As expected in the midst of a tough economy, jobs were a major topic of discussion at Saturday’s Third House sponsored by the Logansport Cass County Chamber of Commerce.

State Sen. Randy Head and Reps. Rich McClain and Doug Gutwein discussed their own efforts so far in the legislature’s short session and answered questions from those attending.

Both McClain and Gutwein expressed frustration that there the discussions on creating jobs in the House has been almost non-existent.

“We’re four weeks into the short session, which the state constitution says has to be finished March 14, and we’ve yet to see any movement on jobs creation bills,” said McClain, a Republican from Logansport who represents District 24.

Jobs bills have been introduced in the House, McClain noted, “but it’s the committee chairmen and speaker who are determining whether they hear the bills.”

“We’re more hopeful for success in the Senate,” he said. “Some of these same kinds of measures have been introduced there and we think they will be looked at and action will be taken.”

Gutwein, a Francesville Republican who represents District 16, noted Gov. Mitch Daniels’ efforts.

“The governor is working very hard at attracting companies. He’s been to China and encouraging a lot of companies to locate to Indiana,” he said.

With the current state of the economy, he said, “jobs are tough right now. There are a lot of people with ideas on jobs and talk about what we can or should do.”

Gutwein runs a small business and said it did more business in January than the last six months of 2009.

“Will it continue? I certainly hope so,” he said. “Everyone has ideas on what we need to do to fix it. I think the state will come out ahead of a lot of other places once this recession is over.”

To lure businesses into Indiana, Head noted that the state offers tax breaks and has the Indiana Economic Development Corp. that works to create jobs as well.

The Logansport senator, however, would like to see the state do a better job of attracting businesses.

“There was a company that was looking at coming to Grissom, which has the largest runway in the state,” the Republican said, “and wanted the state to refurbish a hangar. The state said it would cost too much. This company was going to bring in about 200 jobs at $14 or more [per hour].”

He also believes the IEDC needs to diversify locations it shows those businesses.

“Most of those companies go along the interstates,” he said, “but the IEDC doesn’t consider [U.S.] 24 — or even 31 — as a major highway. The Hoosier Heartland, that will be a big deal, but it will take a few years before those efforts show.”

Regional efforts, Head feels, will provide the key to economic development.

“If we get a factory in Kokomo or Miami County, the old way said Logansport lost,” he explained. “But, today if you get a factory in those places, people from here can drive to work at it and then it’s a win for us.”

Other officials in attendance agreed with his assessment. Logansport Mayor Mike Fincher noted that mayors in the area are meeting on a quarterly basis to discuss economic development.

John Bevan, superintendent of Southeastern Schools, noted that Indiana University Kokomo formed a group that explored the regional outlook and what other areas had done to develop as a region economically.

• John Dempsey is the Pharos-Tribune’s associated editor and may be contacted by e-mail at john.dempsey@pharostribune.com or by calling 574-732-5150.