About Us
Who We AreAs the Morgan County Democratic Party, we serve to support Democrats in our area and empower people to make positive changes in our community. We work to improve the lives of Morgan County Hoosiers and ensure everyone has access to equal representation at the local, state, and national level.
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What We DoWe're busy at the Morgan County Democratic Party! Here's what we're getting done to help our community:
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Democratic Party Leaders
Morgan County Democrats Secretary
Gale Featherston 317-691-7975 secretary.morgancountydemocrats@gmail.com |
Morgan County Democrats Treasurer
Rick Pound |
Fourth District Democratic Party Chair
Joe Mackey joe4hoosiers@gmail.com |
Fourth District Democratic Party Vice Chair
Lita Rouser |
Indiana Democratic Party Chair
Mike Schmuhl https://www.indems.org/ |
Indiana Democratic Party Vice Chair
Myla Eldridge |
Issues
Redistricting
Morgan County is one of three counties in Indiana that has been divided into various legislative and Congressional districts as a result of the redistricting process. The county now has representation from two members of Congress as a portion of Morgan is now in the Ninth Congressional District. Previously, the county was represented only by the Fourth Congressional District. In the state legislative races, the county has been divided into portions of three districts: the Voters in the county will now choose between Districts 44, 47 and 60. Senate District 37 now covers all of Morgan County.
Criminal Justice Reform
Studies show that mandatory sentencing undermines judge discretion and does nothing to reduce crime rates. We also know that non-violent offenders do not threaten public safety and are more likely to re-offend and escalate to violence after incarceration.
The War on Drugs has been a war on families and prevented drug abusers from receiving effective treatment and breaking the cycle of abuse. The current opioid epidemic hits rural Indiana counties hardest. We must use our resources to address causes and treatment instead of funding incarceration for non-violent drug offenses.
The War on Drugs has been a war on families and prevented drug abusers from receiving effective treatment and breaking the cycle of abuse. The current opioid epidemic hits rural Indiana counties hardest. We must use our resources to address causes and treatment instead of funding incarceration for non-violent drug offenses.
Voter Access
Current plans to reduce 27 Morgan County polling places to 10 voting centers will reduce voter participation by the elderly, rural voters, and at-risk populations. Morgan County has some of the largest populations of rural and poor voters in Indiana. Limiting voting locations and early voting hurts these voters the most. Making voting harder reduces turn out and undermines representation.
Environment
The forests, fields, and waterways of Morgan County are not just our biggest tourism draw, they are vital to the health and safety of us all. We must protect the natural resources here at home and address the impact that surrounding areas have on them. Smart policy can save our environment while creating better jobs at the same time.
Education
We must support access to quality public education for ALL our kids. Schools must be fully funded for a rich curriculum driven by professional educators and the communities they serve. We know that vouchers hurt the students left behind by stripping essential funds from public schools while the children who do leave are without the federal regulations and ADA protections that private schools don’t have to abide by. Private schools can reject any student, for any reason, regardless if they qualify for a voucher. This leaves students who need the most help academically, behaviorally, and for any learning difference out of most private schools accepting vouchers. Schools can also reject students if they or their parents do not meet any religious standards or code of behavior. State-wide, students with special needs make up almost 20% of the general population, but less than 7% of voucher students in private schools are special needs.