Gore gravely disappointed in closed-door decision to kill bipartisan good governance bill

Today, State Rep. Mitch Gore (D-Indianapolis) attempted to call down House Bill 1066 after it was pulled from the House calendar despite being eligible for final passage. House Bill 1066 passed unanimously out of the House Committee on Government and Regulatory Reform on Jan. 21. 

This bill builds upon Gore’s legislation from last year that prohibits state entities from using taxpayer dollars to purchase luxury vehicles for official use. HB 1066 expands on that effort by extending that ban to local governments and allowing the state to swap existing luxury vehicles in a fiscally responsible way.

“Hoosiers are struggling to make ends meet as daily life is more expensive than ever,” Gore said. “Instead of focusing on passing legislation promoting good governance, Republicans decided to kill my bill in a closed door meeting. It defies logic. 

“My bill wasn’t about party labels. There is nothing fiscally responsible about using taxpayer money to buy high-end vehicles. Yet Indiana’s secretary of state and lieutenant governor treated themselves to $90,000 cars for official duties on the taxpayer dime and still possess those vehicles. HB 1066 would have allowed those vehicles to be exchanged for more practical vehicles to recoup some of those wasted tax dollars. Additionally, House Bill 1066 ensured that no government official in the state of Indiana, regardless of party, can use public funds to buy vehicles that the average Hoosier can’t even hope to afford.

“Plain and simple, this bipartisan bill was about protecting Hoosier tax dollars from waste, fraud and abuse. I am gravely disappointed that our duty to the people of Indiana was thrown to the wayside for no substantive reason. Hoosiers deserve better than these political games.”