If you’re not paying attention to the debate over the Illiana Expressway, you’re missing some great political theater.  The Northwest Indiana Times calls out Rep. Terri Austin, an Anderson Democrat, for her role in blocking the progress of legislation to authorize the construction of the Illiana Expressway.  The resulting fight among Democrats has made for this session’s most contentious.

Austin, who chairs the House Roads & Transportation Committee, seems bent on being a roadblock to construction.

Austin, D-Anderson, proposed a change in House Bill 1369 that would require any government entity touching the Illiana Expressway, at least the Indiana portion of it, to sign a memorandum of understanding on the construction. All it would take is one community to torpedo this important project.

Austin’s amendments are counterproductive. They could spell the death of the Illiana Expressway — and the jobs that would be created by constructing it.

This is a moment when the project should get the green light in Indianapolis. — NWI Times

For a legislator who loves to wring her hands about job creation, Rep. Austin sure seems content slaughtering thousands of good paying construction jobs with this blatantly political effort.  From what we can see, Rep. Austin dropped the Illiana-killing language into HB 1369 last week, and did so covertly in the House Government and Regulatory Reform Committee, of all places.  The bill passed out of committee on party lines.  When it came time for the full House to adopt the committee report, Rep. Chet Dobis, a Democrat from Merrillville, sided with Republicans who opposed the committee report, and it failed.  Republicans filed three minority reports that attempted to undo the damage inflicted by Rep. Austin, but all were rejected on party lines with the exception of Rep. Dobis who sided with Republicans.

Rep. Austin’s spin on her plan to destroy public-private partnerships (P3’s) is that she is simply taking the case-by-case decision over whether to authorize a P3 away from the legislature in favor of setting up a consistent regulatory structure with which all P3’s must comply.  What her bill really does is kill privately funded road projects.  Taxpayers and road builders rejoice.

The Times recommended this remedy:

Northwest Indiana’s delegation in the House – led by Chet Dobis – should hammer Austin and other members of the House Transportation Committee to give approval to the Senate version. This is not the time for playing partisan games.

That’s exactly what Rep. Dobis is doing, with bipartisan support from Region Republicans like Rep. Ed Soliday and Sen. Ed Charbonneau.  For daring to represent his constituents best interests instead of Rep. Austin’s job killing campaign, Dobis has been removed from his position in leadership as the House Speaker Pro Tempore by Speaker Pat Bauer.  That’s a risky move with a one seat majority, but Bauer seems content to let this session implode so he can go home and play catch up with House Republicans who are way ahead of their Democrat counterparts in the 2010 House races.  When Democrats are fighting with themselves, it’s best to just let them finish each other off.  Stay tuned.

If  you oppose Rep. Austin’s campaign to kill construction jobs with petty politics, visit Kim Builta’s website over at Frugal Hoosiers Road to 51.  Kim is a Republican running for the House in the district that is currently, and hopefully temporarily, occupied by Rep. Austin. Learn more about Kim and volunteer for her campaign by clicking here.