INDIANAPOLIS Ind. (WTWO/WAWV) — A bill offering some protection to coal workers moved forward Monday.
House Bill 1414 passed 52-41, and will now head to the Senate.
Co-author of the bill, State Representative Alan Morrison (R), said he was hopeful the bill would pass going into Monday. He said his amendment to the bill was passed Thursday which gave the bill some bipartisan support.
“We have workforce ready grants available, and what this will do is it will prioritize coal mine employees,” Morrison said.
He said HB 1414 would help transition the state’s next steps.
“How you move forward and when is important and we want to pump the breaks a little bit,” he said. “Coal and energy production has really built this state. This is not the time for us to turn our backs on those people and on that industry.”
Morrison said he is confident the Senate will hear the bill.
Sullivan County Council member Timothy Abrams said he supports the bill and is working to rally supporters within the community in the upcoming weeks.
“I hope a lot of constituents can get together and help push that through for not just Sullivan County, but for Indiana as a whole,” Abrams said. “It’s gonna be a really tough for Sullivan County, the coal miners and the power plants. That’s been our livelihoods for years and we hope we can overcome it.”
