KOKOMO | Gov. Mitch Daniels said it's no surprise some state legislators from Lake County are pushing legislation that would essentially allow the county to secede from his statewide local government overhaul.

"The fact that particular reforms have run into opposition up there, that's nothing new," the governor said Tuesday before speaking to about 200 business people and local elected officials in Kokomo.

Northwest Indiana has been left out of the first leg of the MySmartgov tour, which is going around the state with the governor in tow to promote the recommendations of the Kernan-Shepard government reform commission.

When asked if he would come to Northwest Indiana to promote the reforms, the second-term governor said "sure," but he did not give any specific date when pressed.

Daniels said he already has made more than 60 visits to Northwest Indiana. He said Lake County may exclude itself for now from his reform movement, but there will be a cost later.

"For going on six years, I have paid more attention to Lake County than most folks have," Daniels said. "I've been advocating for that corner of the state. But truly, to make progress and convince the rest of the state it's worth investing in, Northwest Indiana, you gotta clean house. You gotta clean things up."

The governor said he can't argue for directing tax dollars to Northwest Indiana if people think the money will get stolen.

At the same time, the governor acknowledged the Kernan-Shepard recommendations may now have to be implemented "gradually" and in a "patchwork" fashion across the state.

That admission seems to have grown out of a growing sense of realism about the chances of the sweeping legislation Daniels originally envisioned.

Calls from throughout the state suggest putting at least some of the Kernan-Shepard recommendations to a direct referendum of voters. Chief among those is the plan to abolish township government.

Former Gov. Joe Kernan, one of the authors of the reform report issued in 2007, acknowledged there was "a great deal of confusion" about the report's recommendations.

Daniels was at the Pastariffic Restaurant, in Kokomo, with MySmartgov leaders. MySmartgov is an advocacy group supported by state Realtors and the Indiana Chamber of Commerce.

When asked what Northwest Indiana supporters of the Kernan-Shepard recommendations can do to promote his plans, Daniels' said, "Make noise, please."

Daniels' push for implementing the recommendations of the Kernan-Shepard commission came just days after Senate legislation to enact the reforms was amended to exclude Lake County from a key provision to replace county commissioners with a single county executive.