As your state senator, I believe in passing common sense legislation that promotes Hoosier values.

Prioritizing Reading Skills
In 2023, Senate Republicans supported a new law to implement the science of reading to improve Hoosier students' reading skills. Since the law's implementation, we have continued to support the Science of Reading by allowing the Indiana Department of Education to use $50 million in funding to support literacy initiatives and pilot evidence-based reading intervention programs for students who may fall behind.

Last year, I also supported a law to require schools with less than a 70% I-READ pass rate to participate in the Indiana Literacy Cadre. Through the Indiana Literacy Cadre, the DOE, the University of Indianapolis and Marian University collaborate to use the Science of Reading to provide professional development for K-3 teachers so Hoosier students' reading scores can improve.

Our students first learn to read, then read to learn, which is why it is critical for our students, teachers, schools and state to place such a high priority on reading skills, and these efforts are paying off:

• Hoosier students are seeing historic gains in learning, with 87% of Hoosier 3rd graders now reading proficiently.
• In 2024, our 4th graders jumped from 19th to 6th on the nation's report card (NAEP) and our 8th graders jumped from 17th to 6th.
• In 2025, Indiana 3rd graders saw the largest-ever increase in the percentage of Hoosier students passing the IREAD test – a jump of 6,000 more Hoosier children passing than the previous year.

Ending the Revolving Door of Crime
As a former sheriff, I understand how important it is to keep our citizens safe and uphold the Rule of Law.

That's why I supported the pursuit to amend Indiana's constitution to allow Indiana judges to deny bail for extremely dangerous arrestees. Current Indiana law only allows a judge to deny bail if the suspect is charged with murder or treason.

It's become too common to hear about dangerous repeat criminals who were arrested but let out of jail on little or no bail, only to hurt more innocent people. Understandably, many people are fed up with “catch and release” policies that fail to keep dangerous criminals behind bars. SJR 1 would make it clear to Indiana judges that there are circumstances when it is acceptable to hold a suspect in jail because releasing them poses too substantial of a risk to the public.

For an amendment to be made to the Indiana Constitution, the language must be passed by two separately elected General Assemblies, and voters must ratify the amendment in a statewide referendum. Since SJR 1 passed for the first time in 2023 and was passed again by the 2026 Indiana General Assembly, Hoosiers will have the opportunity to vote on the amendment on the 2026 general election ballot in November.

Another bill I supported this year will make sure arrestees have legal protections that guarantee their constitutional rights will be respected when judges set their bail.

Protecting Hoosiers from Foreign Adversaries
Our adversaries are always looking for ways to meddle with Indiana's farmers, businesses and government. This year, I supported a law to protect Hoosiers from foreign adversaries like China, Russia, Iran and North Korea by requiring foreign agents from these nations to register with the Attorney General.

This law also expands upon another bill the General Assembly passed in 2024, prohibiting the purchase of land within 10 miles of a military base or the purchase of any farmland by citizens and companies of foreign adversaries. To help keep Hoosiers' land safe, this year I voted to expand that law and prohibit these businesses from purchasing any land in Indiana. These measures help ensure Hoosiers control their future – not our adversaries.

Maintaining Election Integrity
For nearly two decades, Indiana has been a leader in ensuring our elections remain secure by requiring voters to have a valid photo ID when they cast their ballot. In 2025, I supported a bill to strengthen Indiana's voter ID law by prohibiting student IDs issued by state colleges or universities from being recognized as an ID to vote, since college IDs are less secure than other forms of identification and standards vary from school to school.

Protecting Hoosier Water
Indiana is fortunate to have abundant natural resources – like water – that play a vital role in our state's success. To protect those resources, I supported a law to ensure our state's water supply is managed properly and restricts the ability of companies to use too much of a community's water.

I encourage you to contact me with any questions or comments you may have by filling out a "Contact Me" form online or by phone at 800-382-9467.