Lawmakers kill CIB bailout bill

INDIANAPOLIS (WISH) - The bill to bailout the Capital Improvement Board died in the special session of the General Assembly Wednesday. But the efforts to raise operating funds for Conseco Fieldhouse and Lucas Oil Stadium will continue.

The meeting room for the House Ways and Means committee sat empty as Chairman Bill Crawford (D) called off a vote on the CIB bailout bill.

"And there was no Republican votes on the record for it and, ah, it's not gonna be just a partisan Democrat approach to resolving the issue," said Crawford.

As House Republicans departed a private meeting, House Minority Leader Brian Bosma (R) complained that his effort at a compromise was rejected.

"Which I really don't understand. It's kinda puzzling. A lot about this special session has been puzzling and this one is gonna be added to the list," said Bosma.

But puzzling, too, was the lukewarm support for the plan offered Tuesday by representatives of Mayor Greg Ballard, especially after Ballard stood alongside the governor when it was unveiled.

Democrats made changes but say killing the effort to raise operating funds for Lucas Oil Stadium and Conseco Fieldhouse was not the original goal.

House Speaker Pat Bauer (D) said, "Apparently the motto of the governor, it's his way or the highway, is trickling down to other parts of the Republican Party. It's gotta be bi-partisan."

There are no plans for the committee to meet again.

A CIB bailout plan can still be revived in the budget bill once it gets to the state Senate. That's one reason why Republicans were willing to vote against it.

Democrats wanted the issue considered separately because, Speaker Bauer said, that made the budget more likely to pass.

It now appears that the special session will come down to a single compromise that includes numerous issues.