Indiana Roads Task Force Explores Possibility Of Private Sessions

INDIANAPOLIS -- The co-chairs of Indiana’s roads task force says they’re exploring the idea of developing its recommendation for the General Assembly behind closed doors.

The task force’s first three meetings, two of which are complete, are meant to be data-heavy. As co-chair Sen. Luke Kenley puts it, fill everybody with the information they need. The plan after that, he says, isn’t set, but he wants to get everyone into a private session to develop a recommendation.

“I want to put these people on this commission in a position to be able to say anything they want to say,” Kenley says.

Co-chair Rep. Tim Brown also sees the need for what he calls “private conversations.” But he’s not sure what form that should take.

“I’m worried that as we are in a campaign season, let’s be perfectly honest, this is the campaign season,” Brown says. “It will be in the heart of campaign season – that we don’t want to do anything to mislead or lose the trust of the public.”

Kenley’s plan would have the private session, followed by a public meeting at which the recommendation is unveiled followed by another public meeting at which the public could testify in response to the recommendation. And all that would happen before the end of the year.