The Pence Administration is making a personal appeal to legislators to release more money for the Regional Cities Initiative.
Legislators budgeted $84 million for two Regional Cities grants, with the money to come from a tax amnesty.
The amnesty raised more money than predicted, and Pence announced plans to fund three $42 million projects in North Central, Northeast and Southwest Indiana.
Commerce Secretary Victor Smith and Workforce Development Commissioner Steven Braun appeared before the committee to urge members to reconsider.
Braun acknowledges there are many programs that need funding, but says the return on investment from the Regional Cities plan will dwarf anything else.
"Compared to any other use of that $42 million I would be hard-pressed to identify a better way to have that kind of return on investment," Braun says.
Asked why the administration promised more money than had been approved, Smith said the three proposals stood out so much that a review panel felt they all needed funding.
"Talent attraction is the number one concern of the IEDC for our continued economic growth, and I think Regional Cities speaks directly to that talent attraction problem," says Smith.
Leaders from the winning communities also testified saying it would be a win not just for them but for the entire state.
But several committee members say they resent being put on the spot to back up the administration's promises without being consulted.
"The General Assembly was very clear that is should have been two. The commitment was made to fund three, and now all of their hopes are up that they're going to get this money against the will of the legislature. We're kind of up against a wall," says Rep. Cherrish Pryor, D-Indianapolis.
The committee will vote no later than Monday. Bosma has said the money may be folded into a road funding compromise if the votes aren't there for a stand-alone bill.
Indiana Public Broadcasting's Lisa Ryan contributed to this story.
