Bauer v. Florence in the Indiana 6th Representative District case

The Tribune is partnering with the League of Women Voters of the South Bend Area and the American Democracy Project at Indiana University South Bend to publish candidates’ responses to questions on these issues. The League and IUSB’s ADP operate Vote411.org, a website that provides information about candidates and their positions on key issues. The website also includes other tools to help you navigate the voting process.

The Tribune has agreed to publish the candidates’ responses unedited, meaning any spelling, typographical or grammatical errors are the candidates’ fault. The Tribune only publishes some questions from selected notable races. Additional questions and answers can be found at Vote411.org.

Two candidates will appear on the ballot for Indiana’s 6th Representative District. The office is held by Democrat Maureen Bauer. She is challenged by libertarian Charlie Florence.

Maureen Bauer

Occupation: Owner, Redbud Wine Company

Education: Bachelor’s degree from IUPU in Indianapolis; AAS Lake Michigan College; John Adams High School

E-mail:[email protected]

Website:www.maureenbauer.com

Facebook:www.facebook.com/MaureenForIndiana

Charlie Florence

Occupation: Retired US Army officer, founder of the Indiana Whiskey Company and law student

Education: M.B.A., University of Notre Dame (2013); B.A., Purdue University (2005)

E-mail:[email protected]

Website:www.sbforliberty.com

What is the first bill you would advocate for during the 2025 legislative session? Why this one?

Bauer: I will continue to work with members of the Senate and House of Representatives on legislation to improve tenant protections in Indiana. Indiana has some of the weakest renter protections in the country. I will support legislation that would allow Indiana to join 45 other states that have established a rent escrow program in which tenants pay rent to a third party until they submit applications for necessary maintenance and repairs. Additionally, I will support legislation that would allow the city to hold owners of problem properties liable for failure to make necessary repairs. Currently, local governments have their hands tied by the state legislature, which as of 2021 has banned them from enforcing local ordinances regarding landlord-tenant relationships. I believe that landlords must be held accountable when their residents’ safety and well-being are at risk.

Florence: I would propose a bill to increase housing affordability by addressing certain shortcomings in the state’s property tax system.

It would be:

1. Require county appraisers to justify any increase in the assessed value of owner-occupied residential property above a commonly used index of inflation (e.g., the Consumer Price Index or an adjustment to the annual cost of maintaining Social Security);

2. Make the 65+, disability, disability and veterans deductions automatic when there are already related state records (BMV, Department of Family Resources or Veterans Affairs) supporting the deduction, and then provide an increase in deductions with with grades; AND,

3. Require counties to prorate residential property tax refunds once their budgets are balanced.

What, if anything, would you change about how Indiana’s K-12 education system is funded?

Bauer: Initially a program aimed at low-income families, in 2023 Indiana expanded Choice Scholarship eligibility to any family of four earning up to $222,000. That’s 400% of the federal free and reduced lunch program’s income. As a result, Indiana saw record numbers of students participating in the voucher program, leading to a near-universal taxpayer-funded choice program that has had a major growing impact on the state’s budget. Despite the important role early childhood education plays in development, we have not seen the same increase in eligibility. The main reason parents do not enroll their children in kindergarten is that they cannot afford it. I propose that we raise income eligibility standards for On My Way Pre-K to match those of the Choice Scholarship Program, rather than an income at or below 127% of the federal poverty level.

Florence: The state tuition funding model makes sense: Funds follow students, not administrators or infrastructure. However, a glaring weakness is that we do not have a perfect method for assessing and motivating high-performing teachers. While novel or innovative programs attract more students and more TSFM payments, Indiana does not do enough to recognize and promote innovation at the classroom level.

Engage students with new technologies? Have you found a way to reduce the administrative burden? Have you used a technique that has made a tangible difference for your students? Bonuses. Additional paid leave. Ask them what they want and give it to them.

My daughters attend South Bend City Schools, and our schools are full of teachers who bring thoughtfulness and creativity to their classrooms. Start there. Reward helpers and we will retain more students.

Is Indiana adequately protecting our natural environment? Are additional regulations needed?

Bauer: As a member of the House Environment Committee, I opposed the 2021 and 2024 legislation that rolled back state protections for remaining wetlands. In the last session, I stood with a coalition of scientists, environmentalists, mothers and pediatricians to defeat dangerous legislation that would give chemical companies a free pass to continue using toxic chemicals, called PFAS, in everyday household products without any requirements. notify the public. There was a time when Indiana was at the forefront of environmental policy, and now we are among the top states in producing toxic chemicals. Environmental health is a direct reflection of our public health. It would be wise for the legislature to strengthen protection of our natural resources to ensure the creation of healthy communities and a healthy future.

Florence: NO. And no. But lowering residential property taxes and growing Hoosier prosperity will help ease the pressure to turn undeveloped homestead, farm or timber land into something more profitable so sellers can make ends meet. I believe that if we focus on getting our financial house in order, the downstream effects will follow everywhere.

The tragic death of six children living in a house that failed safety inspections before burning down has drawn attention to the problem of safe and affordable housing in our state. For example, Indiana is one of only six states that do not allow rent to be held in escrow unless security standards are met. Should the Legislature introduce similar legislation or other measures to improve housing conditions for Hoosier families?

Bauer: Following the deadliest fire in our city’s history since 1929, it is critical that we enact stronger tenant protections and safe housing standards during the next legislative session. A bill introduced last year would have prevented a landlord from renting a property until previous violations are corrected, but it was not passed by the committee by an equal number of votes. While we are still awaiting the results of the investigation into the LaPorte Ave. fire, it is clear that tenants deserve more opportunities to hold negligent landlords accountable for failing to make necessary repairs. This is also evident in living conditions at Cedar Glen, where residents had little or no access to heating or hot water in the middle of winter. That’s why Senator Niezgodski and I asked the Attorney General’s Homeowner Protection Unit to investigate living conditions.

Florence: Instead of enforcing a new, low-cost, expensive-to-enforce hazard in building safety codes, I would approach such tragedies by removing caps on punitive damages for knowingly renting unsafe apartments to families. The threat of multi-million dollar civil judgments would do more to keep landlords honest than withholding a small amount of rent.

How to balance local government with uniform decisions issued by higher-level authorities? Is your philosophy consistent when comparing state to federal and comparing state to local? Why or why not? (Please provide specific examples, such as a state repealing local tax rates or puppy mill bans, or the federal government establishing immigration or marijuana policies.)

Bauer: I believe in local control, which is why I opposed HB 1214, which would invalidate local ordinances prohibiting the sale of puppies in pet stores, and why I opposed HB 1235, which prohibits cities from suing firearms manufacturers. In recent years, the Indiana legislature has blocked cities from passing rental property regulations, banned cities from passing commonsense gun reform, and even banned local governments from enacting a plastic bag ban. This year, we saw the state Legislature once again try to play the role of city council by trying to pass a bill that would have banned dedicated transit lanes in Indianapolis, even though 59% of voters passed a referendum approving the project. The majority’s reputation as a party of local control has long since faded, as evidenced by its repeated efforts to overturn the power of local officials.

Florence: I maintain a balance based on the United States Constitution. The 9th and 10th Amendments reinforce my belief that the federal government has some powers, state governments have others, and the rest rests with the people. I have yet to see a city charter that says the same thing.

What surprises me is that we haven’t yet had a statewide referendum on a major legislative issue. This would be the best expression of the balance of state, federal and personal power. However, the state legislature has not asked citizens for their opinion for some time (and even some counties are doing a better job of it than others). My “direct democracy” plan aims to fix this problem by opening communication between Hoosiers and their legislature.

This philosophy works because Indiana is not a confederation of counties in the same way that the United States is for its states.

This article originally appeared on the South Bend Tribune: Indiana State Representative District 6 candidates answer questions