Campaign phone
219-814-6442
After working with neighbors to save a wetland, I was elected to the Michigan City Common Council. I served 15 years for the 4th Ward, then ran to replace Rep. Pelath when he retired from State District 9. I won my first election in 2018 and I am running for a fourth term.
I have a bachelor’s degree in English from De Paul University in Chicago. I worked for a grocery store for 10 years; later learned more than I ever wanted to know about health care when my husband was injured in a car accident; and ran a secretarial business at home while I cared for him for 31 years until his death.
I am stubborn and do not give up easily, but I am also patient. I reintroduce bills that have not been heard in the past and will continue to do so.
HB 1383, the first bill passed in 2024, redefined the levels of geographically isolated wetlands which are NOT protected by federal law. One issue was that globally rare wetlands like dune and swale which exist along the Lake Michigan shore may not be protected if there have been any disruptions to make them less than pristine. I will offer a bill to fix that one line.
Other issues include Medicaid ‘s billion dollar “mistake” this year that took away protections for our most vulnerable, medically complicated children. I will collaborate with other members to repair this through amendments to the next budget.
Other issues include minimum wage, bias crimes, and barriers to voting that have been added to our laws. I hope to introduce bills on social, economic, and environmental justice.
The Indiana Bill of Rights says we shall not grant to any citizen, or class of citizens, privileges or immunities, which, upon the same terms, shall not equally belong to all citizens.” Yet we made a law taking away from women the right to their own bodies but no such law applies to men. If a woman needs an abortion, it should be herself and her doctor. If it is against her religion, it should still be her choice and it will be on her own conscience.
All women, and all pregnancies, are different. I don’t believe abortion should be taken lightly, or used in place of birth control. But I also don’t believe a woman should be forced to carry a dead fetus to term or wait until she is at death’s door before a doctor can help her. And making it illegal will not stop abortions.
The US Census count every ten years shows how population moves. Redistricting is needed to keep election local, state, and federal districts fairly delineated. It is currently done by the party in power at the time. It used to be done on paper. Now it’s done by computer programs that can slice and dice by census block to the advantage of the party in power. When I first ran for office in 2004 the voter ratio was about 56 to44. We have a 70 to 30 supermajority in the House and 40-10 in the Senate.
There have been numerous attempts, but such an idea can be defeated even if every minority member voted for it. Last election’s unofficial one had maps that made every district competitive, a lofty but essential goal.
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