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Policies

Education

Infrastructure

Education

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The United States is ranked #17 in the world on Education and Indiana is ranked #24  nationally. Since the legislature capped the property taxes and took over full responsibility for teacher salaries in 2009, the state general fund budget has grown 21 percent. Indiana teachers now earn almost 16  percent less than they did two decades ago. Indiana is dead last in the country for teacher salary raises over the last 15 years and as a result we are ranked #37 for teachers’ median salaries. In 2011, the legislature did away with the traditional teachers’ salary schedule which incentivized teachers to earn additional degrees and provided step pay increases for continuing to teach in a school corporation. Now, most Indiana teachers are lucky to receive an annual cost of living raise of between one and two percent. This dereliction of responsibility by the Indiana legislature has created a “talent void” where 94 percent of our 290 public school districts cannot fill all their open teaching positions due to a lack of applicants. 

Jobs

Infrastructure

Education

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The “talent void” created by not properly funding our public schools is reflected in the Indiana job market. The number one issue that corporations consider when evaluating expansion to a new state is the state and local education system.  Companies want and need a qualified/educated workforce and they also want a good public education system to educate the families of their employees. Nationally, 8 out of 10 newly created jobs require a college degree, in Indiana only 1 out of 6 new jobs require college. Since Indiana has a “talent void” and we are unable to compete for the newly created jobs in a knowledge-based  economy, the majority of our college graduates leave the state.  According to an April 2019 Congressional Report, Indiana is one of the ten worst states losing highly educated workers. Since 1985 the U.S. has  lost, on average, over 370k manufacturing jobs per year. By 2025, over two-thirds of all the jobs will require advanced skills training or a college education. The economy is changing and our legislators need to find the courage and fortitude to help Hoosiers lead the way. Since 1973, American productivity has increased 77% while hourly pay has grown by only 12%. If the federal minimum wage tracked productivity, it would be more than $20 an hour, not today's poverty wage of $7.25. Due to automation, the value of manufacturing jobs has decreased globally. 

Infrastructure

Infrastructure

Social Injustice

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The American Society of Civil Engineers, 2017 report card, graded our national  infrastructure as a D+ and the U.S. News and World Report ranks Indiana's infrastructure as #37 in the nation. Eight percent of the  bridges in Indiana are rated structurally deficient and 12% of our roads are in poor condition. Indiana needs an estimated $5.9 billion to fix or provide for the drinking water needs, and another $7.16 billion to cure the wastewater needs. 240 dams are considered to be high-hazard potential. This deteriorating infrastructure impedes Indiana’s ability to compete in an increasingly global marketplace. Success in a 21st century economy requires serious, sustained leadership on infrastructure investment at all levels of government. Delaying these investments only escalates the cost and risks of an aging infrastructure system, an option that the country, Indiana, and families can no longer afford. The 2017 legislation (HB 1002 Transportation Infrastructure Funding) is a  good first step. We are also ranked #42 for internet access across the state. This subcategory of infrastructure considers both the percentage of households with a broadband internet subscription and the share of a state's population with access to high-speed broadband. The internet connects millions of people from around the globe every day, and despite its relatively young place in history, it would be nearly impossible for most Americans to complete a 21st century education or compete in a  global knowledge-based economy without the internet.  

Social Injustice

Social Injustice

Social Injustice

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Injustice anywhere is a threat to justice everywhere. For too long, systemic barriers to success have blocked opportunities for people of color, the LGBTQ community, the disabled, immigrants, and women. Many of our institutions continue to tolerate and enable injustice against our citizens. As your State Senator, I will work to pass comprehensive hate crime legislation and push to end the qualified immunity that prevents the prosecution of those who abuse their positions of power against our own citizens while empowering those police officers who honor their oath to serve and protect. In addition, I believe the history curriculum in our public schools should be expanded to include comprehensive experiences and contributions of Native Americans, Blacks, Hispanics, Asians, and all those who helped to create this melting pot we call the United States. I will also make sure that schools and organizations that receive state tax dollars are not able to discriminate against an employee, staff member or student on the basis of race, sex, and orientation.

Healthcare

Social Injustice

Healthcare

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We are in the middle of a world-wide public health crisis that hasn’t been seen in over a century. This pandemic has brought into focus how poorly our healthcare system functions. While Indiana’s Healthy Indiana Plan (HIP 2.0) is one of the better Medicare expansion programs in the country under the Affordable Care Act, our entire healthcare system is in desperate need of reform. As your state Senator, I would fight to expand our current HIP 2.0 plan so that more Hoosiers are eligible for coverage – particularly our children who should never be denied healthcare. I would also support the creation of a state-wide public option that would compete with the for-profit health insurance industry and be available to all individuals, families and businesses. We must also address the issue of critical drugs like insulin being priced beyond the reach of those who so desperately need them to survive. As your state Senator, I would make the health and safety of Hoosiers my top priority in our fight to fix our healthcare system. 

FAQ's

How would you fix the current teacher shortage?

How would you fix the current teacher shortage?

How would you fix the current teacher shortage?

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 I would start  by putting in place a teacher's pay schedule to incentivize people to  become teachers and hopefully encourage former teachers to come back to  the classroom. Teachers deserve to be paid for their experience and  expertise, and I am not counting a one or two percent cost of living  raise. 

How do you feel about free college tuition?

How would you fix the current teacher shortage?

How would you fix the current teacher shortage?

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 The idea has  some merits when you consider Former Governor Mitch Daniels' statements  about the Indiana "Brain Drain". Most people acknowledge that the brain  drain has created a talent void in Indiana. We are one of the ten worst  states in the county losing college graduates. The real key to Indiana's  economic growth is to fill the talent void by retaining our college  graduates and of course, producing more graduates.  I would support free  tuition for all community college programs along with interest free  loans for higher education for all Hoosiers. However, just like a  military ROTC scholarship, college graduates would incur a contractual  obligation to live and work in Indiana for a specified amount of time. .

How do you feel about gun control?

How would you fix the current teacher shortage?

How do you feel about gun control?

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 I have over 30  years active duty military service and two and a half years on the  ground in Iraq. My wife and I both own guns. I also have a license to  carry a handgun. So yes, I support the Second Amendment.  That being  said, I also support common sense gun reform. We need better supporting legislation to  keep guns out of the hands of criminals. Most criminals get their guns  from straw buyers which is already illegal. The problem is, without  supporting legislation it is almost impossible to prove criminal intent. We need to  close the loopholes for background checks and we need gun registration  to stop straw buyers. These legislative actions are supported by the  Second Amendment and would facilitate efforts to keep  guns out of the hands of criminals.  

Use of military rank, titles, or photographs in uniform do not imply endorsement by the Department of the Air Force or the Department of Defense.


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