Throughout my time as your state senator, I have always worked to make sure your voice is heard at the Statehouse.

Tax cuts

In the 2026 session, I supported a new law to save Hoosiers $237 million in taxes on tips, overtime pay and loan interest on American-made vehicles. This law pairs Indiana's tax code to the federal code, meaning Hoosiers will have the same tax benefits at the state level as they do at the federal level for wages earned in 2026 regarding no tax on tips, no tax on overtime, and no tax on loan interest for American-made vehicles.

I also supported a plan to cut Indiana's income tax to one of the lowest rates in the country. This 2023 law lowers the income tax rate every year until 2027, when the rate will reach 2.9% and be among the lowest rates in the country. This cut is estimated to save Hoosiers $2 billion in income taxes over the first five years.

In the 2025 session, I supported another new law to save Hoosier homeowners $1.3 billion in property taxes. This legislation also included targeted relief for seniors, farmers and small-business owners. Beginning with 2027 bills, the business personal property tax will be eliminated for all businesses with equipment under $2 million.

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 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.

In 2024, I joined Senate Republicans in making improving Hoosier students' reading skills a top priority, focusing on further emphasis on the Science of Reading, assessment, remediation and, as a last resort, retention. 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.

Ensuring a safe and secure Indiana

I know how important it is to keep our citizens safe and uphold the Rule of Law.

That's why, in 2023, I joined Senate Republicans in pursuing an amendment to Indiana's constitution that would 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 that passed in 2026 will make sure arrestees have legal protections that guarantee their constitutional rights will be respected when judges set their bail.

Protecting farmland

To preserve Hoosier farmland, I supported a law passed 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.

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 joined Senate Republicans in championing 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.

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 317-232-9489.