Fountain vs Rogers in race for Indiana State Senate District 11
The Tribune is partnering with the League of Women Voters of the South Bend Area and the American Democracy Project of Indiana University South Bend to publish candidates' answers to questions on the issues. The League and IUSB's ADP operates Vote411.org, a website with information about the candidates and their positions on key issues. The site also includes other tools to help navigate the voting process.
The Tribune has agreed to run candidate answers unedited, meaning any spelling, typographical or grammatical errors are the candidates' own. The Tribune is publishing only some of the questions from a selection of significant races. Additional questions and answers are available at Vote411.org.
Melinda (Mindy) Fountain
Democrat
Educator, University of Notre Dame
574-213-2404
Facebook.com/FountainForIndiana
Linda Rogers
Republican
State senator; owner of Juday Creek Golf Course, President of Nugent Builders
574-277-5512
Which issue is more pressing in Indiana: voter access or election fraud? Which is the greater threat to election integrity? Explain.
Fountain: Voter access is key to a thriving democracy. It is essential that we prevent election fraud by installing safeguards in the voting process that we continually monitor. In recent years many investigations have explored questions about voter fraud, and found a negligible amount, which is a testament to the many hardworking people who make our democratic process work. At the same time, many states, including Indiana, are not doing enough to make voting easier and more accessible for all Hoosiers. Indiana has one of the earliest poll closing times in the United States. Indiana also has more restrictions on who can request an absentee ballot than most states. All Hoosiers deserve to have their voices heard in our elections, and we must create the conditions to make voting accessible for all Hoosiers.
Rogers: Voter confidence is the biggest threat and it comes from both access and fraud. I want all eligible Hoosier voters to have the opportunity to confidently cast their ballot. Much of the voter access issue comes down to educating voters about the numerous options and locations they have to vote and encouraging participation. When people have the perception that it is too difficult to vote or there may be manipulation of their vote they may get discouraged and stay home. In the 2022 legislative session, I sponsored legislation to improve election integrity which moves up the requirement for each county to have all its electronic voting machines include a voter-verifiable paper audit trail by July 1, 2022, and extends the requirement for each county to maintain an election security agreement with the Secretary of State through the end of 2027 and extended a contract that was already in place with election security firm FireEye to monitor cyber-threats against county election system.
If elected, what is the first bill you will champion in the 2023 legislative session? Why that one?
Fountain: An education bill to support teacher and school employee salaries. Our teachers are the backbone of our schools, and decreases in pay, increases in class sizes and testing, concerns about safety, as well as the unprecedented conditions of the pandemic have made their jobs incredibly difficult. The result is that we have an extreme teacher shortage in Indiana that is not yet resolved. In July, there were over 2300 open teaching positions posted on the Indiana Department of Education job board, and another 900 open student support positions, such as school counselors, classroom aides and cafeteria employees. As the school year began, there were still over 1,000 openings across the state. For our children's and our community's futures, we must change the trajectory for our public education system, and show our invaluable teachers and school staff the support they deserve. This is essential to encourage greater numbers of graduates to enter the teaching profession, and to retain staff.
Rogers: One of the most pressing issues for Indiana is the critical shortage of available workers. This is a problem that is impacting nearly every business, industry, and even our schools. The problem gets exacerbated by the lack of affordable childcare which keeps parents out of the workforce. I will be collaborating with my colleagues, childcare workers, and schools to develop legislation that provides opportunities for families to afford childcare, enter the workforce, and help fill our vacant positions. I see this as opportunity to bring qualified workers to the Hoosier State as well.
Indiana ranks poorly when it comes to maternal health. What, if anything, should the legislature do about this problem?
Fountain: In late September the Indiana State Department of Health Maternal Mortality Review Committee released their latest report. In 2020, the rate of pregnancy-related deaths nearly doubled compared to two years earlier to 23 deaths per 100,000 in 2020. They determined that nearly 80 percent of all pregnancy-associated deaths in Indiana were preventable. To combat maternal mortality, their recommendations included increases in public funding for early child care, beginning in infancy; comprehensive, evidence-based reproductive health education; universal access for long-acting reversible contraception; medicaid and insurance coverage for medical procedures. Instead of such constructive support, this summer the IN legislature spent $240,000 to hold a special session to pass an extreme abortion ban. My opponent even voted against exceptions to the ban for cases of rape and incest. Our current legislators are not willing to pass legislation that supports pregnant women, children, and families.
Rogers: Maternal health is a concern of the Indiana Legislature and as such in 2019, the General Assembly passed legislation to build a network of services and support to create healthier outcomes for both moms and babies. The program is called My Healthy Baby and is a collaboration between the Indiana Department of Health, FSSA, and DCS. However, there is not a one size fits all solution and there should be many options to help mothers across the state. I have had the pleasure of observing an amazing program in our community that is coordinated by Goodwill Industries, it is the Nurse-Family Partnership that pairs first-time expecting mothers with a registered nurse for ongoing home visits and is aimed at supporting mothers and giving a positive start in life for newborns. It is imperative that the legislature continues to fund and monitor these programs and others like them to improve maternal health. I am honored to serve as the Chair of the Senate Family and Children’s Services Committee.
On August 5th, the Indiana General Assembly passed a law banning abortion except in cases of rape and incest (before 10-weeks post-fertilization), to protect the life and physical health of the mother, or if a fetus is diagnosed with a lethal anomaly. Do you support this new law? Do you think the law goes too far, or not far enough, in restricting access to abortion?
Fountain: This bill is an extreme act of government overreach into our personal, private lives. Regardless of one’s personal beliefs about abortion, pregnancy is complicated, and this bill will cause undue distress, confusion, and suffering to women and families who undergo complications and possible miscarriages. Most people are appalled at the idea of 10 year old rape victims being forced to give birth to their perpetrators’ babies, such as the child who came to Indiana to end her pregnancy this summer. Sadly, my opponent supported this bill, and voted against exceptions for victims of rape and incest. Already, doctors are leaving our state, compounding existing shortages of maternal care. More than a quarter of Indiana counties were already considered “maternal care deserts,” with little to no maternal health support, which this will exacerbate. Felony criminal prosecution for doctors means they will have to consult with lawyers when lives are at stake. This ban is dangerous and extreme.
Rogers: Candidate has not yet responded.
This article originally appeared on South Bend Tribune: Fountain vs Rogers in race for Indiana State Senate District 11
