Throughout my time as your state senator, I have always worked to make sure the voices of Senate District 12 are heard at the Statehouse.

Addressing Utility Costs

One of the biggest issues Hoosiers have faced, especially in northern Indiana, is the rising cost of electric utilities. In 2022, I supported a law to eliminate the state's utility receipts tax, resulting in $220 million in savings for Hoosiers on their utility bills, and this year I voted for House Enrolled Act 1002, which ensures utilities prioritize more affordable, reliable power to Hoosiers.

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 authored 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.

I also supported laws:

• Preventing a state agency or a local government unit from sending an absentee ballot application to an individual unless the application was requested by that individual or a member of their family; and
• Providing county clerks and election offices with more tools to help identify registered voters who may be ineligible, or hold inaccurate records, and helping clerks take steps to update, confirm or repeal voter registrations.

The passage of these and other laws is why Indiana is ranked among the top states in the nation for election integrity.

Providing Hoosier Students with a Great Education

Here in Indiana, we know how important it is to ensure Hoosier kids receive a great education so they can be prepared for successful futures.

Following the COVID pandemic, 1 in 5 Hoosier kids were not proficient in reading, and it became clear a "back-to-the basics" approach was needed to help them catch up.

With that in mind, I co-sponsored a 2023 law that refocused literacy education on phonics, commonly referred to as the Science of Reading. These efforts were paired with $170 million in new funding from the General Assembly and the Lilly Endowment to improve reading instruction. 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.

Thankfully, 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.

Protecting Farmland

To preserve Hoosier farmland, I co-sponsored a law in 2024 that prohibits the purchase of land within 10 miles of a military base or the purchase of any farmland by citizens and companies of foreign nations officially recognized as America's adversaries, some of which include Russia, China, Iran and North Korea. In 2026, I voted to expand this law to prohibit these businesses from purchasing any land in Indiana.

Protecting Girls and Women's Sports

Over the last several years, instances of biological males competing in girls and women's sports were becoming too common. Recognizing biological realities, I supported legislation to ensure girls and women's sports are preserved for biological girls and women. This includes legislation from 2022 that protected high school athletics, and a law from 2025, which I co-sponsored, that extended the same protections to college athletics.

Contact Me

I always appreciate hearing from those in our community on changes they would like to see to help make Indiana an even better place to live, work and raise a family. 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.