The two houses of the General Assembly (House and Senate) were created at the time Indiana became a state in 1816. The current makeup of the General Assembly, consisting of 100 Representatives serving 2-year terms and 50 Senators serving 4-year terms, was established in the Constitution of 1851. The General Assembly met in alternate years until 1972, when it began meeting annually.Your Indiana General AssemblyConstitutional RequirementsCreation The powers of the Government are divided into three separate departments; the Legislative, the Executive including the Administrative, and the Judicial Article 3, Section 1Authority The Legislative authority of the State shall be vested in a General Assembly, which shall consist of a Senate and a House of Representatives Article 4, Section 1 Each House shall have all powers, necessary for a branch of the Legislative department of a free and independent State Article 4, Section 16Membership The General Assembly elected during the year in which a federal decennial census is taken shall fix by law the number of Senators and Representatives Article 4, Section 5 The Senate shall not exceed fifty, nor the House of Representatives one hundred members; and they shall be chosen by the electors of the respective districts into which the State may, from time to time, be divided Article 4, Section 2Term of Office Senators shall be elected for the term of four years, and Representatives for the term of two years, from the day next after their general election Article 4, Section 3Qualifications No person shall be a Senator or a Representative, who, at the time of his election, is not a citizen of the United States; nor any one who has not been for two years next preceding his election, an inhabitant of this State, and, for one year next preceding his election, an inhabitant of the district whence he may be chosen. Senators shall be at least twenty-five, and Representatives at least twenty-one years of age Article 4, Section 7 Sessions The sessions of the General Assembly shall be held at the capitol of the State, commencing on the Tuesday next after the second Monday in January of each year in which the General Assembly meets unless a different day or place shall have been appointed by law. But if, in the opinion of the Governor, the public welfare shall require it, he may, at any time by proclamation, call a special session. The length and frequency of the sessions of the General Assembly shall be fixed by law Article 4, Section 9Rules Each House, when assembled, shall choose its own officers, the President of the Senate excepted; judge the elections, qualifications, and returns of its own members; determine its rules of proceeding, and sit upon its own adjournment Article 4, Section 10
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Office for which you are a candidate
Indiana House, District 34
Incumbent?
yes
Previously sought/Held offices
Indiana State Senate, Delaware County Council
Experience and qualifications
Former Spanish teacher at Ball State University and Bethany College in WV, Public Policy Director for 17 years with Planned Parenthood of IN & KY. Campaign manager for Phil Sharp's 1990 Congressional Campaign, Statewide Outreach Coordinator for Virginia Dill McCarty's 1984 gubernatorial campaign and Delaware County Director for Birch Bayh's 1980 campaign for U.S. Senate.
Community involvements
Member of the Board of Directors of Muncie OUTReach and Second Harvest Food Bank, member of the Land Conservation Fund Advisory Committee of the Muncie-Delaware County Community Foundation, the Muncie/Delaware County Coalition of Women’s Organizations. the Muncie-Delaware County League of Women Voters, the Muncie branch of the American Association of University Women, the National Organization for Women, Muncie Resists, and the Delaware County Tobacco Free Coalition . I'm long-time member of the Unitarian Universalist Church and served a term as President of its Board of Trustees.
Education (degree/year/where)
MA, University of Michigan 1965, AB Indiana University- Bloomington, 1964.
Occupation
State Legislator
Campaign Phone (Include area code)
765-744-2084
Date of Birth (mm/dd/yy)
021542
Place of Birth (City, State)
Warsaw, IN
Family (Spouse/partner, number of children)
Spouse Paul (deceased), 2 daughters
1. In addition to better pay, legislators need to give teachers the respect they deserve as professionals and stop micromanaging the classroom. 2. During the Great Recession, federal stimulus funds were used to replace- not augment - state funds in the school funding formula. In recent years of record budget surpluses, those state funds were not restored. 7. The diversion of public funds through private school vouchers is starving our public schools where over 90% of Hoosier children receive their education. I don’t oppose private education, but Indiana can't adequately fund public and private education systems. We must stop subsidizing education for the few and concentrate our resources on improving the quality of education for the many.
6 I voted against Indiana's near-total ban on abortion because I support the right of women to make reproductive decisions without government interference. Women understand the consequences of their pregnancy decisions. I trust women to make the best choice for their situation.
1,4; 2,4; 3,4; 4 ,4 This includes gun show and private purchases; 5. restore the ability of local government to enact ordinances more stringent than state law. Also require safe storage of firearms.
4. I have authored legislation requiring investor owned utilities to increase the percentage of renewables in their energy portfolios. I voted against SB309 that phased out net metering for rooftop solar, I've authored community solar legislation which refers to local solar facilities shared by multiple community subscribers who receive credit on their electricity bills for their share of the power produced. It gives access to the economic benefits of solar energy to people who rent their homes or apartments, are low income individuals or have too much shade for rooftop solar. I testified before the Del. Co Plan Commission & County Commissioners in support of a utility grade solar zoning ordinance that meets the state default standards.
4. Voting is a right and a privilege. Yet Indiana ranked dead last among all the states for voter participation in the 2022 election. We should do all we can to remove barriers to the exercise of this basic act of citizenship. In addition to no-excuse absentee ballots, I support expanding Election Day voting hours, vote centers and early voting, and same day registration as other ways to make voting easier.
4. While it may seem old fashioned in a high-tech world, election integrity experts recommend paper ballots and the optical scanning voting system as the most effective way to achieve security, accuracy, verifiability, accessibility, and resiliency. Among other benefits, paper ballots provide a paper record that can be recounted in close elections and audited to detect machine problems.This voting system reduces the chances of both human and computer errors.
2. Cannabis is legal for medical use in 39 states and the District of Columbia. It is legal for recreational use in 22 states and DC. Hoosiers suffering from pain and chronic illnesses should not be subject to arrest and incarceration for possessing a substance that is legal in our neighboring states. We should not continue to fill our prisons with people convicted of minor marijuana possession. These laws fall heaviest on people of color and low income Hoosiers. I have authored legislation to legalize medical cannabis, establish a regulatory framework for legalized medical and recreational cannabis, provide compassionate use of cannabis for end of life, and expungement of criminal records for a misdemeanor cannabis conviction.
