From: Andy and Deb Perr
Columbus
Milo Smith, a familiar name on state ballots since 2006, will not be running again for District 59 state representative. Over the years, voters have expressed support for Milo and have offered recollections of him listening to them and helping them resolve particular problems.
If elected, Ryan Lauer, a District 59 candidate, will also listen. He understands he will be working for the people. As a member and president of the Bartholomew County Council, he listened to veterans and worked with others to improve veterans’ services. He listened to law enforcement and helped achieve an overdue increase in pay without increasing taxes. In fact, he has a record of reducing taxes 4 percent during his term. Ryan studied all aspects of the county’s finances, and worked to eliminate wasteful spending.
Ryan is a problem solver, and the state currently faces an uphill battle with the opioid and meth epidemic. It seems that every effort to curtail this crisis falls flat. How do you stop someone from doing drugs they feel they cannot live without? Awareness and prevention are essential. Ryan has a proven, unique ability to bring people together and flush out inefficiency. He will work with law enforcement, government officials, mental health providers and outreach groups to find real solutions.
Ryan is passionately committed to creating stable environments for children who now find themselves without parents increasingly due to drug addiction. According to an analysis by Child Trends, the number of Indiana children who entered into the foster system because of parental drug use increased 230.6 percent since 2012. Compare this to Illinois which saw an increase of 79.4 percent; Ohio, 21.8 percent; Kentucky, 22.7 percent; however, Michigan’s numbers declined 2.3 percent. Ryan has spoken to grandparents who are now raising grandchildren because of drug addiction, and he understands their heartbreak over choices made by their children, as well as the responsibility they commendably choose to assume.
Ryan will stand up and represent those children without voices, including the lives of the unborn. Ryan is the only candidate in this race to be endorsed by Indiana Right to Life and to receive a 100 percent pro-life rating from Hoosiers for Life.
Improving our education system is another of Ryan’s priorities. He has the endorsement of Hoosiers for Quality Education, and he will work to increase school safety, expand school choice through education saving accounts, and change regulations and standardized testing so that teachers may be allowed to teach.
As a strong supporter of the U.S. Constitution, Ryan will work to defend the Second Amendment. He understands the additional protection an armed citizenry offers our country and our democracy. He has the highest citizen “A” rating from the NRA and a 100 percent pro-gun rating by the National Association for Gun Rights.
Driven by his faith in God and church, Ryan Lauer is a kind person and a good listener. He has demonstrated fiscal responsibility, and he is a rational problem solver. If elected, he will serve District 59 well.
