House Speaker Todd Huston 'disappointed' in Rep. Jim Lucas after guilty pleas

Indiana House Speaker Todd Huston (R-Fishers) said he’s “disappointed” in the actions of Rep. Jim Lucas (R-Seymour), who pleaded guilty Monday to driving while intoxicated and leaving the scene of a crash.

Huston also said he hasn’t decided whether the southern Indiana lawmaker will face any consequences from the Republican caucus.

Lucas’s guilty pleas stem from an incident last month in which he crashed his vehicle on Interstate 65 and drove off, discovered later by police.

His plea agreement has no jail time but does require probation that includes drug and alcohol testing and a drug and alcohol rehabilitation program. Lucas must also pay about $4,000 to repair a guardrail he crashed into.

READ MORE: State Rep. Jim Lucas arrested for driving while intoxicated, leaving scene of crash

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Huston said he spoke with Lucas after his arrest but hasn’t talked with him since the guilty pleas.

“You’re just grateful and thankful to God that he wasn’t hurt or no one else was hurt," Huston said. "And, you know, get the help that he needs and make sure that situation doesn’t happen again. I understand that he’s in counseling and I think that’s a positive step.”

Lucas has repeatedly courted controversy in his time at the Statehouse, notably for racist social media posts.

Brandon is our Statehouse bureau chief. Contact him at bsmith@ipbs.org or follow him on Twitter at @brandonjsmith5.

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