miles instead of road miles, along with other elements. Pressel previously testified in committee that the state has seen a decrease in road funding dollars, which comes from gas tax, BMV registration and excise tax, as cars become more fuel efficient and people purchase less gas. 'When your road funding revenue is based on gallons sold … we are having the conversation: How do we fund roads into the future? Should it come out of the general fund? I don't believe that to be true. I think we should have user fees. You pay for what you use,' Pressel previously said. By 2030, the state will have to fund $1.2 billion and local governments will have to fund between $900 million to $2.5 billion in road projects because of inflation costs and the reduction in drivers purchasing gas, Pressel said. Pol offered an amendment Monday to remove the language allowing INDOT to submit for the tollway waiver, and other tollway language including allowing INDOT, with the governor's approval, to determine that a state highway should become a tollway. 'This is something that I've heard a tremendous amount from my constituency,' Pol said. 'Northwest Indiana does not support another toll road in our area.' Sen. Michael Crider, R-Greenfield, who sponsored the bill in the Senate, asked the chamber to defeat the amendment because 'if you take tolling out of this discussion, then you essentially curb our ability to have a real discussion about road funding.' But, Crider said since 2017 state statute has given the governor's office the ability to toll. 'We're in a situation where INDOT is currently delaying projects,' Crider said. 'Let's let the governor's office and INDOT have a real robust discussion about the way we're going to fund our roads going forward.' The amendment failed 15-33. The bill states that if a waiver is applied for after January 2025, then it circumvents current law that states toll lanes need to be 75 miles from an interstate highway or bridge that already has tolling. Pol filed an amendment to restore the 75-mile exemption from tolling. In Northwest Indiana, residents already pay for tolls, including the Skyway and proximity to Chicago, Pol said. To avoid tolls, Northwest Indiana side streets see high rates of traffic, which has translated to increased road maintenance costs, he said. 'A new toll would directly contradict a larger legislative initiative and goal of alleviating financial burden for our Hoosiers,' Pol said. 'This is a very simple amendment. It is just adding back to what is our current law. That 75-mile radius means something. It was the legislative intent when we established it in 2017, it should remain the intent going forward.' Crider said the chamber should oppose the amendment because the 75 miles language 'is problematic' because 75 miles from I-80 would reach outside of Lafayette. 'We're in a situation where we do not have a funding stream currently that is going to fund the infrastructure needs of our state,' Crider said. The amendment failed 12-35. The bill was further amended Monday to include $50 million to Marion County for the construction, reconstruction and preservation of streets but cannot be used for reducing capacity of existing roads, greenways, bike lanes, bike trails and sidewalks. Another Senate amendment included township board approval of providing money for the improvement and maintenance of roads and infrastructure. The Senate passed the bill Tuesday 38-10. The bill will go back to the House because it was amended in the Senate.
Yahoo
11-04-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Indiana toll road bill amended in committee, but toll road language remains
The Senate Appropriations Committee approved an amended toll road bill Thursday, but the language allowing for toll roads remains in the bill as it heads to the Senate for consideration. House Bill 1461, authored by state Rep. Jim Pressel, R-Rolling Prairie, would allow the state to charge tolls on all Indiana interstate highways, including I-80/94 and I-65. Specifically, the bill would allow the Indiana Department of Transportation to submit a request to the Federal Highway Administration for a waiver to toll lanes on interstate highways. If the waiver is granted, the legislature would not have to enact a statute for the Indiana finance authority to take action on tolling. As he presented the amendment to his bill to the Senate Appropriations Committee, Pressel said the bill includes 'a check and balance' on potential tolling. 'We put a check and balance in there to report back to the state budget committee that if any tolling is going to be done or considered that they would have to go through the state budget committee at least to make them aware of that,' Pressel said. Sen. Lonnie Randolph, D-East Chicago, asked Pressel if his amendment would remove the tollway provision. Randolph said he's concerned about the impacts of toll roads in Northwest Indiana. Pressel asked where in the bill it states that toll roads will be established. 'Nowhere in this bill does it say, 'you shall toll',' Pressel said. 'Tolling is an option, currently today. The administration could do that today without us by creating a toll lane.' Sen. Aaron Freeman, R-Indianapolis, offered an amendment that, in part, removed provisions regarding tolling. 'The bill as it currently is, in my view, would make it a lot easier to toll in Indiana,' Freeman said. Sen. Michael Crider, R-Greenfield, said the gas tax, which state officials use to fund roads, won't be a sustainable option to continue road projects in the future. 'The gas tax is not a viable method anymore, and so we have to leave all options on the table, which includes giving the government the option of tolling, if that's what we decide,' Crider said. Freeman's amendment failed 4-9. Along with tollways, House Bill 1461 allows for wheel tax, addresses bridge construction funding, allows excess distributions from the state's Community Crossings matching grant program to be distributed to all communities based on lane miles instead of road miles, along with other elements. Pressel previously testified in committee that the state has seen a decrease in road funding dollars, which comes from gas tax, BMV registration and excise tax, as cars become more fuel efficient and people purchase less gas. 'When your road funding revenue is based on gallons sold … we are having the conversation: How do we fund roads into the future? Should it come out of the general fund? I don't believe that to be true. I think we should have user fees. You pay for what you use,' Pressel previously said. By 2030, the state will have to fund $1.2 billion and local governments will have to fund between $900 million to $2.5 billion in road projects because of inflation costs and the reduction in drivers purchasing gas, Pressel said. The amendment to the bill increased the electric vehicle registration fees from $221 to $340 in 2026 and increased the hybrid registration fee from $74 to $170 in 2026, Pressel said. By 2027, under the amendment, the tax credit for the Shore Line Rail will expire, he said. Further, the amendment creates a $100 million fund for communities without a wheel tax, Pressel said. The amendment increases the speed limit on I-465 from 55 miles per hour to 65 miles per hour, Pressel said. The amendment also contains 'clean up language' on the township portion of the bill, he said. Pressel's amendment passed in a voice vote. The bill passed in a 9-4 vote, and it will move forward to the Senate for consideration. Sen. Rodney Pol, D-Chesterton, said he voted in favor of Freeman's amendment but against the bill because of the tolling language. 'I've gotten more calls from folks in my community about the concerns about this,' Pol said. 'I just have a lot of folks that get to and from work on the roads that could potentially be tolled, and these are folks that are struggling.' akukulka@
Chicago Tribune
11-04-2025
- Business
- Chicago Tribune
Indiana toll road bill amended in committee, but toll road language remains
The Senate Appropriations Committee approved an amended toll road bill Thursday, but the language allowing for toll roads remains in the bill as it heads to the Senate for consideration. House Bill 1461, authored by state Rep. Jim Pressel, R-Rolling Prairie, would allow the state to charge tolls on all Indiana interstate highways, including I-80/94 and I-65. Specifically, the bill would allow the Indiana Department of Transportation to submit a request to the Federal Highway Administration for a waiver to toll lanes on interstate highways. If the waiver is granted, the legislature would not have to enact a statute for the Indiana finance authority to take action on tolling. As he presented the amendment to his bill to the Senate Appropriations Committee, Pressel said the bill includes 'a check and balance' on potential tolling. 'We put a check and balance in there to report back to the state budget committee that if any tolling is going to be done or considered that they would have to go through the state budget committee at least to make them aware of that,' Pressel said. Sen. Lonnie Randolph, D-East Chicago, asked Pressel if his amendment would remove the tollway provision. Randolph said he's concerned about the impacts of toll roads in Northwest Indiana. Pressel asked where in the bill it states that toll roads will be established. 'Nowhere in this bill does it say, 'you shall toll',' Pressel said. 'Tolling is an option, currently today. The administration could do that today without us by creating a toll lane.' Sen. Aaron Freeman, R-Indianapolis, offered an amendment that, in part, removed provisions regarding tolling. 'The bill as it currently is, in my view, would make it a lot easier to toll in Indiana,' Freeman said. Sen. Michael Crider, R-Greenfield, said the gas tax, which state officials use to fund roads, won't be a sustainable option to continue road projects in the future. 'The gas tax is not a viable method anymore, and so we have to leave all options on the table, which includes giving the government the option of tolling, if that's what we decide,' Crider said. Freeman's amendment failed 4-9. Along with tollways, House Bill 1461 allows for wheel tax, addresses bridge construction funding, allows excess distributions from the state's Community Crossings matching grant program to be distributed to all communities based on lane miles instead of road miles, along with other elements. Pressel previously testified in committee that the state has seen a decrease in road funding dollars, which comes from gas tax, BMV registration and excise tax, as cars become more fuel efficient and people purchase less gas. 'When your road funding revenue is based on gallons sold … we are having the conversation: How do we fund roads into the future? Should it come out of the general fund? I don't believe that to be true. I think we should have user fees. You pay for what you use,' Pressel previously said. By 2030, the state will have to fund $1.2 billion and local governments will have to fund between $900 million to $2.5 billion in road projects because of inflation costs and the reduction in drivers purchasing gas, Pressel said. The amendment to the bill increased the electric vehicle registration fees from $221 to $340 in 2026 and increased the hybrid registration fee from $74 to $170 in 2026, Pressel said. By 2027, under the amendment, the tax credit for the Shore Line Rail will expire, he said. Further, the amendment creates a $100 million fund for communities without a wheel tax, Pressel said. The amendment increases the speed limit on I-465 from 55 miles per hour to 65 miles per hour, Pressel said. The amendment also contains 'clean up language' on the township portion of the bill, he said. Pressel's amendment passed in a voice vote. The bill passed in a 9-4 vote, and it will move forward to the Senate for consideration. Sen. Rodney Pol, D-Chesterton, said he voted in favor of Freeman's amendment but against the bill because of the tolling language. 'I've gotten more calls from folks in my community about the concerns about this,' Pol said. 'I just have a lot of folks that get to and from work on the roads that could potentially be tolled, and these are folks that are struggling.'
Yahoo
31-03-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Indiana considers ban on all marijuana advertising — not just billboards
All advertising for marijuana would be illegal in Indiana under an amendment adopted Monday. (Illustration by Leslie Bonilla/Indiana Capital Chronicle) Indiana lawmakers could ban all marijuana advertising within state lines, under an amendment adopted Monday in a transportation-focused committee. It goes beyond the billboard-specific prohibition taken in a Senate panel last week. Rep. Jim Pressel, R-Rolling Prairie, said his community is 'inundated' with billboards advertising illegal marijuana. The district is near Michigan, which has legalized it. But that's not all. 'My constituents, myself included, receive up to two — what would look like political mailers — a week advertising an illegal substance' at dispensaries in nearby New Buffalo, per Pressel. He chairs the House Roads and Transportation Committee. He commandeered Senate Bill 73, dealing with utility trailer sales, for an amendment outlawing the advertising of marijuana and other drugs on Indiana's list of Schedule I controlled substances. Indiana's attorney general could sue for injunctions, civil penalties of up to $15,000 and 'reasonable costs' incurred throughout the investigation and lawsuit. 'I've heard about (how) the First Amendment, I'm trampling on it. I don't believe that to be true,' Pressel told the committee. He cited a federal appeals court decision that, 'basically, if it's a criminal activity, you have no First Amendment right to advertise. That's my understanding.' The ban would take effect upon the bill's passage. Advertising from contracts entered into or renewed before the approval date would be exempt. The committee accepted the edits by consent. Pressel told reporters that the panel 'deal(s) with billboard issues all the time,' but acknowledged that his amendment would also affect mailers, truck adverts, television and more. It also has the potential to impact online activity. 'We're able to geofence a lot of different things. … So is it possible to geofence that out? I believe that it is, but can't confirm,' Pressel said. 'I haven't talked to those folks.' Pressel authored an additional amendment inserting tweaked towing regulations into Senate Bill 73. The proposal was advanced on a 12-0 vote. When opposition to a rural intersection safety measure erupted too close to the legislative session's first-half deadlines, its author promised he'd fix it — or kill it. Sen. Mike Crider, R-Greenfield, developed the measure after his friends' eldest son was killed in a crash along an uncontrolled intersection overgrown with tall corn. A thorough amendment, taken by consent Monday, appeared to ease concerns from farmers. Rural intersections sightline proposal to rack up edits Senate Bill 183 initially mandated large 'line of sight triangles' by uncontrolled intersections to be kept clear of crops, vegetation and other obstructions above 3 feet tall. Units of government would've sent landowners or renters notice for noncompliance. People involved in vehicle crashes resulting from blocked sightlines would've been able to sue for damages. An amendment replaced the triangle concept with a 'line of sight area.' That would be, at minimum, the 20 feet of road right-of-way extending on each side from the center line. The 3-foot rule would still apply for 55 feet along each road from the center of the intersection. If a local government decides a landowner or lessee isn't compliant, it would have seven days to send written notice through certified mail. The person or entity responsible for the land would have seven days after receiving notice to clear the sightlines. Otherwise, the local government could take 'corrective action' — and, if warned a second time or more for the same property, charge up to $500 per subsequent clearing. 'We have worked very diligently with stakeholders on … making sure that a traveling motorist doesn't have an obstructed view when they get to an intersection,' Pressel said. 'So, lots of time, lots of hours, have gone into this amendment.' An Indiana Farm Bureau representative said the edits had softened the group's opposition into neutrality. SUPPORT: YOU MAKE OUR WORK POSSIBLE
Yahoo
26-03-2025
- Automotive
- Yahoo
‘Predatory' towing restrictions revived in Indiana Senate committee, despite mixed support
(Getty Images) After a failed attempt in the House, Indiana senators resurrected contentious bill language that intends to crack down on 'predatory' towing practices. Rep. Jim Pressel, R-Rolling Prairie, said the major add-in targets 'excessive' and unreasonable charges on towing invoices, especially for commercial vehicles like semitrailers. Numerous trucking company representatives who testified at the Statehouse on Tuesday described thousands of dollars billed for 'hidden' administrative fees and fuel surcharges — even when wrecked trucks were towed just a few miles down the road. Because law enforcement typically decides which towing companies are called to accidents, truckers aren't able to choose the service provider. And even when issues arise over unfair towing bills, logistics companies said they're forced to pay the high fees in order to regain possession of both their trucks and trailers, which often contain time-sensitive loads. 'When we are number one in the nation for predatory towing when it comes to commercial vehicles, that's not acceptable in my mind,' said Pressel, who authored the underlying bill. 'This bill really kind of gets us into a place where we can try and have a common sense approach that is fair with both parties,' he continued. 'It's a mediation tool.' House Bill 1390 originally just dealt with BMV agency matters, like insurance verification, specialty license plates and registration stickers. After multiple amendments approved Tuesday by the Senate transportation committee, the bill now wraps in towing, as well as a ban on 'outdoor' marijuana advertising. The legislation was OK'd 6-1 by the Senate panel and heads next to the Senate Appropriations Committee. There was hesitation from multiple senators, however, specifically around the bill's creation of a state board to handle towing complaints. Concerned lawmakers acknowledged 'serious issues' over unreasonable charges, but questioned whether the bill was 'the right answer.' 'I don't think this hits the target,' said Sen. Gary Byrne, R-Byrneville, the lone 'no' vote on the bill. 'I'm a small business owner myself. I'm going to pay the bill. I'm going to deal with the company through the court system. … That can already happen. … I just believe that there're some other avenues besides creating this board.' Within the amended language are multiple provisions. One would mandate that local law enforcement agencies establish a 'towing rotation' policy to cycle through vetted and approved towing companies that are called to accidents, or enter into contracts with specific companies for emergency towing. Some local agencies already maintain lists of towing companies. When an accident occurs, police call the next tow truck in the rotation. The goal is to clear scenes quickly and prevent favoritism by randomly selecting tow companies. Under the bill, policies or contracts must define service rates, response times, storage requirements and conditions for suspension and removal of approved towing companies. Similar provisions apply to Indiana State Police — which already has a robust rotation system. The bill stipulates that the department would have to review its towing service rate sheet at least once per year. Another section sets fee regulations for emergency and private towing, with periodic rate reviews by law enforcement agencies to ensure 'reasonableness.' Additional fees beyond those outlined in contracts between companies and law enforcement would be prohibited, according to the bill. Contracts also can't include a minimum number of hours for a towing service to be invoiced. Other pieces of the updated bill would allow owners to retrieve vehicles after paying 70% of the towing invoice and filing a towing complaint. Storage fees charged by towing companies would also be limited. But most of the contention centered around a proposed 'Towing Complaint Advisory Board,' a seven-person, governor-appointed panel responsible for reviewing complaints, particularly those related to excessive charges. The Indiana attorney general would be tasked with creating a towing complaint form, and consumers would be able to challenge fees exceeding $1,000 for smaller vehicles and $20,000 for large ones. It would ultimately be up to the board to decide if charges are fair. The attorney general's office would oversee any payment remittance. Proponents of the bill said that board would address the few 'ineffective' and 'untimely' mechanisms that currently exist for refuting exorbitant charges. 'The states that seem to be ahead of us, much better than us, almost all of them have a process like is in here with the complaint board … to evaluate and determine what's fair and what's not,' said Gary Langston, president of the Indiana Motor Truck Association. 'The towing and recovery industry is vital to us, to the trucking industry. Just like any industry, there are people who do a good job, and people who don't. We're only focused on those who are taking advantage of the situation. Because these things are happening every day.' Three Hoosier trucking companies testified before the committee, detailing recent bills from towing companies. Jessica Warnke, president and CEO of Anderson-based Carter Express, recalled when her company had a preferred, nearby tow truck on scene shortly after one of her company's semis slid off the road. State police told Carter Express they couldn't use that towing company, though, because it wasn't next in the rotation. Carter Express was later charged more than $17,000 by another towing company for a two-hour job, including a roughly $5,700-minimum charge for labor and equipment; $2,100 in administrative fees; and $1,600 for four days of storage. She said the incident happened on a Saturday, but an invoice wasn't provided until the following Tuesday. The bill had to be paid before Carter Express could retrieve its truck and trailer. 'Really, the crux of the issue here is that the freight on our trailers is not ours: it's our customer's. We run mainly automotive freight, and we do just-in-time service, so those parts on those trailers are waiting to be put on a production line. I could shut down an entire production facility by having a trailer in an impound lot for four days,' Warnke said. 'I don't have a choice but to pay that invoice as soon as it's given to me so that I can get that freight back.' 'We operate very lean,' she added. 'I don't have extra people on my staff. I don't have general counsel. I don't have lawyers … to help me figure out how to file a complaint. And where do I even file that complaint? Is it worth an attorney's fee to go to small claims court? Some of these issues this bill would address will help me not have to worry about all that red tape.' Karrie Driscol, president of the Indiana Towing and Wrecker Association, offered the only oppositional testimony, maintaining that Pressel's bill 'is not the way to solve this problem.' Driscol cited state data showing 33,000 tows across Indiana each year. She said only 200 towing invoice complaints have been submitted to the attorney general's office since 2019. She said, too, that Hoosier towing companies are presently 'stuck with 50% of the vehicles that no one ever claims.' 'We're not getting paid on 50% of these accident calls … and we have to dispose of those loads. We have to pay to get rid of that stuff,' Driscol said. If 30% of fees are 'tied up' during the complaint process, 'that is going to affect towers across the state.' 'The problem that we're seeing isn't as large as what it is being put out here as,' she continued. 'I will tell you that there are problems in the towing industry. There are those out there that are doing silly things. But there are ways to solve it.' The problem that we're seeing isn't as large as what it is being put out here as. – Karrie Driscol, president of the Indiana Towing and Wrecker Association Driscol said her association would rather further collaborate with law enforcement to work out better rates. 'Why do we need a board to determine what's what's going to happen — and what not going to happen?' she asked. 'If we're going to create a board, we need to take the time and do it right. Don't make a sloppy mistake — that's what this board is going to do.' Earlier in the session, legislation regulating vehicle towing tripped up House Republicans for more than two weeks before it eventually died. House Bill 1493 would've forced towing companies to create service rate sheets, display them 'conspicuously' and show them to owners present when their vehicles are being towed. It also would've required that any property owner's future contract with a towing company contain removal and storage rates alongside other provisions, and mandated that towing companies give vehicles back within 24 hours of getting partial payment. Other pieces would've regulated emergency towing services, created a statewide towing complaint process, and banned overcharging and paid referrals. The measure made it through committee on a unanimous vote, but languished on the House's daily agenda for eight straight session meetings as House Republicans filed competing amendments. It wasn't taken up before a critical deadline. Another take on towing regulations, House Bill 1108, failed to get out of committee. SUBSCRIBE: GET THE MORNING HEADLINES DELIVERED TO YOUR INBOX
