Public education is the bedrock of our democracy and should be supported with action and transparency, not lip service. Over the last 10 years, public school funding has not kept up with inflation while taxpayer money is increasingly siphoned off to unregulated voucher, charter, and virtual schools. Indiana is last in the country—51st behind Puerto Rico—in public school teacher salary increases over the last 10 years. It is time we elect a representative in District 5 who will truly advocate for public education and support public school teachers, so we better prepare our children for success in this century.

Indiana’s healthcare priorities are misplaced. We see it in the declining health of Hoosier children and women reflected in our state’s high rate of infant and maternal mortality, placing Indiana in the bottom 10 states in the nation. Instead of wasting taxpayer money on a lawsuit to repeal the Affordable Care Act, legislators should be protecting coverage for pre-existing conditions without increasing insurance premiums, reducing the cost of prescription drugs, and expanding benefits for addiction and mental healthcare treatment.

Our health is related to our environment. It is time that District 5 has a representative who understands the connection between access to quality medical care, clean air, clean water, and positive healthcare outcomes. For example, if we transition from coal to renewable sources for our energy needs over the next two decades, it will not only improve air quality by decreasing carbon emissions by billions of tons, but it will also save Indiana consumers billions of dollars. Legislation like this is good for business, good for the environment, and most importantly good for all Hoosiers.

I am a physician who has served this community for almost 30 years. My wife and I raised three children here. I am invested in this area and in Indiana as a whole. I want to serve in the Indiana State House of Representatives to provide much-needed, long-overdue positive change. It will not be easy, but I am up for the challenge. I am asking for your vote and your support so that we can raise Indiana up, out of the cellar, in important everyday issues for all Hoosiers. It’s time we invest in our future and adapt policies that lead the nation in public education, healthcare protection, and clean energy. With your help, we can begin that journey.

Thank you,

Donald R. Westerhausen, Jr., MD