Judy Rowe for State Rep

Hoosiers work hard. What are we getting in return?

On Labor Day, that seems like a fair question.

Indiana ranks #10 in the country for business — but #48 for quality of life. CNBC gave us an F for quality of life.

We’re dead last in the nation for licensed childcare availability per capita. And for a household with two working parents, the childcare that is available can consume about 15% of median household income. I don't know how a single parent does it.

Meanwhile, Indiana workers earned an average of about $1,356 a week, compared with $1,654 nationally.

We build the factories. We staff the hospitals. We teach the kids. We grow the food. We keep Indiana running.

Being a good place to do business should also mean being a good place for the people who do the work.

That’s The Hoosier Cost, too: what we pay, what we earn — and what we get in return.

Hoosiers deserve better.

Wolcottville showed up today!

What a turnout for the parade — volunteers, candidates, friends and neighbors from across the area, all out talking with people and taking part in the day.

There was a whole lot of blue on that parade route today. 😊

Thanks to everyone who walked, carried a sign, handed out literature, waved from the sidelines, or simply stopped to say hello.

It was a good day in Wolcottville 💥

Here’s to the people who keep Indiana working.

Have a safe and happy Labor Day weekend, Hoosiers. ❤️

— Judy

Looking forward to Kelly Thompson’s town hall next Tues ( 9/8)!

Before Kelly’s 6:00 town hall, I’ll be holding an informational meeting for my campaign at 5:00 at the library just across the street.

If you’ve been thinking about getting involved — knocking doors, making calls, helping with events, or just learning more about the campaign — come see me at 5, then we’ll head across the street for Kelly’s town hall.

It’s going to be a good night in northeast Indiana. Hope to see you there!

Join me at my next Town Hall in LaGrange! Straight talk, let’s get to the details. I would love to meet you and have real conversations. We got work to do! See you there!

This is why the data-center conversation deserves more scrutiny.

Indiana has made enormous commitments to attract these projects. Before we make more of them, Hoosiers deserve some answers:

Who pays? Who benefits? And what will all of this mean for our electric bills?

Indiana spent an estimated $8.2 billion in tax incentives, subsidies, and breaks for the Amazon Data Services project in New Carlisle - the biggest known tax incentive package in the country for a single data center project.

Think about how those tax dollars could be spent on our public schools, roads, and healthcare. Instead, your money is going into the pockets of Big Tech billionaires who don't care about the impact of their data centers on your electricity bills.

Earlier this year, we offered an amendment to prohibit the state from handing out sales tax breaks to data centers. House Republicans voted no (we'll share the vote sheet breakdown for that in the comments).

During the upcoming 2027 session, we must pass legislation to rein in these outrageous taxpayer giveaways to companies that simply do not need them.

Source: Newsweek (link below)

Indiana families are paying more for just about everything.

Housing. Utilities. Groceries. Healthcare.

But here’s the question I think state government ought to have to answer:

**If Hoosiers are paying more, are we getting more?**

Better services? Better schools? More reliable utilities? More opportunity?

That’s **The Hoosier Cost** — and every Monday, I’m going to take a closer look at what we’re paying, what we’re getting, and who’s making the decisions.

This ad has generated some pretty strong reactions — including from Democrats I talked with yesterday.

I understand why some people don't care for the imagery. But I see it differently. Set aside the imagery, and I think the message is spot on.

Beau Bayh served as a Marine infantry officer and trained as a marksman. This isn't an identity invented for a campaign ad. It's part of who he is and part of the experience he's bringing to this race.

And politically, I think the ad is smart.

A Democrat running statewide in Indiana has to reach people who don't automatically vote Democratic — independents and moderate Republicans included. Sometimes that means challenging people's assumptions about what a Democrat looks like or believes before they'll even listen to the rest of the message.

The gun isn't actually the message I took away from the ad. The message I heard was service, leadership and cleaning up an office that badly needs it.

I know not everybody will see it that way.

What did you think when you saw it?

Beau Bayh ad kicks off potentially expensive Indiana secretary of state campaign • Indiana Capital Chronicle

Beau Bayh ad kicks off potentially expensive Indiana secretary of state campaign • Indiana Capital Chronicle Television advertising has started in what is poised as an expensive Indiana secretary of state campaign.

LET HOOSIERS VOTE.

That was the message today at Trine Fest in downtown Angola.
I spent a lot of the day talking with Trine students about registering to vote, participating in our democracy, and why showing up matters.

Your voice doesn’t count if you’re not registered to use it.
But when I say Let Hoosiers Vote, I mean something bigger, too.

I believe Hoosiers should have the power to put important questions directly before the voters through a citizen-initiated ballot referendum — instead of leaving every major decision entirely in the hands of the legislature.

First, we need people registered. Then we need them voting. And I believe we should give them more things worth voting on.

October 5 is the last day to register to vote in the November election, and we’ll be holding a voter registration party that day to make sure everyone who wants a voice has the chance to use it.

It was great spending the day with neighboring State Representative candidate Joseph Trost For District 52, other candidates, volunteers, and so many students starting a new year at Trine.

Power to the people.
Let Hoosiers Vote 💥

The final Final Friday of the summer was one of those nearly perfect small-town Indiana evenings — food trucks, live music, families and neighbors gathered on the courthouse lawn, and plenty of time to talk.

And I did a lot of listening.
One thing I heard more than once was a concern that stuck with me: people don't always feel like what they're being told by their representatives matches what they see actually happening. There's a real disconnect — and a real hunger for straight answers.

People want to know what their government is doing, why it's doing it, and how those decisions affect their families and communities. They shouldn't have to dig through legislation or read between the lines to find out.

That's part of what representation ought to be: showing up, listening, and telling people the truth — even when the truth isn't particularly convenient.

Thank you to Main Street LaGrange Inc for a wonderful summer of Final Fridays, and to everyone who stopped me to talk. Nights like this are one of my favorite parts of campaigning.