ACEC Indiana Legislative Luncheon
 
FROM LEFT: Rep. Ed DeLaney and Sen. Brandt Hershman speak about issues concerning the 2010 General Assembly at the Legislative Luncheon in Indianapolis. Photos courtesy of Jim Reid, IndianaPublicWorks News.
Two prominent members of the Indiana General Assembly spoke to over 75 ACEC Indiana members about key issues of this legislative session and their impact on the consulting engineering community at the Annual Legislative luncheon in Indianapolis.
State Senator Brant Hershman (R-Monticello), chairman of the Senate Tax and Fiscal Policy Committee, applauded ACEC Indiana member firms for their role on the “front line of the economy” with design for important infrastructure, but criticized the federal stimulus program for its slight attention to meaningful public works design.
On the state budget, Hershman said that the “easy cuts had been made” and the now the state had reached the “tough times which drive innovation and cooperation.”
On the bright side, Hershman asserted that Indiana was well-poised for inevitable recovery with the “best business-tax climate in the Midwest.” Towards that goal, he was handling legislation that promoted economic development that would nudge government to “be more nimble, think differently like consulting engineers do” but would not consider a sales tax on professional services since it has been a “disaster” when tried in other states and caused economic disruption.
State Representative Ed DeLaney
(D-Indianapolis), who serves on the House Ways & Means Committee and the Elections & Apportionment Committee, has been a champion of local government reform, authoring a bill making headway this session to eliminate township trustees.
One of Indiana’s economic advantages according to DeLaney was its geographic location, which was why “roads are important, along with rail for freight and people” and other forms of transportation including busses, rails-to-trails projects like the Monon Trail, and sidewalks, for a holistic solution.
On the elections front, DeLaney believed that industry groups like engineering had been “hit too hard” in the past for large campaign contributions, and was now seeking ways to foster smaller contributions by more people to engage them in the process.
The luncheon was sponsored by
Gallagher Benefit Services. A partner with ACEC Life Health Trust, Gallagher
provides ACEC Indiana members with discounted rates for health insurance.
Environmental Business Conference
ACEC Indiana hosted the 5th annual Environmental Business Conference. Over 60 members and a dozen students from Purdue University and Trine University took advantage of the oppportunity to hear from and ask questions to Indiana leaders.
The conference covered Indiana's antidegradation legislative direction; water quality priorities and program update; implementation of antidegradation in Illinois; SRF and stimulus program update; Indianapolis' Sustainability Program; green program; CSOs and long-term control plan implementation and update; and a national update. For full PowerPoint presentations, click below.
  
  
2010 Annual Sponsorship Packages Available
Don’t miss this opportunity to place your company’s name and services before a select
group of buyers. No matter what type of business you are a part of, you can reach your
clients effectively and economically through an ACEC Indiana 2010 Sponsor Package!
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