| INDIANA LEGISLATIVE SOURCEBOOK 1999-2000 |
General
We hope that you find this Sourcebook to be a valuable source of information. To meet this goal, we have included this section to help you understand the personal information, group ratings, committee assignments, campaign finance information, and voting records for each legislator. Information in this Sourcebook is believed to be accurate as of December 29, 1998, but may be subject to change. If you need additional copies of the Sourcebookor have suggestions regarding future editions, please contact us. To view the member information you will need the Adobe Acrobat Reader. This is available for free download go to Adobe's website by clicking here. After downloading run the installation program.
Personal Information
Biographies in the Sourcebook include a large amount of information about each legislator. In certain areas, however, material about a person has been condensed. This is particularly true in the section regarding post-secondary education. If a legislator attended a school but did not receive a degree or it was not clear whether a degree was earned, then the listing may just have the institution name. In addition, if a legislator received special certification (such as in real estate), then this information may not be reflected in the Sourcebook. Also, be aware that some legislators work out of their homes and do not have a separate office address or telephone number. Fax numbers and e-mail addresses, where available, and home pages have been added to make the Sourcebook more useful. If you have difficulty contacting a legislator, senators may be reached at the State House by calling (317) 232-9400 [toll-free during the session: (800) 382-9467]; representatives may be reached at (317) 232-9700 [toll-free during the session: (800) 382-9841 for Republicans; (800) 382-9842 for Democrats]. Counties marked with italics are those which do not completely fall within a district.
Committees
The following abbreviations denote committee leadership positions: (Ch.)=Chair; (V. Ch.)=Vice Chair; (RM)=Ranking Member; and (RMM)=Ranking Minority Member. Committee assignments are included with each legislative biography. Due to space limitations, some committee names are abbreviated. A complete listing of committees and committee assignments is included on pages 164-168.
Campaign Finance
Campaign finance information is included for all legislators elected or re-elected in November 1998. This includes contributions, expenditures, cash on-hand and debt for January 1 through October 9, 1998. The late $ column shows cash raised during October 10-29 from donations of at least $1,000. Amount raised, spent, and percentage from special interest is provided for all legislators for the 1995-96 campaign cycle. Some 1994 and 1992 campaign data remains for senators last elected in 1996. Information was taken from previous Sourcebooks, the Indianapolis Star and News, and filed campaign reports.
Vote Ratings
The Sourcebook includes ratings compiled by the AFL-CIO; the Hoosier Environmental Council (HEC); the Indiana Bankers Association; the Indiana Civil Liberties Union (ICLU); the Citizens Concerned for the Constitution (CCC) — now Advance America; and the State Chamber of Commerce. These ratings are a broad indicator of how members voted on issues of importance to these certain interest groups.
These groups track the voting records of legislators. Ratings in the Sourcebook are listed in percentages (i.e., the percentage of times a legislator voted the way the organization wanted the legislator to vote). In certain cases, a legislator might not have participated in enough votes to be included, or a rating for one legislator may be based upon fewer total votes than for another. Because the ratings rely upon a relatively small number of votes, they are not a perfect representation of a legislator’s voting record. Inclusion of these ratings does not imply an endorsement by any of these groups.
The AFL-CIO: The American Federation of Labor-Congress of Industrial Organizations represents the interests of the union workers around the state. The group’s ratings are for the 1998 session, as well as career aggregate rankings.
Indiana Bankers Association: The Indiana Bankers Association’s interests lie in protecting financial institutions. The group’s 1997 rankings included efforts to get relief tax credits on the "recapture" of bad debt for which they never received any state tax benefit; lender liability for environmental problems; and the repeal of the mechanic’s lien statute.
Citizens Concerned for the Constitution: The Citizens Concerned for the Constitution advocates the rights of individuals. The group informs members on issues affecting freedom for families, churches, businesses, and private schools. The group released ratings for the 1997 legislative session.
Hoosier Environmental Council (HEC): The Hoosier Environmental Council is an organization dedicated to the preservation of our state’s natural resources. Their ratings include a combined ranking from both the 1997 and 1998 sessions.
Indiana Civil Liberties Union: The Indiana Civil Liberties Union’s interests lie in preserving the rights guaranteed to individuals by the Constitution. The organization’s tally covered votes from the 1997 session, as well as a 1997-98 average score.
Indiana State Chamber of Commerce: The Indiana State Chamber of Commerce is the state’s largest business advocacy organization, and supports legislation aiding Indiana’s economic and job climate. The Chamber ratings are based upon several House and Senate votes during the 1997 and 1998 sessions, as well as a four-year aggregate score.
Click here for Descriptions of Key Votes
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