Where Phil Stands on the Issues.

It’s time for a new direction. I'm bringing fresh ideas and a commitment to building a more inclusive and equitable future. I believe in the power of our community to come together and make a difference. Read more below about my vision and join me in making real change.

Reproductive Healthcare

I believe that everyone deserves access to comprehensive and affordable reproductive healthcare, which includes

  • Birth control, contraception counseling, and preconception care

  • Regular checkups, education, and support for a healthy pregnancy

  • Access to abortion services in a safe and legal environment, regardless of income or location

I stand with women and will fight to ensure their voices are heard and respected when it comes to complex and often difficult reproductive healthcare decisions. The State has no role in that process. I trust the women of Indiana to make informed choices, with the expert counsel of their own doctors, to do what is best for themselves and their families.

Education

Our public education system is one of our country's most outstanding achievements; at one time, it was the envy of the world. It brought our country a level of literacy never achieved before in human history.  

 Unfortunately, now we are seeing a concerted effort by the Supermajority Republican Party to destroy public education, an essential cornerstone of America’s greatness as the “shining city upon a hill.” 

 Republicans are undermining Indiana’s public education system by sending millions of taxpayer dollars to charter and private schools—funds that public schools sorely need to provide a quality education. In the 2022-23 school year, for example, $311,800,000 went into Indiana’s “school choice” voucher system instead of to our public schools, which provided an education that year for almost a million Indiana students. (Update: The voucher program is expected to cost an estimated $607,000,000 this year.) We must eliminate the voucher system to ensure that our public schools have the funding they need to serve our children. 

 The Republican Supermajority has refused to adequately support our public school system overall. Over an 18-year period, from 2002 to 2020, funding for Indiana’s public schools increased by only 1.9%—from $13,116 to $13,368. (This “increase” is effectively a decrease, since $13,116 in 2002 was worth $18,869 in 2020.) Today, Indiana ranks 35th in the nation in education spending per pupil. Our children need and deserve better.

 The state of higher education in Indiana is also disappointing. For example, only 18.5% of our population possesses a bachelor's degree, which places us 43rd in the nation. Along with the need to prioritize quality K-12 education, we must also emphasize the importance of higher education to obtain an educated workforce in Indiana, to generate employment opportunities for graduates and a well-educated pool of potential employees for Indiana.  

 It is imperative that we become serious about education in Indiana by focusing on quality K-12 education, emphasizing the importance of higher education, and providing adequate funding and expertise to achieve these goals.  

State Ballot Referendums

State ballot referendums on political issues strengthen democracy by empowering citizens to directly decide the outcome of matters that impact them. This fosters civic engagement and can ensure that key public policies reflect the will of the people. Additionally, referendums provide a vital check on government power, forcing policymakers to consider the views of their constituents on complex or controversial issues. Ultimately, they promote transparency and accountability, leading to a more inclusive and responsive political system.

Indiana should join Ohio, Michigan, Illinois, and 23 other states that already allow ballot referendums.

Firearms

I am committed to defending the rights of every law-abiding citizen to own and keep firearms in their homes. I am also committed to keeping these firearms off the streets. Like all other Americans, I am alarmed by the number of gun deaths that have become endemic in our country. I am not willing to accept the loss of innocent lives as the price we pay for gun ownership, and therefore we can no longer allow open carry of firearms. Open carry should be limited to those with legitimate public safety duties, such as police officers.

Sadly, making sound policy regarding firearm safety has become a contentious issue in our country, where visceral reactions have replaced critical thinking and pragmatic action. Relying on background checks or any other regulatory measures or “new ideas” will not totally eliminate gun deaths, which are a mathematical certainty. In every society, every day, some people will experience a mental breakdown, and a certain number of those people will be moved to hurt themselves or others. Once they decide to act on that compulsion, they will choose the most lethal method available, and in this country that is firearms.

Clearly, the only way to reduce these deaths is to reduce the number of readily available firearms. For these reasons, I will actively pursue legislation banning the open carry of firearms. In other words, a firearm carried in a car must be broken down, and the only appropriate destination for that firearm is a hunting trip, a firing range, or a gunsmith. The current unrestricted open carry legislation passed by our Republican legislature is contrary to public safety.

Those who maintain they have a right to carry firearms with them for their personal safety have a point: Someone who carries a gun is safer than someone who doesn’t. However, circling back to probability, someone carrying a gun puts everyone else in danger, as a million people carrying guns are much more likely to suffer gun deaths than a million people who don’t. Sometimes, we need to sacrifice personal preference for the benefit of the many, and in this case, choosing to not carry a firearm (a choice most of us already make) makes our fellow citizens safer.

Collective Bargaining

I strongly believe in the idea of collective bargaining. As a former member of The American Federation of Government Employees, Local 1020, I have witnessed firsthand the positive outcomes it can bring. During my time at the VA, I served as an officer and Legislative Political Coordinator and saw how the union helped workers earn a living wage, access healthcare, and secure a decent retirement income. Although the word 'union' may trigger strong reactions, positive or negative, I firmly believe that every American worker deserves these basic human rights. Thus, I strongly support the idea of collective bargaining and encourage all workers to exercise their right to unionize for a fair and just workplace.

Based on my own experiences, I have to say that I have worked both union and non-union jobs and found that union jobs are better. I believe that every American worker should earn a living wage, have access to healthcare, and receive a decent retirement income at the very minimum and this can seldom be achieved without some form of collective bargaining.

Cannabis

I strongly support the legalization of cannabis for both medical and recreational use. I favor this legislation because most Hoosiers do, and in a democracy, the will of the majority of citizens should determine the laws they live under. Instead, our self-righteous Republican Supermajority ignores the wishes of the majority of its constituents, instead enacting its own agenda. Current Indiana law does not allow for ballot initiatives, so the legalization of cannabis, favored by most Hoosiers, can only be accomplished by voting in elected officials who respect their preference and will enact legislation accordingly. Ballot initiatives in our neighboring states have resulted in voters passing legalization measures in each of them; Illinois, Michigan, and Ohio allow for both recreational and medical marijuana use, and Kentucky has approved its medical use. Our current Indiana Republican legislators are being irresponsible, not only in failing to respect the preferences of their constituency but in shirking their fiscal responsibilities as well. In October of 2023 alone, Michigan brought in $52,400,000 in additional tax revenue from the sale of cannabis.

In summary, our current Republican Supermajority persists in governing like “Big Brother,” disregarding the wishes of most Hoosiers at the cost of literally millions of dollars in revenue for the state of Indiana.

The LGBTQ+ Community

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Everyone's sexuality is a personal and complex aspect of who they are. While the science behind how sexuality develops is still evolving, we understand that gender orientation is not a choice but rather the result of a complex interplay of factors, including biology. Throughout history, LGBTQ+ people have existed in all cultures, even if they weren't always open about it. Recognizing this rich history is important. Our past treatment of LGBTQ+ individuals has often been unjust. We must move forward by embracing our LGBTQ+ neighbors and condemning discrimination.