Legislators' Twitter Handles

Tag Legislators and Media:

Find your legislators and local journalists (such as @ChalkbeatIN @ShainaRC @nkellyatJC @IndyStarChelsea @kframcisco) on twitter and tag them in your tweets.

	Full Name	Chamber	Party	District	Twitter
	Ron Alting	Senate	R	22	@ron_alting
	Lloyd Arnold	House	R	74	@lloydbarnold
	Jim Arnold	Senate	D	8
	Terri Austin	House	D	36	@terrijaustin
	Michael Aylesworth	House	R	11
	Ron Bacon	House	R	75	@ronbacon
	Jim Baird	House	R	44	@ElectJimBaird
	Jim Banks	Senate	R	17	@Jim_Banks
	John Bartlett	House	D	95
	Eric Bassler	Senate	R	39	@basslerINsenate
	Pat Bauer	House	D	6
	Vaneta Becker	Senate	R	50	@SenatorBecker
Ed. Chair	Robert Behning	House	R	91	@rbehning
	Greg Beumer	House	R	33	@RepBeumer33
	Phil Boots	Senate	R	23
	Bruce Borders	House	R	45
Speaker	Brian Bosma	House	R	88	@Brian_Bosma
	Mike Braun	House	R	63
	Rod Bray	Senate	R	37	@SenBray
	Jean Breaux	Senate	D	34	@JeanBreaux
	John Broden	Senate	D	10	@John_Broden
	Charlie Brown	House	D	3
	Tim Brown	House	R	41	@tbrownmdrep
	Liz Brown	Senate	R	15	@LizBrownUS
	Jim Buck	Senate	R	21
	Woody Burton	House	R	58	@woodyburton
	Martin Carbaugh	House	R	81	@martincarbaugh
	Ed Charbonneau	Senate	R	5	@Charbonneau47
	Bob Cherry	House	R	53	@Bobc4111
	Edward Clere	House	R	72	@ClereEd
	Tony Cook	House	R	32	@RepTonyCook
	Casey Cox	House	R	85	@cbcox
	Michael Crider	Senate	R	28	@MikeMcrider700
	Casey Cox	House	R	85	@cbcox
	Michael Crider	Senate	R	28	@MikeMcrider700
	Wes Culver	House	R	49	@CulverCampaign
	Steve Davisson	House	R	73	@DavissonforHD73
	Ed Delaney	House	D	86	@eddelaney86
	Mike Delph	Senate	R	29	@MikeDelph
	Thomas Dermody	House	R	20	@repdermody
	Dale DeVon	House	R	5	@DaleForStateRep
	Ryan Dvorak	House	D	8
	Sean Eberhart	House	R	57	@Sean_Eberhart
	Doug Eckerty	Senate	R	26
	Jeff Ellington	House	R	62	@JeffEllington62
	Sue Errington	House	D	34	@SueinMuncie
	Bill Fine	House	R	12	@fine_bill
	Jon Ford	Senate	R	38	@votejonford
	Dan Forestal	House	D	100	@danforestal
	William Friend	House	R	23
	David Frizzell	House	R	93	@DaveFrizzell
	Randy Frye	House	R	67	@RandyFrye3
	Phil GiaQuinta	House	D	80	@PhilGiaQuinta
	Susan Glick	Senate	R	13
	Terry Goodin	House	D	66	@terry_goodin
	Ron Grooms	Senate	R	46	@SenRonGrooms
	Doug Gutwein	House	R	16
	Christina Hale	House	D	87	@HaleIndy
	Dick Hamm	House	R	56
	Tim Harman	House	R	17
	Donna Harris	House	D	2	@DonnaJHarrisD2
	Randy Head	Senate	R	18	@Randy_Head
	Bob Heaton	House	R	46	@bobheaton
	Brandt Hershman	Senate	R	7	@BrandtHershman
	Travis Holdman	Senate	R	19
	Erin Houchin	Senate	R	47	@Erin_Houchin
	Todd Huston	House	R	37	@tmhuston
	Christopher Judy	House	R	83	@ChrisJudy83
	Mike Karickhoff	House	R	30	@MikeKarickhoff
	Luke Kenley	Senate	R	20	@lukekenley
	Clyde Kersey	House	D	43
	Cindy Kirchhofer	House	R	89	@CindyKirchhofer
	Sheila Klinker	House	D	27	@RepKlinker
	Eric A. Koch	House	R	65
Ed. Chair	Dennis Kruse	Senate	R	14
	Tim Lanane	Senate	D	25	@TimLanane
	Linda Lawson	House	D	1
	Don Lehe	House	R	25
	Matt Lehman	House	R	79	@mjlehman23
	Jean Leising	Senate	R	42
	Dan Leonard	House	R	50
Pres.Pro	David Long	Senate	R	16	@davidlongsenate @sendavidlong
	Jim Lucas	House	R	69
	Randy Lyness	House	R	68
	Karlee Macer	House	D	92	@KarleeMacer
	Kevin Mahan	House	R	31	@mahan_kevin
	Peggy Mayfield	House	R	60	@MayfieldHouse60
	Wendy McNamara	House	R	76	@RepWendyMac
	Jim Merritt	Senate	R	31	@Jim_Merritt
	Mark Messmer	Senate	R	48	@messmer_m
	Doug Miller	House	R	48	@dougmillerIN
	Patricia Miller	Senate	R	32
	Pete Miller	Senate	R	24	@Sen_PeteMiller
	Ryan Mishler	Senate	R	9	@RyanMishler
	Justin Moed	House	D	97
	Robert Morris	House	R	84
	Alan Morrison	House	R	42
	Chuck Moseley	House	D	10
	Frank Mrvan	Senate	D	1	@frankmrvan
	Sharon Negele	House	R	13
	Rick Niemeyer	Senate	R	6
	David Niezgodski	House	D	7	@DNiezgodski
	Curt Nisly	House	R	22	@curtnisly
	David Ober	House	R	82	@DaveOber
	Julie Olthoff	House	R	19
	Scott Pelath	House	D	9	@ScottDPelath
	Chip Perfect	Senate	R	43
	Matt Pierce	House	D	61
	Greg Porter	House	D	96
	John Price	House	R	47	@jlprice1333
	Cherrish Pryor	House	D	94	@CherrishPryor
	Jeff Raatz	Senate	R	27	@jsraatz
	Lonnie Randloph	Senate	D	2
	Rhonda Rhoads	House	R	70	@RhondaRhoads
	Kathy Richardson	House	R	29	@repkathykr
	Gail Riecken	House	D	77	@GailRiecken
	Earline Rodgers	Senate	D	3	@EarlineRogers
	Thomas Saunders	House	R	54	@TomTopcat13
	Donna Schaibley	House	R	24
	Scott Schneider	Senate	R	30	@Sen_Schneider
	Robin Shackleford	House	D	98	@RCShackleford
	Hal Slager	House	R	15
	Ben Smaltz	House	R	52	@BenSmaltz
	Vernon Smith	House	D	14
	Milo Smith	House	R	59
	Jim Smith	Senate	R	45	@SenatorJimSmith
	Edmond Soliday	House	R	4	@EdSoliday
	Mike Speedy	House	R	90	@Speedy4StateRep
	Brent Steele	Senate	R	44
	Steven Stemler	House	D	71	@ElectStemler
	Greg Steurewald	House	R	40
	Mark Stoops	Senate	D	40
	Holli Sullivan	House	R	78	@RepSullivanHD78
	Vanessa Summers	House	D	99
	Karen Tallian	Senate	D	4	@KarenTallian
	Greg Taylor	Senate	D	33	@GregTaylor_33
	Jeff Thompson	House	R	28
	JIm Tomes	Senate	R	49	@SenJimTomes
	Jerry Torr	House	R	39	@TorrJer
	Randy Truitt	House	R	26	@TruittTicker
	Heath VanNatter	House	R	38
	Greg Walker	Senate	R	41
	Brent Waltz	Senate	R	36	@Brent_Waltz
	Thomas Washburne	House	R	64
	Tim Wesco	House	R	21	@RepWesco
	David Wolkins	House	R	18
	Melanie Wright	House	D	35	@melaniemwright
	Carlin Yoder	Senate	R	12	@carlinyoder
	R. Michael Young	Senate	R	35
	Joe Zakas	Senate	R	11
	Dennis Zent	House	R	51
	Cindy Ziemke	House	R	55	@CindyZiemke
	Indiana House Republicans				@INHouseGOP
	Indiana House Democrats				@inhsedems
	Indiana Senate Republicans				@INSenateGOP
	Indiana Senate Democrats				@INSenDems
	Indiana Republican Party				@indgop
	Indiana Democratic Party				@INDems

LEAP DAY "TWITTER STORM"

This is another "Twitter Storm", maybe the most vital of this legislative session, to support Indiana's PUBLIC schools, teachers, and students.  Throughout this event, we ask participants to post urging legislators to vote NO on SB10 and SB334.  Both bills are currently in the Indiana House of Representatives.  Contact House Education Committee members and ALL House members urging them to VOTE "no" on both of these volatile and damaging bills.  Follow the event page, and this blog, for post, tweet, and hashtag suggestions.

Join and share the event by going to the event's page on Facebook by clicking the link below the big blue Twitter bird.

Click HERE to go to Facebook event

Here are the most recently updated committee times for February 29

Ways & Means is at 8:30 - SB334 (Voucher Expansion)
House Education is at 10:30 - SB10 (Teacher Salaries)

SUGGESTED TWEETS 

No misunderstanding, No more harm VOTE #NoSB10  VOTE #NoSB334  

No more sneaky tactics or misleading language VOTE #NoSB10 #NoSB334

KILL THE BILLS Save our schools and teachers #RespectOurVoice 

GOP tell ALEC no more bad bills VOTE #NoSB10 #NoSB334

Time to #BootBehning and his ALEC agenda #INpublicED #RespectOurVoice

1.3M Elected @Ritz4Ed same will #BootBehning VOTE #NoSB10 #NoSB334 #Vote2016

POSSIBLE TWEET TARGETS

Along with your specific legislators here are most notable for these bills
@INSenateGOP 

@INHouseGOP 

@rbehning

@Brian_Bosma

@INGOP

@sendavidlong

@GovPenceIN
@davidlongsenate

POSSIBLE HASHTAGS

#RespectOurVoice 

#NoSB10 

#NoSB334

#INpublicED

#Vote2016

#byebyebob

#NoMoreINVouchers

#NoMoreINCharters
#BootBehning

#underfundedmandate
#spendthriftsenators
#badfiscalpolicy

Can You Say Nepotism?

Let us start with a simple definition of the term.

nep·o·tism / ˈnepəˌtizəm/
noun
the practice among those with power or influence of favoring relatives or friends, especially by giving them jobs.

synonyms:favoritism, preferential treatment, the old boy network, looking after one's own, bias, partiality, partisanship

"hiring my daughter was not nepotism—it was just good business"

Now, lets look at Indiana's "nepotism law" effective July 1 2012.

Ind. Code § 4-15-7-1 : Indiana Code - Section 4-15-7-1: Nepotism

(a) No person being related to any member of any state board or commission, or to the head of any state office or department or institution, as father, mother, brother, sister, uncle, aunt, a husband or wife, son or daughter, son-in-law or daughter-in-law, niece or nephew, shall be eligible to any position in any such state board, commission, office, or department or institution, as the case may be, nor shall any such relative be entitled to receive any compensation for his or her services out of any appropriation provided by law.

(b) This section shall not apply if such person has been employed in the same position in such office or department or institution for at least twelve (12) consecutive months immediately preceding the appointment of his relative as a board member or head of such office, department, or institution.

(c) This section does not apply to the authority of the board of trustees of a state educational institution to employ any person the board considers necessary under IC 21-38-3-1.

(d) No persons related as father, mother, brother, sister, uncle, aunt, husband, wife, son, daughter, son-in-law, daughter-in-law, niece, or nephew may be placed in a direct supervisory-subordinate relationship.

(Formerly: Acts 1941, c.16, s.1; Acts 1961, c.8, s.1.) As amended by Acts 1982, P.L.23, SEC.35; P.L.36-1995, SEC.1; P.L.2-2007, SEC.44; P.L.3-2008, SEC.8.

With this background information, let's take a look at the reappointment of Sarah O'Brien to the Indiana State Board of Education and her recent election as the board's Vice-Chair.  How does this appointment and Vice-Chair position relate to a possible violation of this "nepotism" law, along with a variety of potential ethics violations?  Mrs. O'Brien isn't just a 4th grade teacher from Avon who, as a Republican, was appointed to the SBOE and recently reappointed after legislative changes to the boards structure, she is also the daughter of Republican State Representative Bill Fine of Munster.  This is where the possible violation occurs.  Representative Fine is a Republican member of the House Education Committee who pushed the passage of legislation that changed the structure of the SBOE and co-authored key language that created the Vice-Chair position to share powers with the Elected Superintendent of Public Instruction, Glenda Ritz.

With the passage of this legislation, Governor Pence re-appointed O'Brien to the Board and set up her opportunity to be elected as Vice-Chair.   This selection was rumored before the SBOE met for their restructuring meeting.  The "election" of O'Brien appears to have been a done deal as part of Pence's plan when he made his recent appointments and refused to reappoint certain members who might have been more viable possibilities to be named Vice-Chair.

This may not be a clear violation of Indiana Law, but it appears to set up potential questions regarding "nepotism", board appointments, committee selections, and legislative ethics.

Indiana voters need to be vigilant in monitoring recent SBOE actions, the Governor's continued education agenda, and the co-mingling of legislators and appointed board members.  Raise questions, raise your voices, and demand transparency in all aspects of government activity.  Most importantly,  voters in Indiana need to get to the polls and vote to save our PUBLIC schools from the continued destruction and privatization planned by Pence and his wealthy corporate "reform" supporters.