FEMA disaster aid denial prompts Hill legislation

CLARKSVILLE, Ind. — The federal government's rejection of disaster aid for Indiana following severe August storms has led Rep. Baron Hill to introduce legislation to correct what he sees as a bureaucratic problem.

The southern Indiana Democrat said the bill introduced last week addresses what he calls inequalities in the decision-making process at the Federal Emergency Management Agency.

The same severe storms hit both Indiana and Kentucky in early August, but only Kentucky received a major disaster declaration from President Obama, making people in that people eligible for some federal aid.

Hill said his legislation allows people in states bordering disaster states to also receive federal aid if they have a certain amount of damage. He's scheduled a news conference in Clarksville for Monday to discuss the bill.