Pence Vetoes 'No More Stringent Than' Bill

INDIANAPOLIS -- Gov. Mike Pence Thursday vetoed HEA 1082, more commonly known as the ‘no more stringent than’ bill.

The bill passed the General Assembly only after significant edits. The original bill would have prohibited the Indiana Department of Environmental Management, or IDEM, from enacting rules that are stricter than federal regulations.

The amended version would only require IDEM to report proposed changes for legislative review.

“In recent months, public concern over clean and safe drinking water has grown as a result of the situation in Flint, Michigan,” said Pence in a statement. “At a time when we must do all that we can to enhance public trust in the agencies charged with protecting our environment, this bill moves in the wrong direction and will therefore receive my veto.”

Bill author Rep. David Wolkins, R- Winona Lake, has been working to pass the stricter version of this legislation for four years. That bill never made it out of Senate committee.