Update on INCA Priorities and Invasive Species Council Funding

Quick update as to the status of and action needed for our 5 priorities for the legislative session:

1)      The Indiana Heritage Trust received $97,000 in the house budget bill, and the Senate will begin debating the budget next week.   INCA’s ask was $2 million/year.

a.       ACTION NEEDED: Please contact your Senator and ask them to talk to Senator Kenley and members of Senate Appropriations(unless they are on the committee).   ASK:  $2 million/year  for IHT!

2)      Clean Water Indiana received $1 million/year in general fund appropriations in the house budget bill and the Senate will begin debating the budget next week.   INCA’s ask was $1 million/year in general fund, plus $300,000/year for the division.

a.       ACTION NEEDED: Thank House members and please contact your Senator and ask them to talk to Senator Kenley and members of Senate Appropriations.  ASK: $1 million/year in general fund appropriations for CWI, plus $300,000 in general fund appropriations for the Division of Soil Conservation.

3)      The phosphorous education bill was not given a committee hearing.  )=

a.       NO action needed, unless you want to thank the bill authors.

4)      The bill on canned hunting was tabled.  (=

a.       NO action needed.

5)      The INCA-supported bill for improving public transit was passed out of committee, and will be on 3rd reading in the House on Monday.  (=

a.       ACTION: Contact your house member to voice your support for HB 1011.

ONE OTHER ACTION ITEM: 

The Invasive Species Council (ISC) very critically needs to secure the funds to hire an Executive Director position which would be housed through Purdue University. Purdue is requesting a $3 million research appropriation and has included $100,000 in that request to fund this Ex. Director position, for a total request of $3.1 million. 

INPAWS members, we urge you to ask your Senator to contact Senator Kenley and other members of the Senate Appropriations Committee to support the $3.1 million for Purdue to house the Executive Director position.  The ISC has been a past priority of INCA’s.