By Lacey Watt | The Times-Post
GREENFIELD – The four Republican candidates running in the primary election for District 53 State Representative addressed questions submitted by voters during a candidates forum at Hancock County Public Library in Greenfield last week.
District 53 represents parts of Hancock and Madison counties, including Pendleton.
Hancock County League of Women Voters played host to the March 27 event, and Aaron Kennedy, editor of the Daily Reporter — a sister publication of The Times-Post — moderated.
Candidates Keely Butrum, Brian Evans, Ethan Lawson and Kevin Mandrell answered questions submitted by the audience on topics and policies the candidates would focus on if they were to be elected to fill the seat currently held by Rep. Bob Cherry (R-Greenfield). Cherry is retiring after his current term, which is over at the end of this year.
Starting the event, each candidate gave a 30-second introduction.
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Kevin Mandrell said he and his wife have lived in New Palestine for 38 years, raising two children and having four grandchildren. Mandrell said all of his life he has been a job creator and businessman, and helped communities create infrastructure through programs and real estate.
Keely Butrum said she was born and raised in Greenfield and still resides in Greenfield with her husband and two children. Butrum said she has a financial background of 20 years and has been able to apply her knowledge to her roles served on Greenfield City Council and current role on Hancock County Council.
Brian Evans, also born and raised in Greenfield, served in the U.S. Marine Corps and then served as director of correspondence analysis at the White House for two years during the Trump Administration. Evans then came back to Greenfield to raise his family and works with nonprofit management, specializing in workforce development.
Ethan Lawson lives in Greenfield with his wife and attends church locally. Lawson said that, when looking at “what’s going on at the national level with dysfunction and inflation,” he wants to be a part of the change.
The candidates drew straws to see who would answer the first question, which was “What are your three top legislative objectives if elected.”
Evans said supporting public safety, health insurance and focusing on work initiatives.
“Helping our young people stay in Indiana so they don’t go somewhere else to find opportunities,” Evans said. “To keep them here, so their working in our industries, staying in our communities and being members of our state.”
Butrum said her three legislative objectives would be balanced and responsible spending, preservation of individual freedoms and avoidance of special interest groups.
“In the legislature, we’re constantly adding new laws, we’re very rarely eliminating any laws or going back and revising and reviewing what we’ve done in the past,” Butrum said. “And I think it burdens the taxpayers continually having new layers of regulation put on top of them.”
Mandrell said healthcare, cutting unnecessary spending, and promoting and driving businesses in the area.
“It is it is a definite priority of mine to take that skill set that I have to the Statehouse and work with others to try to find ways to limit the unnecessary costs,” Mandrell said.
Lawson said his three legislative objectives come from talking to residents is supporting public safety, working to lower taxes and fighting the fentanyl crisis.
“We need to ensure that we’re there on the law enforcement side, stop it (fentanyl) from coming into our community, and that we’re there on the addiction and recovery side to help the people who are victims,” Lawson said.
When looking at education and reading levels of Hoosier children, the candidates were asked if they support mandatory kindergarten while current law says a child does not have to start school until age 7.
Mandrell said, personally, his children have good teachers in the New Palestine area and that when doing research, Hancock County has high numbers. Mandrell said that with doing further research, he would have to see if it would warrant the investment but thinks it would probably be a good solution to help children’s reading skills.
Lawson said he believes it is important to make sure there are qualified individuals teaching children across the state, and allowing parents to have a choice in what schools work best for their children, including the availability of pre-kindergarten if parents choose to take that route.
Evans said he respectfully disagrees with mandatory kindergarten, and that it is an individual responsibility for every parent to raise readers while having a decision in their child’s education.
Butrum agreed with Evans on not having mandatory kindergarten, and said they should look for other solutions to help children instead of a “blanket approach” to accommodate the sectors that are not coming up to par.
When asked if school boards should remain nonpartisan, all four candidates agreed that the focus should be on the education and well-being of children. However, Mandrell said while he agreed with the other candidates, that when looking at communities that have taken a different approach, they have had success as well.
When asked about vocational schooling and whether it should be state-funded, all the candidates agreed that vocational schooling should be advocated for as another option outside of going to college. Butrum touched on the topic of funding and said while she believes in funding aid partially, they have to look at the budget and see where the money would come from, whether it be taxpayers or from other line items within the budget and to make sure it’s not taking away from someone else’s funding.
When asked about advocating for mental health, all candidates were for further supporting mental health alongside addiction, and that providing services and resources are a part of that support.
Regarding the second amendment, all candidates said they supported the right to carry and protect while also being supportive of ways to prevent crime, such looking at those who are breaking the law, the process of getting firearms and supporting law enforcement.
Candidates were asked how they would ensure their votes in the Statehouse don’t negatively impact the community if they aren’t as knowledgeable on a policy or topic.
Butrum said that, with her history of seven years in government, she likes to engage with people who are knowledgeable on topics that she may not be an expert in.
“I have a history of rounding up people who are very knowledgeable in their expertise, getting around the same table and finding out and sharing ideas about what we all need to know to make the best decisions possible,” Butrum said.
Mandrell said he is a different person today than when he was 30 years old and a lot of that comes from learning to listen.
“It requires you to ask questions and listen to people and find a way to consensus among all of us so that we are all represented … always seek out the wisdom of others, especially in areas that they do have expertise in,” Mandrell said.
Lawson agreed that legislating requires listening, something Lawson said he has been doing when going to the doors of residents and finding out what’s important to them.
“I think the approach I am taking right now is the approach I’d like to take as legislator. I think our process is better when we have more people involved, when we have legislators who are accessible,” Lawson said.
Evans said with his job working with workforce development for nonprofits, he has to know a little bit about almost every industry in Indiana, local governments and state agencies.
“I have a large network of experts, various nonprofits, local governments and heads of agencies I lean on every single day when I need to know something about an issue,” Evans said.
With closing statements, candidates summarized why they felt it was important for them to run for District 53 Representative.
Early voting for the primary election starts April 9 before Election Day on May 7. For more information on when and where to vote, or how to register, visit https://www.madisoncounty.in.gov/departments/election-office.
