Indiana
Indiana State Senate District 23 candidates discuss top voter issues
LAFAYETTE, IN — The Journal & Courier asked candidates in contested primary races to answer questions to help voters learn about them.
A complete list of Tippecanoe County candidates on the May 5 Primary Election ballot can be found online.
Indiana State Senate District 23
Incumbent State Sen. Spencer Deery faces a Republican primary challenge from Paula Copenhaver, a former Fountain County clerk and current Fountain County Republican Party chair.
Tell us about yourself.
Deery: Age: 43. Current occupation and any political experience: higher education administration, and I was elected to the state senate in 2022, the first and only office I have sought or held. City you live in: West Lafayette.
Copenhaver: Age: 53. Current occupation and any political experience: current governmental affairs director for the lieutenant governor’s office, Covington City Council member, Fountain County Republican Party chairman, and former Fountain County clerk.
What are the three biggest issues you’re hearing from constituents in this election cycle?
Deery: Affordability, Indiana’s independence, and education
Copenhaver: Property taxes, the cost of living and protecting conservative values are the top concerns I hear from Hoosiers every day. Families are being taxed out of the homes they worked hard to buy, and the state senate has failed to deliver meaningful property tax relief. At the same time, rising prices are making it harder to afford groceries, gas and everyday essentials. Hoosiers want leaders who will cut taxes, rein in government, and stand up for conservative principles. I’m running to make Indiana more affordable and put working families first.
How do you plan to address those issues if elected?
Deery: Affordability: You can’t stop inflation from a state senate seat, but we can do our part. Increasing the housing supply, reducing property taxes, following through on recent utility reforms, pursuing health-care reform, stabilizing gas taxes, and building up our child-care infrastructure all would help.
Indiana’s independence: Dark money groups in Washington, D.C., are trying to buy Indiana elections and to control our state. The Constitution gives sovereignty to Indiana in many areas, and we need leaders who will not be beholden to anyone other than their constituents — especially not to forces in D.C.
Education: Recruiting and retaining high-quality teachers will have the most impact. We do that by continuing to remove barriers to entry into the teaching profession, providing competitive compensation, and supporting those making a difference in the classroom.
Copenhaver: We have to get serious about cutting government spending. Wasteful spending and unfunded mandates are driving up costs for Hoosier families.
As state senator, I will fight to deliver real property tax relief, reduce the size and cost of government, and stop using taxpayer dollars to subsidize projects Hoosiers don’t support, like data centers, solar farms and carbon capture pipelines.
KOSCIUSKO COUNTY, Ind. (WSBT) — It’s fair season and a new law uncorks adult beverage sales!
The new Indiana law will go into effect July 1st, making it legal to sell alcohol at county fairs.
The Kosciusko County Fair is set to kick off in just a few weeks and Indiana is officially allowing alcohol to be sold.
The law is bringing back something that’s not necessarily new to this fair.
Here’s what you need to know
The new law will go into effect on July 1st. It officially allows county fairs to apply for fee-free permits to sell alcohol.
Officials with the Kosciusko County Fair say they are participating this year. They are implementing the same guidelines they used when they sold alcohol just at grandstand events.
The difference now is, you can walk around the grounds with your drink. But strict guidelines will be in place for purchasing a drink.
“Actually, we’ve never had any issues. Because we card everybody, so we take that seriously. We also got the ID guides so we can identify the different types of IDs,” said Sheal Dirck, Treasurer of Kosciusko County Fair.
The Kosciusko County Fair already have guidelines in place, so this was an easy transition for the fair.
They will be the only vendors selling alcohol, which will make it easier to control distribution.
The sales will also bring in more revenue.
“Hopefully it allows to keep our ticket prices where they are because right now, insurance, utilities and everything else is going sky high and it’s hard to make ends meet,” said Dirck.
However, some fairs cannot participate because of the July 1st start date, like the Pulaski County Fair, which is going on right now. Pulaski County officials said it is on the agenda for next year. Whereas other fairs are choosing to sit this year out.
“We wanted not spend some time to, to see what that really means for us. It was not a decision we wanted to rush into. But we are happy for the option of it,” said Shelly Steury, GM of Elkhart County 4H Fairgrounds.
Leaders at the St. Joseph County and Elkhart County Fairs said neither of them are selling alcohol.
The Kosciusko County Fair is the only fair that will sell alcohol in our area this year.
Indiana
‘Foul play’ suspected in death investigation on Indiana-Ohio state line, Wayne County officials say
WAYNE COUNTY, Ind. (WISH) — Police are investigating the death of a person who died in the emergency department of Reid Health in Richmond.
Wayne County Coroner Brent Meadows was notified of the death Wednesday evening, according to a media release. Evidence has reportedly indicated that foul play is involved.
Officials believe the incident may have occurred in the area of the Petro Travel Center in New Paris, Ohio, just across the Indiana-Ohio state line.
The coroner’s office said the deceased person has been transported to the Miami Valley Regional Crime Laboratory in Dayton, Ohio, for a forensic autopsy and identification.
The office is still working the locate and identify the victim’s family.
This remains an active investigation.
News 8’s Michaela Springer contributed to this report.
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