Source: (Photo provided by IndyGo.)
STATEHOUSE — Debate was heated and in some case nearly got personal between state lawmakers in the Indiana Senate on Monday over a bill that would essentially block the city of Indianapolis from building the third leg of its rapid bus transit system.
The Blue Line is the final leg of the system that also includes the already completed Purple and Red Lines. The Purple Line would run from the Hancock County border with Marion County along Washington Street through the neighborhood of Irvington and eventually to the Indianapolis Int’l Airport.
State Sen. Aaron Freeman’s bill would place a moratorium on the project for a who year until early 2025 so a study can be done on the impacts of the project.
The bill has faced staunch opposition from Democrats, namely State Sen. Andrea Hunley and State Sen. Greg Taylor, both of whom represent districts in Indianapolis.
“Senate Bill 52 is not about a simple study,” said Hunley. “It’s about government overreach. It undercuts our local government. It undercuts the will of the voters and it is an overreach of this body and it’s powers.”