INDIANAPOLIS - Evansville Mayor Lloyd Winnecke met privately with Gov. Mike Pence on Wednesday where the mayor said he reiterated the importance of the regional medical school project.
Supporters of the medical school campus proposed for Downtown Evansville are vying for nearly $50 million in state funding during this session of the Indiana General Assembly where lawmakers are writing a new, biennial state budget. The meeting between Winnecke and Pence, which took place in the governors office at the Indiana Statehouse, lasted approximately 20 minutes.
The governor is totally supportive, Winnecke said. He understands my position and why Im advocating for it to the extent that I am.
A key moment will come for the project on Thursday when the public will learn if Pence included funding for the medical school in his proposed budget.
Again based on my conversations with the governor, I understand he supports the project 100 percent, Winnecke said, and Im very hopeful that well have some good news to see in his budget on Thursday.
Even if the project isnt included in Pences budget, the push for funding is hardly over. The Indiana House typically uses a governors proposal as a starting point for discussion and often makes a series of changes before sending the measure over to the Senate.
I dont know what we are going to see (Thursday) but I feel good about what we are going to see. Is it the final product? Probably not. But I think everyone needs to remember this is a four-month process and ultimately its the Legislature that decides the budget, Winnecke said.
The Courier & Press is the only local media outlet with a reporter covering the Indiana Legislature every day in Indianapolis. Follow Chelsea Schneider's work each day in the Courier & Press, on courierpress.com, the Courier & Press mobile app and on Twitter, @ECP_ChelseaS.
For the medical school, the universities involved in the project made funding requests in relation to the space they intend to use. The Indiana University School of Medicine is requesting $19.2 million, while Ivy Tech and University of Southern Indiana are requesting $22.9 million and $7.3 million respectively. University of Evansville, a private university, also is planning programs in the school.
The campus would be located within the boundaries of Locust, Cherry, Southeast Fourth and Southeast Sixth streets. The campus would have a five-story tower connected to a two-story wing and house research labs, teaching labs and a simulation center, among other features, according to IUs state budget request.
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