Officials in Porter County are up in arms over failed legislation they fear would have given Lake County tourism officials the power to seize private property beyond its borders.

State Rep. Chet Dobis, D-Merrillville, said the proposal was a drafting error, but Porter County Council President Dan Whitten does not buy the explanation.

"How can they make such an error?" Whitten asked.

Government in the state is increasingly disregarding individual rights in favor of what it feels to be best, he said. In this case, Whitten believes the proposal is part of Lake County's plan to fuel its own version of regional tourism.

"It's his desire to move into Porter County," Whitten said of Lake County Convention and Visitors Bureau President Speros Batistatos. "I don't even blame him for that."

The problem is that Lake County's goals conflict with Porter County's priority of protecting its natural resources, said Porter County Commission President Bob Harper.

Batistatos faulted his peers at the Porter County Convention, Recreation and Visitors Commission on Monday for failing to support a number of regional efforts, including the proposed Illiana Expressway.

He said the response to the legislation in question is just "paranoia, fear mongering and unprofessional conduct."

He said no one from Porter County bothered to contact him about the concern before they fired off letters to state lawmakers.

"This is the kind of stuff that ensures we will never have a civil relationship," Batistatos said.

The executive director of the Porter County tourism group, Lorelei Weimer, did not return a telephone call Monday seeking comment.

This most recent dispute centers on a proposal by Dobis to remove the words "within the county" from the description of the eminent domain powers granted to Lake County tourism officials. Dobis said the proposed change was not intentional.

Batistatos said outdated language was being struck from legislation that established the Lake County tourism bureau to reflect its new status as a state agency.

The bill in question, which is considered dead, called for eliminating the four county appointments to the bureau's governing board and allowing promotion money to be spent outside Lake County. Dobis said he has no plans to resurrect the proposal in another bill.

Harper said he does not buy the explanation of the error and cannot believe expanding appointed officials' power to seize property was being contemplated. The officials can act without the concern of being held accountable by voters, he said.

"It's like a layer of protection," he said.

Batistatos said his bureau has no plans to exercise eminent domain powers, which are extremely unpopular politically.

"It's ridiculous," he said. "It tells me they don't even understand the profession they chose to be part of."

Times Staff Writer Patrick Guinane contributed to this report.