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As a subscriber you can listen to articles at work, in the car, or while you work out. Subscribe NowIndiana Gov. Mike Pence's highway funding plan cleared a preliminary hurdle Tuesday morning, gaining approval from a state Senate transportation committee.
The Senate Homeland Security and Transportation committee voted 7-0 in favor of the measure, which was sponsored by committee Chairman Carlin Yoder, a Middlebury Republican.
The bill would allow Pence to draw from the state's budget reserves to help pay for his plan. It would also allow the state to once again borrow money to finance infrastructure projects—another key provision in the Republican governor's $481 million short-term proposal.
The state has been prohibited from borrowing money by issuing bonds since 2007.
Pence's plan differs sharply with a longer-term plan offered Monday by House Republicans, who want to raise gasoline and cigarette taxes to boost funding levels for road improvements.
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