1
00:00:00,120 --> 00:00:09,000
Speaker 1: And I'm not stolen coing keep telling a massive Thing's gonna.

2
00:00:08,640 --> 00:00:14,040
Speaker 2: Be lots going on in mediata General Assembly, especially as it.

3
00:00:13,960 --> 00:00:16,760
Speaker 1: Relates to roads and what you might have to pay

4
00:00:16,800 --> 00:00:17,319
Speaker 1: for them.

5
00:00:17,400 --> 00:00:19,560
Speaker 2: Let's get to the bottom of a ninety three WIBC

6
00:00:19,720 --> 00:00:22,840
Speaker 2: is The Kennelly Casey Show, joined in studio by India

7
00:00:22,840 --> 00:00:25,599
Speaker 2: State Representative Kerry Hamilton, Democrat, Indianapolis. Erry.

8
00:00:25,600 --> 00:00:27,680
Speaker 3: Hello, Hi, Rob, Great to be here, Great to be

9
00:00:27,720 --> 00:00:27,960
Speaker 3: with you.

10
00:00:28,080 --> 00:00:31,520
Speaker 2: Okay, So there was this big hearing that you guys

11
00:00:31,520 --> 00:00:33,840
Speaker 2: had with you because you're on the transportation commitment. That's right,

12
00:00:33,880 --> 00:00:35,800
Speaker 2: You controlled the money for the roads, so we all

13
00:00:35,840 --> 00:00:38,760
Speaker 2: need to be very nice to you. You had this

14
00:00:38,760 --> 00:00:42,360
Speaker 2: big hearing with in Dot and basically in Dots said,

15
00:00:42,440 --> 00:00:44,760
Speaker 2: we've run out of money. We've had to cancel or

16
00:00:44,800 --> 00:00:48,040
Speaker 2: delay three hundred projects. Tell us about what's going on

17
00:00:48,120 --> 00:00:50,280
Speaker 2: and why is there such a lack of resources for

18
00:00:50,360 --> 00:00:51,800
Speaker 2: roads in the state of Indiana.

19
00:00:52,000 --> 00:00:55,400
Speaker 4: Yeah, well it was interesting. So apparently for the last

20
00:00:55,480 --> 00:00:57,560
Speaker 4: year or so, they've been talking about having to cut

21
00:00:57,600 --> 00:01:00,960
Speaker 4: back some projects because of the inc cost of construction,

22
00:01:01,000 --> 00:01:04,760
Speaker 4: which we all know is effect but we learned that

23
00:01:04,760 --> 00:01:07,160
Speaker 4: there are now I realized this more than three hundred

24
00:01:07,160 --> 00:01:09,520
Speaker 4: and forty projects. It's what I learned yesterday.

25
00:01:09,560 --> 00:01:11,640
Speaker 3: Since the hearing, they've raised the number.

26
00:01:11,800 --> 00:01:12,959
Speaker 1: Yeah, and today at.

27
00:01:12,959 --> 00:01:18,640
Speaker 4: Least that that have been canceled or scaled back or postponed.

28
00:01:19,160 --> 00:01:21,360
Speaker 4: And that's a concern. These are projects that have been

29
00:01:21,360 --> 00:01:23,920
Speaker 4: in the pipeline because they're about making our communities safer,

30
00:01:24,040 --> 00:01:27,760
Speaker 4: keeping our roads in good shape, maybe improving them where needed.

31
00:01:28,880 --> 00:01:31,840
Speaker 4: And those projects are not going to happen now. But

32
00:01:31,920 --> 00:01:34,680
Speaker 4: what we also talked about in committee was that there's

33
00:01:34,720 --> 00:01:39,200
Speaker 4: this what some would call a pet project, Southern Indiana

34
00:01:39,600 --> 00:01:43,959
Speaker 4: New Road Project, a billion dollar project. Yes, that in

35
00:01:44,000 --> 00:01:46,040
Speaker 4: dot's plan to build starting next year.

36
00:01:46,080 --> 00:01:48,000
Speaker 1: Okay, so let's talk about you may have heard we're

37
00:01:48,360 --> 00:01:49,080
Speaker 1: we're on that.

38
00:01:50,040 --> 00:01:51,640
Speaker 3: I haven't actually got. I'd glad you are.

39
00:01:51,760 --> 00:01:54,560
Speaker 2: Yes, the mid States Corridor, Yes, and that is the

40
00:01:54,560 --> 00:01:57,520
Speaker 2: governor's pet project. And there are people in du Bois

41
00:01:57,600 --> 00:02:00,360
Speaker 2: County who where that road is going to run through,

42
00:02:01,240 --> 00:02:04,040
Speaker 2: who are not very happy, and they believe that there

43
00:02:04,080 --> 00:02:07,600
Speaker 2: is a potential conflict of interest because well, this could

44
00:02:07,680 --> 00:02:10,560
Speaker 2: dramatically help people in the transportation industry and use the

45
00:02:10,560 --> 00:02:12,680
Speaker 2: state rep may have heard the governor made a few

46
00:02:12,720 --> 00:02:14,560
Speaker 2: pennies in the transportation industry.

47
00:02:14,800 --> 00:02:15,320
Speaker 3: How about that?

48
00:02:15,440 --> 00:02:18,639
Speaker 2: Yeah, so what's the So did they give you an explanation?

49
00:02:19,320 --> 00:02:21,600
Speaker 2: Because even Jim Pressell, this is not a Democrat, no,

50
00:02:22,000 --> 00:02:25,079
Speaker 2: very much, not partisan at all, he's a Republican. He's

51
00:02:25,120 --> 00:02:27,800
Speaker 2: the head of transportation, and even he, like you, was saying, well,

52
00:02:27,840 --> 00:02:30,119
Speaker 2: what are we doing here? We're spending billions on this

53
00:02:30,400 --> 00:02:33,360
Speaker 2: road that is wildly unpopular where we're planning to build it,

54
00:02:33,520 --> 00:02:35,680
Speaker 2: but there's no money for these other road projects.

55
00:02:35,760 --> 00:02:36,960
Speaker 1: What did in dot tell you?

56
00:02:37,240 --> 00:02:38,160
Speaker 3: Yeah, not a whole lot.

57
00:02:38,200 --> 00:02:41,240
Speaker 4: And kudos to Chairman Pressel for bringing this up in committee.

58
00:02:41,880 --> 00:02:43,800
Speaker 4: It was frankly news to me. And I think the

59
00:02:43,960 --> 00:02:47,240
Speaker 4: number one point here is transparency. Like kousiers deserve to

60
00:02:47,280 --> 00:02:49,160
Speaker 4: know what's going on with their tax dollars when it

61
00:02:49,160 --> 00:02:53,160
Speaker 4: comes to road funding, and you know, if we don't

62
00:02:53,160 --> 00:02:54,960
Speaker 4: have a voice, that's a big problem. Right.

63
00:02:55,000 --> 00:02:56,960
Speaker 2: So they didn't have an answer for you on why

64
00:02:57,480 --> 00:03:00,480
Speaker 2: they're continuing to continuing to go forward with this very

65
00:03:00,480 --> 00:03:04,320
Speaker 2: expensive project with little perceived benefit except for people in

66
00:03:04,360 --> 00:03:06,840
Speaker 2: an industry that the governor happens to have made a

67
00:03:06,880 --> 00:03:08,920
Speaker 2: fortune in while they're canceling.

68
00:03:08,680 --> 00:03:12,680
Speaker 1: All those other projects. So no answer, no answer, Okay, Well, That's.

69
00:03:12,360 --> 00:03:14,360
Speaker 2: That's government and action right there. Now, Can you guys

70
00:03:14,360 --> 00:03:18,000
Speaker 2: demand answers? Can you pound a fist? Can you do something?

71
00:03:18,360 --> 00:03:18,640
Speaker 3: Actually?

72
00:03:18,720 --> 00:03:22,000
Speaker 4: I sent two letters to the Department's Transportation this week.

73
00:03:22,080 --> 00:03:23,080
Speaker 1: Were they sternly worded?

74
00:03:23,520 --> 00:03:26,840
Speaker 4: I would say, so, okay, respectfully worded, but you know

75
00:03:28,040 --> 00:03:31,480
Speaker 4: on behalf of taxpayers. Yes, asking for the list of

76
00:03:31,520 --> 00:03:34,840
Speaker 4: canceled projects and also for a copy of the toll

77
00:03:34,960 --> 00:03:38,840
Speaker 4: road waiver application that the administration sent to the federal

78
00:03:38,840 --> 00:03:39,840
Speaker 4: government last year.

79
00:03:39,920 --> 00:03:41,880
Speaker 2: Okay, So let's get into that because it's now come

80
00:03:41,920 --> 00:03:44,240
Speaker 2: out and we started our show with this today that

81
00:03:44,600 --> 00:03:47,440
Speaker 2: the broad administration now correct me if I'm wrong, because

82
00:03:47,520 --> 00:03:49,520
Speaker 2: I'm getting older, my memory may not be what it

83
00:03:49,560 --> 00:03:52,360
Speaker 2: once was. But last year, when they passed this bill,

84
00:03:52,920 --> 00:03:58,240
Speaker 2: which essentially gave the governor unlimited ability to do the tolling,

85
00:03:58,800 --> 00:04:01,480
Speaker 2: they said, oh, this is years in the making, this

86
00:04:01,640 --> 00:04:03,880
Speaker 2: is just an administrative step.

87
00:04:03,920 --> 00:04:05,120
Speaker 1: It won't happen for a while.

88
00:04:06,000 --> 00:04:08,520
Speaker 2: It's been less than a year and they're already asking

89
00:04:08,600 --> 00:04:10,600
Speaker 2: for the tolling permission on I seventy.

90
00:04:11,480 --> 00:04:13,840
Speaker 4: Well, that's true. And here's what I'll say again. This

91
00:04:13,920 --> 00:04:16,800
Speaker 4: is my request is about transparency. I want to know

92
00:04:16,880 --> 00:04:21,400
Speaker 4: exactly what was asked for in that waiver. So we

93
00:04:21,480 --> 00:04:24,760
Speaker 4: know it's I seventy. That's only part of the story.

94
00:04:24,800 --> 00:04:27,039
Speaker 4: I want to know how close, how much tolling will

95
00:04:27,040 --> 00:04:30,120
Speaker 4: happen in and around Indianapolis, because if there is tolling

96
00:04:30,600 --> 00:04:33,320
Speaker 4: in and close to Indianapolis on seventy, I've got a

97
00:04:33,360 --> 00:04:33,960
Speaker 4: problem with that.

98
00:04:34,120 --> 00:04:37,160
Speaker 2: Right So, because so as part of and this is

99
00:04:37,240 --> 00:04:39,440
Speaker 2: so bizarre, maybe you can answer why they won't come

100
00:04:39,440 --> 00:04:42,159
Speaker 2: off this all they'll tell and this is not just

101
00:04:42,200 --> 00:04:45,360
Speaker 2: the media, it's you guys, the reps, the senators. Well,

102
00:04:45,360 --> 00:04:47,080
Speaker 2: there's probably some people in the know who know, but

103
00:04:47,320 --> 00:04:51,480
Speaker 2: at least publicly, they won't even tell you where they

104
00:04:51,560 --> 00:04:53,799
Speaker 2: want to toll other than it's I seventy.

105
00:04:53,960 --> 00:04:54,320
Speaker 3: Correct.

106
00:04:54,640 --> 00:04:56,159
Speaker 1: That's the reason for the big secrecy.

107
00:04:56,360 --> 00:04:58,760
Speaker 4: I haven't heard a good reason to keep it private.

108
00:04:59,120 --> 00:05:01,560
Speaker 4: And you know, this is a public request between one

109
00:05:01,560 --> 00:05:05,479
Speaker 4: government agency to another. It really should be a public document.

110
00:05:05,560 --> 00:05:08,359
Speaker 4: And certainly months after they've been getting many requests to

111
00:05:08,400 --> 00:05:09,880
Speaker 4: make a public and it's still private.

112
00:05:09,920 --> 00:05:10,520
Speaker 3: That's a problem.

113
00:05:10,880 --> 00:05:13,839
Speaker 2: State Representative Kerrie Hamilton is our guest. We're talking about

114
00:05:13,960 --> 00:05:16,680
Speaker 2: road funding here in the state of Indiana. Do you

115
00:05:16,920 --> 00:05:18,800
Speaker 2: like one of the issues I have with all of this,

116
00:05:18,880 --> 00:05:21,320
Speaker 2: and we were talking about this, well whatever it's been

117
00:05:21,360 --> 00:05:24,040
Speaker 2: eight nine years ago now when they did the gas tax,

118
00:05:24,320 --> 00:05:27,960
Speaker 2: was this doesn't make any sense what you're proposing, because

119
00:05:28,000 --> 00:05:32,120
Speaker 2: you're investing in a mechanism that is going to produce

120
00:05:32,360 --> 00:05:35,360
Speaker 2: less over time. And they told me to sit down

121
00:05:35,360 --> 00:05:36,919
Speaker 2: and shut up, and they had it figured out. And

122
00:05:36,960 --> 00:05:38,960
Speaker 2: now here they are back nine years later, going well,

123
00:05:38,960 --> 00:05:41,560
Speaker 2: we're out of revenue, we're out of money. Do you know, like,

124
00:05:41,680 --> 00:05:46,240
Speaker 2: what what is the what is the plan for our

125
00:05:46,320 --> 00:05:48,880
Speaker 2: state as it relates to reliable road funding?

126
00:05:48,880 --> 00:05:51,119
Speaker 1: And why don't the road seemingly ever get any better?

127
00:05:52,640 --> 00:05:54,800
Speaker 4: Well, let me let me start with this. So the

128
00:05:54,880 --> 00:05:58,920
Speaker 4: idea of tolling, I seventy here's what I do support

129
00:05:59,120 --> 00:06:03,720
Speaker 4: the idea of capturing revenue from out of state vehicles

130
00:06:03,839 --> 00:06:07,279
Speaker 4: passing through Indiana who may not even stop to get gas,

131
00:06:07,360 --> 00:06:10,120
Speaker 4: potentially especially those big trucks, because that's.

132
00:06:09,960 --> 00:06:11,480
Speaker 2: What they said with the gas text was oh, we're

133
00:06:11,480 --> 00:06:13,040
Speaker 2: going to get all these people that are coming from

134
00:06:13,080 --> 00:06:14,559
Speaker 2: out of state, They're going to buy our gas.

135
00:06:14,600 --> 00:06:17,560
Speaker 4: And that didn't happen, right, right, So I do think

136
00:06:17,600 --> 00:06:21,080
Speaker 4: there is benefit there. I would support a proposal, and

137
00:06:21,120 --> 00:06:22,640
Speaker 4: I don't know if this a level of details in

138
00:06:22,680 --> 00:06:28,320
Speaker 4: a waiver request or not, that would include tiered tolling, again,

139
00:06:28,520 --> 00:06:32,400
Speaker 4: keeping all tolling away from Indianapolis several miles outside of

140
00:06:32,440 --> 00:06:34,640
Speaker 4: for sixty five loop, but for the rest of the

141
00:06:34,680 --> 00:06:36,840
Speaker 4: seventy corridor on the east side of the state and

142
00:06:36,880 --> 00:06:38,679
Speaker 4: the west side of the state, to have it tiered

143
00:06:38,720 --> 00:06:40,760
Speaker 4: so that the out of state vehicles pay the most

144
00:06:41,160 --> 00:06:43,680
Speaker 4: and in state vehicles pay the least. My understanding is

145
00:06:43,720 --> 00:06:48,960
Speaker 4: we can't completely eliminate the tolling for Hoosiers if we're

146
00:06:49,000 --> 00:06:51,400
Speaker 4: toting out out of state vehicles. But a tiered system

147
00:06:51,480 --> 00:06:52,719
Speaker 4: certainly seems more fair to me.

148
00:06:53,120 --> 00:06:54,159
Speaker 3: I like an.

149
00:06:54,000 --> 00:06:56,520
Speaker 2: Easy pass, right like these other states have totally right,

150
00:06:57,000 --> 00:06:59,200
Speaker 2: I live in Indiana, I show my whatever and then

151
00:06:59,200 --> 00:06:59,880
Speaker 2: ice gonoodle.

152
00:07:00,040 --> 00:07:01,160
Speaker 3: On theory, any pay a.

153
00:07:01,120 --> 00:07:03,239
Speaker 4: Lot less than those out of stite trucks that are tearing.

154
00:07:03,120 --> 00:07:06,039
Speaker 2: Up our roads, right, Okay, so would this Well you

155
00:07:06,080 --> 00:07:07,640
Speaker 2: don't know, right, they're not telling you how much they're

156
00:07:07,640 --> 00:07:08,360
Speaker 2: looking at Like is it.

157
00:07:08,279 --> 00:07:11,920
Speaker 3: A core no idea? Rob, I have no idea.

158
00:07:12,040 --> 00:07:14,400
Speaker 2: Can you call the governor and just go what the

159
00:07:14,400 --> 00:07:15,080
Speaker 2: hell are you doing?

160
00:07:15,320 --> 00:07:16,920
Speaker 1: Like do you have the ability to do that? Like?

161
00:07:16,960 --> 00:07:18,640
Speaker 1: As a rank and file state rep.

162
00:07:18,800 --> 00:07:20,200
Speaker 3: I mean I do. But here's what I'm gonna do.

163
00:07:20,200 --> 00:07:21,920
Speaker 4: I'm gonna wait a few days and hope to hear

164
00:07:21,960 --> 00:07:23,480
Speaker 4: back from en Dot and go from there.

165
00:07:23,600 --> 00:07:25,320
Speaker 1: Okay, a couple of minutes left with you.

166
00:07:26,520 --> 00:07:28,160
Speaker 2: This is a big year I think for you guys,

167
00:07:28,160 --> 00:07:32,720
Speaker 2: the Democrats, because Republicans are pretty unpopular. The redistricting thing

168
00:07:32,800 --> 00:07:37,160
Speaker 2: was very unpopular. You've got seemingly maybe the person will

169
00:07:37,200 --> 00:07:39,560
Speaker 2: be at the top of your ticket who's going to

170
00:07:39,640 --> 00:07:42,400
Speaker 2: raise a gajillion dollars and has name. I d like,

171
00:07:42,400 --> 00:07:43,640
Speaker 2: this is a year you guys got to kind of

172
00:07:43,640 --> 00:07:45,840
Speaker 2: get it together right and start winning some of these seats,

173
00:07:45,880 --> 00:07:47,080
Speaker 2: or you might as well just fold it up.

174
00:07:47,240 --> 00:07:48,360
Speaker 4: Yeah, and I think we are.

175
00:07:48,600 --> 00:07:49,360
Speaker 3: I think we're.

176
00:07:49,320 --> 00:07:50,400
Speaker 1: Folding up or get it together.

177
00:07:50,480 --> 00:07:54,040
Speaker 4: Oh my gosh, we've got it together. Rob, You're ready

178
00:07:54,240 --> 00:07:57,040
Speaker 4: for big wins in November twenty sixth.

179
00:07:57,080 --> 00:07:57,840
Speaker 3: How do you do that?

180
00:07:57,880 --> 00:07:58,960
Speaker 1: Though? How do you message that?

181
00:07:59,040 --> 00:07:59,120
Speaker 4: Right?

182
00:07:59,120 --> 00:08:00,560
Speaker 2: And this is the thing I told Bob when he

183
00:08:00,680 --> 00:08:03,080
Speaker 2: was in here, as I said, look, you're fine, right.

184
00:08:03,200 --> 00:08:06,000
Speaker 2: You come off as a very likable, normal guy, your

185
00:08:06,160 --> 00:08:08,800
Speaker 2: very mainstream. You said things like voter ideas going to stay.

186
00:08:09,000 --> 00:08:10,720
Speaker 2: But you got some people and I kind of think

187
00:08:10,720 --> 00:08:13,119
Speaker 2: you're the same way you got people in your party

188
00:08:13,120 --> 00:08:14,880
Speaker 2: though that get a lot of attention that the average

189
00:08:14,880 --> 00:08:16,920
Speaker 2: person goes, oh, no, thank you. Right, I don't like

190
00:08:16,920 --> 00:08:19,160
Speaker 2: the Republicans, but no thank you. How do you, as

191
00:08:19,240 --> 00:08:22,480
Speaker 2: Democrats relay a message that will resonate with the people

192
00:08:22,480 --> 00:08:23,040
Speaker 2: of Indiana.

193
00:08:23,080 --> 00:08:25,040
Speaker 1: What's the strategy to do that this year?

194
00:08:25,120 --> 00:08:27,160
Speaker 4: Well, I'll speak on behalf of House Democrats, and I

195
00:08:27,200 --> 00:08:30,640
Speaker 4: do think this plays out throughout the party. We have

196
00:08:30,800 --> 00:08:33,240
Speaker 4: been focused on affordability for who's yours and we will

197
00:08:33,240 --> 00:08:36,840
Speaker 4: continue to focus on affordability for who's yours. I'll share

198
00:08:36,920 --> 00:08:38,400
Speaker 4: you know, the last couple of years when you've heard

199
00:08:38,400 --> 00:08:43,120
Speaker 4: about you know, socially divisive issues coming before the legislature

200
00:08:43,320 --> 00:08:46,920
Speaker 4: that get people fired up on both sides extreme of

201
00:08:47,000 --> 00:08:50,679
Speaker 4: either party. Those didn't come forward by the Democrats. We

202
00:08:50,760 --> 00:08:53,040
Speaker 4: did not put those bills forward. Our colleagues across the

203
00:08:53,040 --> 00:08:55,800
Speaker 4: aisle did. We have been focused and continue to focus

204
00:08:55,840 --> 00:08:57,960
Speaker 4: on affordability for who's your families.

205
00:08:58,200 --> 00:09:00,760
Speaker 2: Yeah, you guys need to need to get wins because

206
00:09:00,800 --> 00:09:02,840
Speaker 2: I think the bad behavior by the Republicans is they

207
00:09:02,880 --> 00:09:03,880
Speaker 2: don't fear.

208
00:09:03,679 --> 00:09:06,520
Speaker 1: Losing to you guys, So we're all counting yeah, well,

209
00:09:06,559 --> 00:09:06,960
Speaker 1: you know what.

210
00:09:07,200 --> 00:09:08,920
Speaker 4: Just to wrap up my thought there, We're focused on

211
00:09:09,000 --> 00:09:12,520
Speaker 4: affordability for families, and that's what people are asking us

212
00:09:12,559 --> 00:09:13,959
Speaker 4: to focus on. That's why I think we're gonna have

213
00:09:14,040 --> 00:09:16,960
Speaker 4: big wins in November. Our policy ideas are clear and

214
00:09:17,040 --> 00:09:21,439
Speaker 4: will deliver relief for families. Hoo's yours know that, and

215
00:09:21,480 --> 00:09:22,200
Speaker 4: they're paying attention.

216
00:09:22,320 --> 00:09:24,520
Speaker 2: Yeah, if you guys can't be Diego Morales', it's not

217
00:09:24,800 --> 00:09:26,720
Speaker 2: we're all we all need you to be Diego Morales.

218
00:09:26,720 --> 00:09:29,120
Speaker 2: All right, Kerry Hamilton, and you gotta say representative, thank you,

219
00:09:29,200 --> 00:09:31,839
Speaker 2: thanks Rob. Yeah, it's Kenilly Casey Show ninety three WIBC