Despite Senate approval, the Illiana Expressway may have come to a dead end in the Indiana House, or at least taken a detour.

The route of the Illiana Expressway remains unknown, but the path for legislation to build the public-private toll road between Illinois and Indiana is clearly that of one step forward and two steps back. 

Even after the bill sailed through the Senate recently, it didn't even warrant a committee hearing. In fact, it never even made it to the transportation committee.  

The House version, sponsored by Reps. Chet Dobis, D-Merrillville and Ed Soliday, R-Valparaiso, is being held up by the head of the transportation committee, Rep. Terri Austin, D-Anderson.

According to the Gary Post Tribune, Dobis charged over the weekend that Austin has "quietly filed Illiana language into a vehicle bill that included several 'poison pills,' designed to kill the project."

Because of the nature of the changes, the bill was sent to the government reform committee rather than to the transportation committee.

Austin has asked for an environmental study along the route as well as a memorandum of understanding from each of the towns through which it would travel.

She wants the bill to spell out how local governments would be reimbursed for lost taxes as well as how emergency personnel who cover the road would be reimbursed.

Dobis claims that Austin lied – that the Senate version does contain language related to reimbursing the Indiana State Police.

Austin said she wants anyone who stands to lose money to have a say. She pointed out that the language in the Senate bill does not require an environmental study. Nor does it require repayment to local governments for loss in tax base.

Dobis predicts that Austin will try to kill the Senate bill when it passes through the House as well. He blames her boss, State Rep. Patrick Bauer, D-South Bend, who has said the Indiana Toll Road is a bad idea.