Q&A

What do you consider the two most important issues facing Hoosiers who will see your name on their ballot this November? And if elected, what policies will you push for to address each one?

Two issues I hear most about while I knock on doors are healthcare cost and access to mental health services. Healthcare policy is extremely complex. In my professional career, I was a broker helping businesses find and purchase the best insurance benefit packages for their employees.

Transparency is key to understanding healthcare cost, and as your State Representative,  I will push to ensure Indiana consumers have the information they need to choose the best care and prescriptions at the lowest cost.  Not unrelated, mental health and addiction are at a crisis level in America.

I will advocate to expand mental health and addiction programs and for additional insurance coverage for mental health.  Too often families are faced with the difficult choice of not seeking mental health care or incurring massive debt to care for a loved one.

We've heard from many in our audience that they feel frustrated — sometimes disenfranchised — by our current political landscape. These feelings sometimes contribute to people deciding not to vote, and Indiana consistently ranks near the bottom of the list on voter turnout. What would you say to a potential voter who feels this way?

I would say to the voter, I understand and agree with you. Today's political environment can be overwhelming, but it is all the more reason to be engaged and ensure your vote is counted. Take time to educate and familiarize yourself with the candidates.  Support the candidates that align with your values, care about the issues you care about, and do so with civility we all expect from our elected leaders.  Every vote matters!!

Economic anxiety is top of mind for many in our audience and around the country, with a common concern being inflation and the high price of basic needs. In all the complexity around economic issues, what specific changes need to happen to help Hoosiers and their families?

There's no question inflation has a serious impact on Hoosier family budgets.* At the state level, we need to do what we can to put money back in the hands of taxpayers. One of the most important things we can do in that regard is addressing dramatic property tax increases. Homeowners who are retired or living on a fixed income are making difficult choices between paying taxes and affording basic needs.

The problem won't have a simple answer.  Both state and local government must play a role in finding a solution, and it will take serious review of the assessment process, the setting of tax rates, and our tax referendum process to get it done.

*Editor’s note: For context, while many shoppers see inflation in gas and grocery prices, after climbing sharply in 2022 and 2023, grocery prices rose less than 1% in the last twelve months and were unchanged between July and August. Here is more reporting on that from NPR.
 

Notable Donors - Source
House Republican Campaign Committee
Curtis H Robertson
Stephanie A Walters
Marla J Ailor
David Giffel
Heather Templin
Marilyn L Ganey
Melissa Ferise
Anthony Green
Benjamin D Strahm
 

 

Q&A

What do you consider the two most important issues facing Hoosiers who will see your name on their ballot this November? And if elected, what policies will you push for to address each one?

Access to quality affordable healthcare and improving quality of life for Hoosiers.  I plan to address healthcare by restoring healthcare access for women, those with disabilities and older adults.  I want to improve quality of life for all by focusing on improving home affordability for aging Hoosier, supporting our thriving public schools, building safer communities through common-sense gun safety laws, protecting our environment and supporting economic policies and programs that grow small businesses and foster entrepreneurship.

We've heard from many in our audience that they feel frustrated — sometimes disenfranchised — by our current political landscape. These feelings sometimes contribute to people deciding not to vote, and Indiana consistently ranks near the bottom of the list on voter turnout. What would you say to a potential voter who feels this way?

I understand your frustration.  In Indiana we are in a supermajority and the only way to break the supermajority is to get out and vote.  We are one of the worst states for voter turnout and in order to fix that we need to understand that every vote counts.  If only 10% of our population is getting out and voting then only 10% of our population is being represented.*  We can break the supermajority, but it takes effort from everyone to get there.

*Editor's note: While Indiana voter turnout in 2020 was 46th in the country, and in 2022 Indiana was dead last, the 2023 Indiana Civic Health Index also reports, “When Hoosiers were questioned through the U.S. Census Current Population Survey Voting and Registration Supplement project in November 2020, 61% said they had just voted in the general election.”

Economic anxiety is top of mind for many in our audience and around the country, with a common concern being inflation and the high price of basic needs. In all the complexity around economic issues, what specific changes need to happen to help Hoosiers and their families?

In Indiana the burden of an ever increasing gas tax is a real world economics issue Hoosiers face daily.**  Additionally, due to our limited healthcare workforce and healthcare deserts, simple supply and demand results in some of the country's highest healthcare costs.  Opportunities exist for federal/state cooperation to limit corporation greed in order to decrease the costs of everyday household items.

**Editor's note: This is an ongoing debate. Indiana is one of only about a dozen states that imposes a sales tax on gasoline. That rate is calculated based on the statewide average gas price, and Democrats have called to suspend it when prices go up. But Republicans argue much of the money is dedicated to the state’s highway construction program and they, instead, pushed through a plan for gradually cutting Indiana’s individual income tax rate over the next seven years.
 

Endorsements - Source
Humane Society Legislative Fund
Indiana Farm Bureau
OneZone Chamber of Commerce BAC
Planned Parenthood
UAW Region 2B CAP
Vote Mama PAC
AFL-CIO
Indiana Fraternal Order of Police
Our Choice Coalition
Indiana Professional Firefighters PAC
Candidates for Common Good
Indy Chamber
Run for Something
Better Indiana
Moms Demand Action

Notable Donors - Source
ActBlue Donations
Ryan Hatfield
Indiana Realtors PAC
Beam Longest and Neff LLC
IN KY OH Regional Council of Carpenters Indiana
Indiana Firefighters PAC
Indiana Health Care PAC
LAW PAC of Indiana
Maureen Bauer
Carey Hamilton