I believe in passing common sense legislation that promotes Hoosier values, including issues having to do with government-funded programs for Hoosiers, utility affordability and education.

Preserving safety nets for Hoosiers who need them most

A measure to ensure illegal immigrants can't get taxpayer-funded welfare was a top priority for our caucus in 2026. Senate Enrolled Act 1 is designed to root out waste, fraud and abuse in Indiana's welfare programs by increasing eligibility checks for SNAP, preventing illegal immigrants from claiming benefits and updating Indiana's laws to comply with new federal Medicaid reforms, including work requirements for able-bodied, working-age adults. This is Indiana's latest effort to catch bad actors and preserve programs like SNAP and Medicaid for Hoosiers who need them most.

Improving utility affordability

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 was proud to support House Enrolled Act 1002, which will ensure utilities prioritize more affordable, reliable power to Hoosiers.

Prioritizing Hoosier education

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, lawmakers supported 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.

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.

In addition, we have continued to prioritize education with laws that provided over $100 million in funding for school safety grants in four years and gave every Indiana family the right to choose the school that best fits their kids' needs.

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.