TERRE HAUTE — Candidates in contested primary elections for the Indiana House got a chance to answer issue questions in front of voters Tuesday night during a candidate forum at the Vigo County Public Library. The forum featured three Republicans seeking their party’s nomination to compete for Indiana House District 42 in November: Jim Meece of Bloomingdale, Alan Morrison of Seelyville and Bill Webster of Rosedale. The winner of the May 8 GOP primary will face Democrat Mark C. Spelbring, who is unopposed in his party’s District 42 primary. The current representative of District 42, Dale Grubb, a Democrat, chose not to seek re-election. The forum also included Democrats competing to represent their party in the House District 46 race: Larry Barker of Ellettsville and James Mann II of Terre Haute. A third Democrat in that race, Chuck Toth, also of Terre Haute, was unable to attend the forum due to another engagement, forum officials said. The winner of the Democratic primary will face Republican incumbent Bob Heaton in November. The Republican candidates had a few clear differences on policy questions. While Morrison and Webster were somewhat favorable toward recent education policy changes in Indiana, Meece was less supportive in his tone. “Private schools can take the cream of the crop,” said Meece, a Parke County Commissioner and public school teacher, invoking a note of caution about public funding for private schools. Morrison, an employee of Rose-Hulman, said he favors “some” of the steps taken regarding public education at the Statehouse, including changes designed to get schools and teachers to improve. Most schools are doing well, but a handful are not, he said. Webster, a heavy equipment mechanic and volunteer firefighter, said he would remain “open minded” about education policy changes that have been implemented in recent years. On the Democratic side, Mann and Barker were both outspoken in their support of public teachers and public education. Both were also strongly opposed to recently adopted right-to-work law, which passed the Indiana Legislature earlier this year. “Hire the best teachers and get out of the way,” said Mann, a social studies teacher at Terre Haute South Vigo High School, regarding education policy in Indiana. Barker, meanwhile, said charter schools have taken much-needed funding away from regular public schools. He also decried testing of students as a means of assessing schools. “Education is more than a test,” said Barker, executive director of the Monroe County Solid Waste Management District and husband of a public school teacher. On several issues, all five candidates agreed. All favor rights for home school parents, none was opposed to “mega-schools” and none favored mandatory gun registration. District 46 covers half of Vigo and Clay counties and all of Owen County, except one township, as well as a township in Monroe County. Some cities and towns in the district include Riley, Brazil, Center Point, Clay City, Stinesville, Spencer and part of Terre Haute. Indiana House District 42 hugs the Illinois state line in west-central Indiana. It covers Fountain and Vermillion counties and also parts of Parke, Clay, Warren and Vigo counties. Major communities in the district are Attica, Rockville, Williamsport, Rosedale, Clinton and Covington. Arthur Foulkes can be reached at (812) 231-4232 or arthur.foulkes@ tribstar.com.
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Related Photos
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Geography lesson: Geri Black of the League of Women Voters explains the districts represented by the participants in Tuesday evening’s debate. Republican hopefuls for the 42nd district and Democrat candidates for the 46th district participated in the event.
Discussion
House hopefuls tackle education issues
Three Republicans seeking District 42 seat, two Dems in District 46 race in attendance at forum
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