4:15 p.m. update
SEYMOUR — State Rep. Jim Lucas (R-Seymour) has been removed from the Interim Study Committee on Elections and the Interim Study Committee on Public Policy by Indiana House Speaker Todd Huston (R-Fishers).
While Lucas previously served as Vice Chair of the Standing Select Committee on Government Reduction, his role was reduced to being a member of that committee, according to assignments made by Huston.
The changes come after a week of protest after Lucas was accused of posting a racist meme on his personal Facebook page.
There was no statement from Huston about the changes to Lucas’ assignments.
“I can’t read the speaker’s mind. He had some changes he wanted to make,” Lucas said in an interview with The Republic on Friday. “Keep in mind we have a super-majority in the house with a lot of new members they try to get moved around. I can’t speak for the speaker.”
Lucas said he did converse with the speaker this week about his social media post.
“Hindsight being what it is, absolutely,” Lucas said when asked if he regretted making the post. “There was no intent whatsoever of racism. And that’s the most disgusting part. People that know me know that I’m not a racist and that I would never, ever do that. I’ve explained that until I’m blue in the face, but that doesn’t matter. Once people have hate in their heart it’s all about destruction.”
Lucas, who said he has received death threats from across the world, deleted his Facebook account on Friday. He said the page became “a sounding board for hate.”
For more on this story, see Saturday’s Republic.
ORIGINAL STORY:
SEYMOUR — State Rep. Jim Lucas (R-Seymour) has been removed from the Interim Study Committee on Elections and the Interim Study Committee on Public Policy by Indiana House Speaker Todd Huston (R-Fishers).
While Lucas previously served as Vice Chair of the Standing Select Committee on Government Reduction, his role was reduced to being a member of that committee, according to assignments made by Huston.
The changes come after a week of protest after Lucas was accused of posting a racist meme on his personal Facebook page.
There was no statement from Huston about the changes to Lucas’ assignments.
For more on this story, see Saturday’s Republic.
