The League of Women Voters of Brown County chose the questions to ask the candidates in each race and sent questionnaires to each candidate who has opposition in the primary.
Other candidates will be questioned before the November general election.
Answers appear in the candidates’ own words. Some answers were trimmed to stay within the 150-word limit.
The League of Women Voters is a nonpartisan organization.
1. Please describe the occupations, education/training and experience that qualify you for this office.
Paula Staley (D): Hoosier born and raised, I grew up in a family of nine. After high school, I became a nurse because I wanted to be part of a mission greater than myself. This led ultimately to a career in public health. I know what it’s like to struggle to provide a home and put food on the table for three children, while both working and going to school full-time, as a single parent. I know what it’s like to be down to my last $20. These experiences made me who I am today and gave me a deep understanding of the struggles working families face every day. Working in environmental health and policy development at a local health department and at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) in Atlanta, I created sound public health and environmental policy that made a difference in the lives of children and families.
Chris May (R): I’m your current state representative, small-business owner, and former three-term county commissioner. A graduate of Bedford North Lawrence High School and Vincennes University, currently working at Whitney Tool as a sales engineer while owning and operating Hoosier Tech Properties. Served on several boards including the solid waste management district, Dunn Memorial Hospital, Boys and Girls Club, Economic Growth Council, redevelopment commission, and also served as chair of the County Insurance Steering Committee. I was named the 2017 Indiana Assisted Living Association Legislator of the Year. In June 2018, I participated in the 64th annual U.S. Army War College National Security Seminar.
2. Why are you running for this office?
Staley: Now, I continue that same mission by running for state representative in House District 65. Currently, the legislature is putting profits over families. I want to change that. I believe that the foundation of a strong community is strong families and strong public schools. Hoosier families should come first. This is the true infrastructure the legislature should be focused on. Roads and bridges are important too, and we can do both without breaking the budget. It’s a matter of priorities. Corporations are running roughshod over Indiana’s environment, contaminating our lakes, waterways, soil and air, while the legislature continues to look the other way. The legislature continues to provide these companies tax breaks to locate here, allowing them to spoil our environment, sicken our citizens, then leave us holding the bag to clean up after them. I will fight to hold them accountable for the damages they cause.
May: As your representative, I’m motivated by the continued focus on our shared values while passing laws that are good for our citizens, communities and state rather than fighting through partisan talking points and ideology. My experience serving on the local government, judiciary, veterans affairs and public safety, and interstate/international committees has provided me with firsthand knowledge of the fundamentals needed to effectively work with the Indiana Legislature. Above all else, I believe in Indiana!
3. What are your top three priorities in state government?
Staley: My top priorities are to support strong families and public schools; affordable, accessible healthcare, including mental health and addiction services; and a protected environment that we can be proud to leave to our grandkids.
May: Wasteful and out-of-control spending hinders our economic growth. We must end deficits, reduce our national debt, and continue to make smart reforms to our tax code to promote growth and investment here in Indiana. Governmental overreach consistently costs Hoosiers good jobs while raising our energy bills and operating costs for businesses. We must continue to support efforts to protect businesses from unnecessary costs and regulatory burdens. We must prepare our students and our workforce for the demands of 21st century careers and encourage the spirit of innovation that has and will continue to make Indiana great. As our economy continues to grow, we must also focus our efforts on workforce development while getting underemployed Hoosiers even better careers.
4. What are your top priorities for Indiana Rep. Dist. 65?
Staley: In District 65, my top priorities are to support affordable and accessible healthcare, healthy families; strong public schools and teachers; accessible services to fight the opioid epidemic, jobs that pay a living wage, and protect our natural environment from profit-seeking corporations. I will fight for the provision of accessible and complete mental health and addiction services, job training for jobs that pay a living wage, and criminal justice reform that supports and treats people with addictions instead of criminalizing them.
May: We must ensure that we continue to foster a business climate that insures economic growth. As a conservative, I’m focused on right-sizing the regulatory burden and finding innovative solutions to real problems. Indiana is leading the nation on a variety of measurements and reforms, but we must drive these successes in jobs and economic growth throughout the rural areas of our state.
