Interview with State Rep. Pat Boy
While Thanksgiving break around America tends to consist of yams and turkey, State Representative Pat Boy’s holiday dinner table included talks of coal ash and a flow of ideas. The conception of House Bill (HB) 1469 occurred during those talks in 2020, between Representative Boy and members of Just Transition Northwest Indiana (NWI), the Hoosier Environmental Council (HEC), attorneys from Earthjustice and State Senator Karen Tallian.
HB 1469 focused on the safe and clean closure of Indiana’s coal ash sites and promoting the public’s presence during closure and post-closure hearings of these locations. This bill was significant and the first of its kind in the state’s history. However, when HB 1469 was finally introduced and assigned to the House Environmental Affairs Committee, it went unheard by Chairman Doug Gutwein. This is indicative of Indiana’s long-standing history of environmental negligence. Boy expressed her discouragement for the chairman’s sudden change, despite his prior support. During this time, Senator Tallian introduced a sister bill in the Senate, SB 367, which also met the same fate; but, not before gaining three sponsors: Senator Shelli Yoder and republican Senators Ron Alting and Jon Ford.
Since both coal ash bills died before they could be afforded a hearing, Representative Boy decided to hop on an omnibus bill involving IDEM (the Indiana Department of Environmental Management) in an effort to continue to address issues affecting the environment. However, nearing the finalization of the bill, it came to Boy’s attention that it would lead to some potential negative consequences for coal ash regulation in the state. Because of this, the bill went against her objective, and Boy withdrew her amendment.
Although HB 1469 did not pass, it provided a great illustration of who Representative Boy is. Boy’s collaboration with local organizations to address issues affecting communities at large showcased her reception to the people’s voices. During her 15 years on the Michigan City Common Council, Pat Boy was adamant about inclusion. She started a commission for women and championed resolutions, which targeted biases on groups based on ethnicity and religion. Additionally, HB 1469 was not her first attempt at major environmental action. During her time on the city council, Pat was on the Tree Board and worked to set up an environmental committee, which amounted to today’s Michigan City Sustainability Commission. Before her council position, Pat was active on environmental issues and promoting community solidarity. One of her first environmental battles occurred close to home when a local wetland, Ruby Woods, was threatened by a development company. Pat banded with community members to preserve Ruby Woods by delaying the dig, and much to their luck, the woods soon after was declared a park.
Representative Boy uses the words “extreme frustration,” when asked to describe the past legislative session. Before all the changes brought on by COVID-19, Boy recalls being able to walk up to fellow members of the Indiana Legislature to share ideas and build partnerships. Stifled by COVID guidelines, she found herself exhausting much of her precious time reaching out to unresponsive legislators. This meant it took near to the end of the half session to simply talk about one of Boy’s bills. Although the past legislative session did not go ideally, she was thrilled by the important talks and partnerships made with members, including republican representatives. With that, Boy expresses hope for what the future holds, for the House and all of Indiana, as we slowly shift away from the shadow of the pandemic. Representative Pat Boy is one of many who fights for a healthier Indiana so that our current and future generations cannot just survive, but truly thrive.
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