INDIANAPOLIS | Two Northwest Indiana Democratic representatives learned Thursday just how hard it can be sometimes to win over the House Republican supermajority.
State Rep. Chuck Moseley, D-Portage, believed everyone could get behind his proposed amendment to Senate Bill 529, allowing the state's economic development agency to award tax credits to Indiana-based companies that use American-made steel to produce wind turbine blades, towers or gear boxes.
"Those turbines are being built overseas in China and shipped to Indiana for installation in our state," Moseley said. "Each one of those turbines contains 200 tons of plate steel. Why shouldn't we be manufacturing that steel here in Indiana, instead of China?"
His plan was rejected without even getting a vote after state Rep. Jerry Torr, R-Carmel, alerted House Speaker Brian Bosma, R-Indianapolis, that Moseley's proposed amendment was significantly similar to Moseley's House Bill 1193.
House rules prohibit floor amendments that match a "bill pending," even if the legislation never got a committee hearing and is effectively dead for the year.
"I fail to understand how the same people who claim that they are concerned about creating more jobs for Hoosiers can turn around and refuse to even consider talking about a proposal that will create a ton of jobs in our country and in this state," Moseley said.
Moseley was joined in the reject pile by House Democratic Leader Scott Pelath, D-Michigan City.
Pelath's proposed amendment to Senate Bill 350, requiring governors wait at least a year before becoming a state university president, was voted down 65-28.
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