Popeyes calling, early voting expanding, House District 41 candidates on the record
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Popeyes calling, early voting expanding, House District 41 candidates on the record
There are few things Lafayette loves more than a fast-food opening. Plus, a look at House District 41 candidate thoughts as early voting cranks up. And Lafayette’s first homicides of 2022
Thanks this morning to sponsor Stuart & Branigin for support to help make this edition of the Based in Lafayette reporting project possible.
BECAUSE THERE ARE FEW THINGS LAFAYETTE LOVES MORE THAN AN OPENING: IT’S THE FIRST OF TWO POPEYES
Here’s a way to get into the working week …
Because so many people have been asking – I mean, you read the posts on the NextDoor app, right? – the first to two Popeyes locations in Greater Lafayette will open to the public at 10 a.m. Monday after two days of soft opening/training prep with complimentary meals for first responders, family and others at 3836 South St.
A West Lafayette location near Sagamore Parkway West and Cumberland Avenue – one of 34 locations for franchisee Aby Mohamed – is expected to open in late-May, Chandra DiRosario, general manager for Popeyes Central Division, said. And, yes, the Lafayette Popeyes is the same location left when Chick-fil-A moved a few blocks west to South Street and Creasy Lane.
EARLY VOTING SITES PICK UP, STARTING TODAY
They won’t be at the Pay Less Super Markets in Greater Lafayette, but four additional early voting sites open Monday, with daily hours through Saturday, ahead of the May 3 primary election in Tippecanoe County.
Here’s the backdrop.
About the election: The May 3 primary will decide which candidates make the November general election in congressional, General Assembly, assorted county and township seats, precinct committee positions and delegates to the state party conventions. Voters may ask for either a Democratic or Republican ballot at the polling place.
Where to vote ahead of the May 3 primary day:
At the election office: 8 a.m.-4:30 p.m. weekdays at the Tippecanoe County Board of Elections, on the first floor of the County Office Building, 20 N. Third St. in Lafayette. There will be 9 a.m.-4 p.m. hours on Saturday in the elections office. The final day of early voting will be 8 a.m.-noon Monday, May 2.
Noon-6 p.m. April 25-30: Eastside Assembly of God, 6121 E. County Road 50 South; Faith West Community Center, 1920 Northwestern Ave.; Northend Community Center, 2000 Elmwood Ave.; Wea Ridge Baptist Church, 1051 E. County Road 430 South.
Election Day: Polls will be open 6 a.m.-6 p.m. Tuesday, May 3. The county will have 17 vote centers open that day.
On ballots: To see which races will be on your ballot, go to www.indianavoters.com. Here’s a list of candidates running for elected positions in Tippecanoe County.
For more about candidates and their stances: The League of Women Voters of Greater Lafayette compiled a series of Q&As and video interviews with candidates, assembled at www.Vote411.org. Key in your address, pick your party ballot and scan the candidate bios and responses.
HOUSE DISTRICT 41: MEET THE CANDIDATES RUNNING FOR GOP NOMINATION
Indiana House District 41 was redrawn and shifted quite a bit after state Rep. Tim Brown, a Crawfordsville Republican, hinted that he planned to retire at the end of 2022. The new district includes the eastern part of Tippecanoe County, along with parts of Clinton, Montgomery and Boone counties.
Four candidates, including three Republicans, are running for that seat:
Richard Bagsby, a construction managing superintendent from Tippecanoe County.
Mark Genda, owner of Genda Funeral Home in Frankfort and a former school board member.
Shane Weist, sales manager for Tempest Homes, former head golf pro at Coyote Crossing and Battle Ground golf clubs and former Fairfield Township Board member.
The winner in the May 3 primary will face Democrat Greg Woods, a procurement specialist from Lebanon who ran against Brown in the 2020 election.
Here’s a sampling of the questions for the contested primary candidates from an hourlong forum hosted March 28 by the Tippecanoe County Republican Party at Duncan Hall in downtown Lafayette. The questions came from WLFI anchor Jeff Smith, WBAA reporter Emilie Syberg and me.
I’ll pin a full video version of the session below this Q&A.
Coming Tuesday: A Q&A with candidates running for another open seat – Indiana Senate District 23.
Question: Why are you running now? And what would you like to accomplish in the Indiana House?
Richard Bagsby: He said it started with school issues for his family’s eight children, including five of school age.
“When the COVID pandemic happened, my wife and I were at a disbelief about how it was handled. Our children were mandated to wear a mask. We have two children who have speech impediments, and that severely affected them. In our frustrations and going to school board meeting after school board meetings and arguing back and forth with them as far as getting an exemption for our children, we’d seen that our fight wasn't with them. It was really with the Statehouse and how things are handled. And that's why I'm running. I believe that I can contribute and put the people first by displaying what the Constitution is, what it was written for and what it means, what it stands for.”
Mark Genda: He said that after the Indiana 41 map had been redrawn, he was approached by people who suggested he’d be a good candidate.
“The more I thought about it, and the more I researched it, I thought I would be a good candidate, because of the fact of my people experience. I believe strongly that this position is about the people, not about the ideals. It’s people forward. That’s why I’m running. I'm a people person, and I'm a communicator. And I believe that's what's missing.”
Shane Weist: “I'm running because I love serving people, my community and my state. I have three young children. And I want to make sure that we're passing conservative, fiscally responsible policies that will lead to great opportunities for future generations to make sure that they can live the Hoosier dream, just as we do. I want to make sure to protect our rights. I am very anti-mandate, I want to make sure that the rights remain in the hands of the people and are not taken away by the government.”
Question: Several bills in the General Assembly did not go through in 2022, particularly about oversight of teachers and parental oversight of classroom instruction. Did those bill go too far? Did they not go far enough?
Mark Genda: He said he thought It made sense for school boards, parents, teachers and administrators to meet before the start of each school year to select the curriculum. “That would be a very common sense approach to this, and maybe something to get us started on the right track.”
Shane Weist: “I definitely think it's very important that we keep (critical race theory) out of our schools. I have a history degree from Purdue. I understand the importance of our history, remembering our history and knowing our history, so we do not repeat it. I do stand with our teachers. I want to make sure that we're not doing too much overreach in our classrooms. But I also do feel it's very important that our parents do have a say or are involved with our teachers. So, I think it's about finding the right mix.”
Richard Bagsby: “As a parent, I believe that parents’ rights matter. I don't believe that that was displayed very well, especially in our current situation. … HB 1134, I believe that should have been passed. That protects the parents’ rights. I'm not against teachers, by any means. But my children are not social experiments. And I don't believe that we should continue supporting social initiative programs such as critical race theory, social equity learning, 1619 Project. And I believe we should keep pornography out of our schools. Really, I think it's cut and dried.”
Question: In March, the majority of Indiana's Republican lawmakers sent a letter to Gov. Eric Holcomb asking him to convene a special session if the U.S. Supreme Court ruling expected later this year expands states’ ability to restrict abortion. How far should Indiana go in restricting abortion?
Shane Weist: “I'm definitely a pro-life candidate. I'm 100% against abortion for any circumstance. If that would happen with the U.S. Supreme Court, I would hope that the governor would call back our legislators into a session to deal with that issue. I think life begins at conception. And with my Christian values, I believe that all lives matter. All lives are important. And we need to make sure that we're protecting them more.”
Richard Bagsby: “I not only believe that life begins at conception, but actually we have Indiana Code 16-34-2-1.1 that states that life begins at conception. … If Roe v. Wade is overturned, it should go back to the states. And I think our state, Indiana, should stand up for the unborn. So, if you're asking me a straight, direct question, Should abortion end? Yes, absolutely.”
Mark Genda: “When I've been out talking to the constituents of (District) 41, this has been, if not their No. 1, it’s their No. 2. That is, where do you stand on life? I am pro-life. And where I would take that even further is, I believe that the Lord has put a soul into not only the unborn, but into all of us. And so where I’d take this even one step further is, is where I go along the lines of assisted suicide. I think that needs to be addressed also in this question. And it seems to never be talked about. I don't know why. Because I'm absolutely against that, also. That's the taking of soul. That's the taking of a life. And I see no difference. I'm pro-life.”
Question: A new law allows the permitless carry of handguns in Indiana. Several high-ranking members of law enforcement, including Indiana State Police Superintendent Doug Carter and then-Lafayette Police Chief Patrick Flannelly, testified against that bill, saying the permit system was an important tool for frontline officers in determining whether someone had a gun legally. Did you support the passage of this bill?
Shane Weist: “I 100% support the passage of constitutional carry. I think it’s a right as an American citizen that we were given. … I understand the concern of our law enforcement. I'm all for law enforcement. I've done events in the past to support law enforcement. But I believe this isn't a law enforcement topic. I believe this is a constitutional right topic for our citizens and to protect themselves. We know criminals aren’t following permit carry laws. So citizens should have the right to protect themselves in those situations.”
Richard Bagsby: “I support it because we have the right to bear arms. It's really just that simple. We have inalienable rights given to us by God to protect myself, ourselves and our family. And I thank God that the state is recognizing that. I believe that is the state's duty, to protect our rights as individuals.”
Mark Genda: “When I went out to meet the people in (District) 41 … that was the No. 2 question: Where do you stand on the Second Amendment? I will tell you this, the people of 41 that I have met and spoke with face to face believe in the passing of this bill. … It’s what the people of 41, that I've talked to, wanted to happen. So I'm glad that it did.
Question: Do you believe Joe Biden won the 2020 election for president in a fair and free election?
Richard Bagsby: “That’s a double-edge sword, right there. I am one of those that believe that Joe Biden, he is the president of the United States. Was it fair, and was it legit? Who's to say?”
Mark Genda: “Yes, Joe Biden is our president. I don’t think anybody in this room likes that fact. And I think we need to get it fixed in three years.”
Shane Weist: “Joe Biden is our president. Was it a fair election? It's probably one question that can be answered by God. But we have to stand with him as president as much as, I guess, we don't like it. And hopefully we can, as Mark said, get that changed here in three years, because we've seen how quickly devastation can happen when a president is elected. But without having evidence in my hands, it's hard to say he's not.”
Question: What person in politics today do model yourself after or that you would model yourself after if elected? And how so?
Mark Genda: He named state Rep. Don Lehe, a Brookston Republican who will retire in House District 13 at the end of 2022. “He was common sense, easy to understand, easy to follow. Didn't use a lot of words, but the words he used were very powerful. As I've walked into this arena, I'd like to be a Don Lehe.”
Shane Weist: He named U.S. Rep. Jim Jordan, an Ohio Republican. “I love his fire. I love his passion. I love the work and commitment he has for our country and trying to do the right thing and standing up for what's right. It may not always be the popular thing, but he always chooses to do the right thing. And I think he's a true great patriot, a true conservative, a true leader and somebody I would definitely model myself after.”
Richard Bagsby: “To be honest with you, I couldn't answer that. I'm not a politician. I've never been a politician. I'm definitely not a career politician. I didn't want to aspire to be a politician. I am just a normal guy, a father, a family man who said I can contribute with my common sense approach and my black-and-white Constitution – a blue book that I carry around. I think that a lot of the problems of today are caused by politicians – and no politicians, in general, but just the culture of politicians and those who just aspire just to get elected. I'm not that person. So I couldn't really answer that question. Sorry.”
Question: Do you support the legalization of marijuana for either medicinal or recreational uses?
Richard Bagsby: “As far as medical use goes, I will definitely be a part of the conversation. But as far as recreational use, I’ve always been against recreational use and legalizing it.”
Mark Genda: “Medicinal, yes. Doctor writes a prescription for it. … Recreational, no.”
Shane Weist: “For medicinal purposes, absolutely. … But for recreational purposes, absolutely not.”
For more: Here’s video of that forum – including additional questions, along with the candidates’ opening and closing statements – cued up to the start of the Indiana House 41 section.
SHOOTINGS ON LAFAYETTE’S SOUTH SIDE: In the first homicides of 2022 in Lafayette, two people were killed and four others were wounded in gunfire early Sunday morning at Romney Meadows, an apartment complex in southern Lafayette. Details were still a bit sketchy Sunday. Here’s an early report from the J&C.
Thanks, again, to sponsor Stuart & Branigin for helping make this edition of Based in Lafayette possible.
Have a story idea for upcoming editions? Send them to me: davebangert1@gmail.com. For news during the day, follow on Twitter: @davebangert.
Popeyes calling, early voting expanding, House District 41 candidates on the record
Some GOP candidate thinks "...It made sense for school boards, parents, teachers and administrators to meet before the start of each school year to select the curriculum." This man has NO idea how education works! EVERY school year??? Curricula take months or years for EDUCATION PROFESSIONALS to work out, and then the teachers need time to plan how to teach to those standards. No. No. NO to Republican politicians who think they know how to do everything when they know NOTHING.
And about Joe Biden winning the election - "Was it fair, and was it legit? Who's to say?”" How about DOZENS of judges in MULTIPLE states? THEY said.