Amid speculation that state lawmakers might restructure Porter County’s tourism bureau, one Porter County Commissioner spoke out Tuesday against special-interest legislation that gets rammed through with little chance for public scrutiny.

In comments at the end of Tuesday’s meeting, Commissioner President Robert Harper said the practice of passing legislation that applies only to specific counties can be dangerous. He gave the comparison of a solidly Republican county subjected to a new law crafted by Democrat state leaders just because the Democrats disagree with the local elected Republican officials.

“It can become very dangerous to have that happen,” he said. “It’s happening more and more downstate.”

Harper made his comments after raising concerns about a proposal to restructure the Porter County Convention, Recreation and Visitor Commission.

Harper said he has been told that lawmakers are crafting an amendment during the current special session that would give Porter County’s two cities, Valparaiso and Portage, the authority to appoint the PCCRVC board. Currently, the PCCRVC is considered a county entity, and the tourism board members are appointed by municipalities as well as the county commissioners and county council.

Harper said he has been trying to see the draft language but hasn’t been able to yet.

He also said it’s his understanding that Valparaiso officials are pushing for the PCCRVC restructuring and that there are state lawmakers in support of the move.

On Tuesday, PCCRVC Executive Director Lorelei Weimer said she, too, has heard talk of the legislation, but has not seen anything specific. The PCCRCV earlier this year retained a consultant to track possible legislation, when the agency suspected that the Lake County tourism bureau would seek a merger of the two tourism offices.

Harper noted that the PCCRVC was established years ago by the Porter County Council, which also had the authority to impose the innkeepers tax that funds the agency. He said although he wasn’t in office at that time, he suspects that the county council passed the tax with the understanding that the county’s tourism board would always be structured with county government appointees.

He said he believes that Porter County officials have been fiscally responsible and that the current PCCRVC has done a good job.

Valparaiso’s two PCCRVC appointees, Jeff Good and Matt Murphy, could not be immediately reached.

Posted 6/17/2009