Doden promises no mask or vaccine mandates if elected
Indiana Republican Gubernatorial candidate Eric Doden visited Adams County for another campaign visit Thursday night as he was the featured speaker at the February meeting of the Adams County GOP organization held at the Berne Diner.
Speaking at the beginning of the meeting as he had yet another visit later Thursday evening in Jay County, Doden outlined some of his goals and what he envisioned a Doden Administration in the Indiana Statehouse would look like.
One major aspect that Doden is campaigning on is his Main Street Indiana strategy for small towns and communities. He said in the past a lot of the economic development money has gone to large corporations and small towns have been largely ignored. Calling himself a “free market economist,” his plan calls for a piece of the economic pie to go to the small towns so they are on equal footing with attracting and retaining businesses and industries that will help keep these communities vibrant and alive.
Doden got significant applause from the over 50 people in attendance when he reminded them he was unapologetically a strong pro-life candidate. Asked about his stand on the Alabama case in the news over in vitro fertilization (IVF), a process used by couples unable to conceive a child, Doden said he’s still in the “learning mode but has several questions about it.
“I’m very pro-life but there are ethical and scientific concerns here along with what will be the long-term effects. I’m still trying to figure out all the nuances,” he said.
If elected, Doden said there would be a big shake-up in state government.
“We have over 30 agencies in Indiana and department heads who are running their department and spend $22 billion. When I get elected, every single department head is going to have to come in and justify to me why they should be retained. Just because your my friend doesn’t give you a free pass.”
While outlining his background and qualities to become Governor, Doden said “I’m pretty good at what I do so don’t tell me how to do my job. In the same vein, government shouldn’t be telling people how to do their job or live their life. I can guarantee you that in my administration there will be no mask mandates and no vaccine mandates.”
He said state government and local government should be working partners to serve the people they represent.
Doden also fielded several other questions from the audience including availability of rural broadband internet service and support of Hoosier school teachers.
Doden said “for years we’ve heard that we’re going to fix the broadband internet issue, but then it seems we never get around to it. That will change when I get elected.” A teacher from southern Adams County expressed frustration with the support teachers in Indiana have received from state leaders. Doden noted “we need to have a comprehensive reivew and listen to what it is that will make it easier for teachers to teach our kids.”
Another key point for the Doden campaign is his “adoption fund” which will pay for
costs involved in people adopting children in Indiana as well as providing an after care program. He noted the after care is a key point to the program because it will assist adoptive parents in caring for needs their child has.
Well known for his background in economic development expertise, Doden noted his early background growing up in Butler (DeKalb County) and then moving “to the metropolis” of Auburn. He graduated from Hillsdale College, known as the only post secondary education site that does not accept federal money, and said “it changed my life by giving me the ability to have critical thinking skills.” He also obtained a law degree from Valparaiso University.
He called his grandfather, who was a minister, as being influential in developing his life especially in the area of faith and vision. “The Bible says where there is no vision, people will perish,” he said quoting a line from one of his television advertisements on the air.
Clerk Addresses Meeting
Adams County Clerk Shelly Brite also spoke briefly to those gathered as she talked about the important of recruiting new poll workers and registering new voters.
The clerk’s office will be in all three county high schools talking to government classes along with having a booth set up during cafeteria hours to register high school seniors eligible to vote for the first time in their life. She also touched on the program that allows sophomores and juniors to work as a poll worker on election day (and be paid for it) as either a clerk or judge. State law now allows this but also notes seniors are not eligible to be a poll worker.
She encouraged those in attendance to recruit poll worker candidates and submit them to either Republican county chairman Steve Justus or Democratic county chairman Barb Engle.
She briefly reviewed the Indiana Election Commission ruling earlier this week in which Republican US Senate candidate John Rust was ruled not to be in compliance with state law and thus could not be on the May 7 ballot. Also noted by Brite was that the first campaign spending report for candidates for this year needs to be filed in her office by noon on April 19.
Other items mentioned at the meeting were the meet and greet session today at the Java Bean with another candidate for Governor, Brad Chambers, and that a meet and greet session for Third District Congressional candidate Wendy Davis will be at 6 p.m. on March 28 at the Clock Tower Inn in Berne.