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Quick Facts
Personal Details

Education

  • BS, University of Southern Indiana

Professional Experience

  • BS, University of Southern Indiana
  • Real Estate Broker, F.C. Tucker/Huber Realtors

Political Experience

  • BS, University of Southern Indiana
  • Real Estate Broker, F.C. Tucker/Huber Realtors
  • Senator, Indiana State Senate, District 50, 2005-present
  • Candidate, Indiana State Senate, District 50, 2008, 2012, 2016, 2020
  • Representative, Indiana State House of Representatives, 1981-2005
  • Candidate, Indiana State House of Representatives, 1982, 1984, 1986, 1988, 1990, 1992, 1994, 1996, 1998, 2000, 2002, 2004

Former Committees/Caucuses

Member, Indiana Commission for Excellence in Health Care, present

Former Member, Environmental Affairs Committee, Indiana State Senate

Former Ranking Member, Family and Children Services Committee, Indiana State Senate

Member, Indiana Commission for Women

Co-Chair, Office of Women's Health Advisory Board, Indiana State Department of Health, present

Former Chair, Provider Services Subcommittee, Indiana State Senate

Former Member, Transportation Subcommittee, Indiana State Senate

Current Legislative Committees

Member, Health and Provider Services

Ranking Member, Public Policy

Religious, Civic, and other Memberships

  • BS, University of Southern Indiana
  • Real Estate Broker, F.C. Tucker/Huber Realtors
  • Senator, Indiana State Senate, District 50, 2005-present
  • Candidate, Indiana State Senate, District 50, 2008, 2012, 2016, 2020
  • Representative, Indiana State House of Representatives, 1981-2005
  • Candidate, Indiana State House of Representatives, 1982, 1984, 1986, 1988, 1990, 1992, 1994, 1996, 1998, 2000, 2002, 2004
  • Member, Board of Directors, ARK Crisis Prevention Nursery
  • Alumni, Leadership Evansville
  • Member, Midwest Affiliate, American Heart Association
  • Member, Network of Evansville Women
  • Member, United Methodist Church

Other Info

— Awards:

  • Legislative Champion Award, Indiana Area Agencies on Aging, 2012
  • Oscar McCulloch Social Services Award, Indiana Coalition for Human Services, 2011
  • Lamar Public Service Award, Leadership Evansville Celebration of Leadership Winternheimer, 2011
  • Outstanding State Senator, Indiana Retired Teachers Association, 2011
  • Lifetime Achievement Award,The Arc, 2011
  • Friend of Education Award, Evansville Teachers Association, 2011
  • Bacon Award, Albion Fellows, 2010
  • Ark Crisis Center Dedication to Prevention of Child Abuse and Neglect, 2010
  • Bobby Sloan Symbol of Hope Award, Komen Evansville Affiliate, 2009
  • Legislator of the Year Indiana, Trial Lawyers Association, 2009
  • Legislator of the Year, Indiana Primary Health Care Association, 2008
  • Indiana Coalition Against Domestic Violence Empowerment Award, 2008
  • Advocate of the Year, Indiana Association for Home and Hospice Care, 2007
  • Legislator of the Year, Indiana Council of Administrators of Special Education, 2007
  • Service Award, Indiana Home Care Task Force, 2001
  • Lampion Center Advocacy Award, 1999
  • Outstanding Leadership Award, ALCOA, 1995
  • Distinguished Alumni Award, University of Southern Indiana, 1995
  • Legislator of the Year, Indiana Association of Ophthalmologists, 1995

Policy Positions

Indiana State Legislative Election 2004 National Political Awareness Test

Abortion

Indicate which principles you support (if any) regarding abortion.

1. Abortions should always be illegal.
- No Answer

2. Abortions should always be legal.
- No Answer

3. Abortions should be legal only within the first trimester of pregnancy.
- No Answer

4. Abortions should be legal when the pregnancy resulted from incest or rape.
- No Answer

5. Abortions should be legal when the life of the woman is endangered.
- No Answer

6. Prohibit public funding of abortions and of organizations that advocate or perform abortions.
- No Answer

7. Require abortion providers to make ultrasound imaging and fetal heartbeat information available to patients.
- No Answer

8. Other or expanded principles
- No Answer

Budgetary, Spending and Tax

State Budget: Indicate the funding levels (#1-6) you will support for the following general categories. Select one level per category.

1. Education (Higher)
- No Answer

2. Education (K-12)
- No Answer

3. Environment
- No Answer

4. Health care
- No Answer

5. Law enforcement
- No Answer

6. Transportation and Highway infrastructure
- No Answer

7. Welfare
- No Answer

8. Other or expanded categories
- No Answer

State Taxes: Indicate the tax levels (#1-6) you will support. Select one level per tax.

1. Alcohol taxes
- No Answer

2. Capital gains taxes
- No Answer

3. Cigarette taxes
- No Answer

4. Corporate taxes
- No Answer

5. Gasoline taxes
- No Answer

6. Inheritance taxes
- No Answer

7. Property taxes
- No Answer

8. Sales taxes
- No Answer

9. Vehicle taxes
- No Answer

10. Other or expanded categories
- No Answer

11. Should Indiana raise the flat state income tax?
- No Answer

12. Should Indiana institute a graduated state income tax structure?
- No Answer

13. Should Internet sales be taxed?
- No Answer

14. Should accounts such as the "rainy day" fund be used to balance the state budget?
- Yes

15. How would you propose to reform Indiana's property tax system? Please use forty (40) words or less.
- No Answer

16. Other or expanded principles
- No Answer

Campaign Finance and Governmental Reform

Indicate which principles you support (if any) regarding campaign finance and government reform.

1. Do you support the current limit of two consecutive four-year terms for Indiana governors?
- Yes

2. Do you support limiting the number of terms for Indiana state senators and representatives?
- No Answer

Do you support limiting the following types of contributions to state legislative and gubernatorial candidates?

1. Individual
- Yes

2. PAC
- Yes

3. Corporate
- Yes

4. Political Parties
- No Answer

5. Do you support requiring full and timely disclosure of campaign finance information?
- Yes

6. Do you support imposing spending limits on state level political campaigns?
- No Answer

7. Do you support adopting statewide standards for counting, verifying and ensuring accuracy of votes?
- Yes

8. Do you support prohibiting the reporting of media exit polling results until all polling locations in Indiana are closed?
- No Answer

9. Should Indiana recognize civil unions between same-sex couples?
- No Answer

10. Should Indiana restrict marriage to a union only between a man and a woman?
- No Answer

11. Other or expanded principles
- No Answer

Crime

Indicate which principles you support (if any) regarding crime.

1. Increase state funds for construction of state prisons and for hiring of additional prison staff.
- No Answer

2. Support the death penalty in Indiana.
- X

3. Support programs to provide prison inmates with vocational and job-related skills and job-placement assistance when released.
- No Answer

4. End parole for repeat violent offenders.
- X

5. Implement penalties other than incarceration for certain non-violent offenders.
- No Answer

6. Decriminalize the possession of small amounts of marijuana.
- No Answer

7. Strengthen penalties and sentences for drug-related crimes.
- X

8. Minors accused of a violent crime should be prosecuted as adults.
- No Answer

9. Increase state funding for community centers and other social agencies in areas with at-risk youth.
- X

10. Increase funding for state and local emergency agencies to prevent and to respond to terrorist attacks.
- No Answer

11. Other or expanded principles
- No Answer

Education

Indicate which principles you support (if any) regarding education.

1. Support national standards and testing of public school students.
- No Answer

2. Provide parents with state-funded vouchers to send their children to any public school.
- No Answer

3. Provide parents with state-funded vouchers to send their children to any private or religious school.
- No Answer

4. Increase state funds for school capital improvements (e.g. buildings and infrastructure).
- No Answer

5. Increase state funds for hiring additional teachers.
- No Answer

6. Support teacher testing and reward with merit pay.
- No Answer

7. Endorse voluntary prayer in public schools.
- X

8. Require public schools to administer high school exit exams.
- X

9. Provide state funding to increase teacher salaries.
- No Answer

10. Increase funding for Head Start programs.
- No Answer

11. Provide state funding for voluntary full-day kindergarten across the state.
- X

12. Provide state funding for tax incentives and financial aid to help make college more affordable.
- X

13. Support sexual education programs that include information on abstinence, contraceptives, and HIV/STD prevention methods.
- No Answer

14. Support abstinence-only sexual education programs.
- No Answer

15. Other or expanded principles
- No Answer

Employment and Affirmative Action

Employment: Indicate which principles you support (if any) regarding employment.

1. Increase funding for state job-training programs that re-train displaced workers and teach skills needed in today's job market.
- No Answer

2. Reduce state government regulations on the private sector in order to encourage investment and economic expansion.
- X

3. Provide low interest loans and tax credits for starting, expanding, or relocating businesses.
- X

4. Give preference to Indiana companies in bidding for state contracts.
- X

5. Require companies doing contract work for state government to employ only U.S. citizens and individuals authorized to work in the U.S.
- No Answer

6. Provide tax credits for businesses that provide child care for children in low-income working families.
- X

7. Increase state funds to provide child care for children in low-income working families.
- No Answer

8. Include sexual orientation in Indiana's anti-discrimination laws.
- No Answer

9. Increase the state minimum wage.
- No Answer

10. Other or expanded principles
- No Answer

Affirmative Action: Should race, ethnicity or gender be taken into account in state agencies' decisions on:

1. Public employment
- No Answer

2. State college and university admissions
- No Answer

3. State contracting
- No Answer

4. Other or expanded principles
- No Answer

Environment and Energy

Indicate which principles you support (if any) regarding the environment and energy.

1. Promote increased use of alternative fuel technology.
- X

2. Support increased production of traditional domestic energy sources (e.g. coal, natural gas, and oil).
- X

3. Use state funds to clean up former industrial and commercial sites that are contaminated, unused, or abandoned.
- No Answer

4. Support funding for open space preservation.
- X

5. Enact environmental regulations even if they are stricter than federal law.
- No Answer

6. Other or expanded principles
- No Answer

Gun

Indicate which principles you support (if any) regarding guns.

1. Maintain and strengthen the enforcement of existing state restrictions on the purchase and possession of guns.
- X

2. Ease state restrictions on the purchase and possession of guns.
- No Answer

3. Repeal state restrictions on the purchase and possession of guns.
- No Answer

4. Allow citizens to carry concealed guns.
- No Answer

5. Require manufacturers to provide child-safety locks on guns.
- No Answer

6. Require background checks on gun sales between private citizens at gun shows.
- No Answer

7. Require a license for gun possession.
- No Answer

8. Other or expanded principles
- No Answer

Health

Indicate which principles you support (if any) regarding health.

1. Ensure that citizens have access to basic health care through managed care, insurance reforms, or state-funded care where necessary.
- No Answer

2. Transfer more existing Medicaid recipients into managed care programs.
- No Answer

3. Limit the amount of punitive damages that can be awarded in medical malpractice lawsuits.
- X

4. Support patients' right to sue their HMOs.
- No Answer

5. Support patients' right to appeal to an administrative board of specialists when services are denied.
- X

6. Guaranteed medical care to all citizens is not a responsibility of state government.
- No Answer

7. Legalize physician assisted suicide in Indiana.
- No Answer

8. Allow doctors to prescribe marijuana to their patients for medicinal purposes.
- No Answer

9. Other or expanded principles
- X

Welfare and Poverty

Indicate which principles you support (if any) regarding welfare.

1. Support increased work requirements for able-bodied welfare recipients.
- No Answer

2. Increase funding for employment and job training programs for welfare recipients.
- No Answer

3. Increase access to public transportation for welfare recipients who work.
- X

4. Limit benefits given to recipients if they have additional children while on welfare.
- X

5. Redirect welfare funding to faith-based and community-based private organizations.
- No Answer

6. Use federal TANF (Temporary Assistance to Needy Families) funds to extend health and child care subsidies to the working poor.
- X

7. Support marriage promotion programs for welfare recipients.
- No Answer

8. Eliminate government-funded welfare programs.
- No Answer

9. Other or expanded principles
- No Answer

Legislative Priorities

Please explain in a total of 75 words or less, your top two or three priorities if elected. If they require additional funding for implementation, please explain how you would obtain this funding.
- No Answer