New head of Indiana natural resources aims to make regulations more friendly to business
Rep. Alan Morrison (R-Brazil) has been tapped to head up Indiana’s Department of Natural Resources. He said he intends to help carry out Gov.-elect Mike Braun’s agenda to “look for efficiencies” in rulemaking.
For more than a decade, Morrison has served House District 42 — which represents Parke and Vermillion counties as well as parts of Vigo, Fountain and Clay counties. He also served as a member of the House environmental affairs and natural resources committees.
Morrison said he plans to use his position to make regulations more efficient at the DNR, along with the Indiana Department of Environmental Management and the Utility Regulatory Commission.
“Working as a team to help move forward that economic development and make it easier for businesses to grow, move in — that’s what our goal is,” he said.
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Morrison has sponsored bills in the past to significantly reduce protections for the state’s wetlands — which benefitted home developers. He also supported bills to allow industries to capture their carbon emissions and store them underground.
He’s also co-authored other environment-related bills — including some that support mine reclamation in the state and a bill that requires utilities to note coal plant closures in their long-term plans. That bill originally would have prevented utilities from closing coal plants until the state comes up with a statewide energy plan.
He’ll resign as state representative on Jan. 13 when Braun is sworn in as governor.
Rebecca is our energy and environment reporter. Contact her at [email protected] or follow her on Twitter at @beckythiele.
