FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Alting Saves Bill for Purdue
Alting revives dead language that will provide enormous amount of funds for Purdue
(STATEHOUSE) – Indiana State Senator Ron Alting (R-Lafayette) has revived legislation that will provide $60 million for Purdue University .
House Bill 1029 originally would have allowed Purdue University the funding to complete the first critical step in its deferred repair and renovation plan. The bill passed the House of Representatives with this language included, but Senate leaders did not originally see the need to provide these funds during a non-budget year and the bill was amended to remove this language for Purdue.
Alting's persistence, however, paid off for Purdue. He convinced Senate leaders just how important this was to one of the state's major universities.
“I knew this was very important for Purdue,” said Alting. “I am a Purdue graduate, Lafayette native and resident and I represent Lafayette at the State House—if something's important to Purdue, it's important to me, too.”
Under the plan, Purdue will be granted the authority to take out bonds against student fees beginning next year. These student fees were recently put in place to help start on needed repairs on campus. Without the bonding authority, however, it could take twenty years or more to do projects that Purdue officials now estimate will take approximately four years.
“Senator Alting's leadership on continuing to bring this to the forefront has been instrumental,” said Kevin Green, Purdue's Director of State Relations. “This will provide for the critical first step in dealing with our maintenance issues.”
Senate leaders originally were against this plan because they did not want to address such an issue during a non-budget year. Alting insisted that Purdue was eager to begin the first step of their renovation plan as soon as possible, and did not want to delay that start date by a year or more.
Alting serves as Ranking Majority Member of the Senate Committee on Education and Career Development. Citizens may contact his office with their concerns by calling 1-800-382-9467, writing to him at 200 West Washington Street , Indianapolis , IN 46204 or e-mailing him at S22@IN.gov . Alting represents Senate District 22, which includes portions of Tippecanoe County .
This bill has been sent to Governor Mitch Daniels to be signed into law.
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