The road less traveled

This Tuesday our opinion page published a staff editorial criticizing Indiana state Senate candidate Matt Colglazier  for his Labor Day “Walk for Workers.” We accused the IU adviser, who is running to represent southern portions of Monroe County and surrounding areas, of nothing less than flakiness.

During Labor Day weekend, Colglazier walked 37.4 miles across the 44th Senate district in solidarity with all the workers who lost their jobs there. In retrospect, our specific accusation was right: It is presumptive to assume that current Senator Brent Steele  is responsible for the tough economic conditions that have struck his district. But let’s be clear: Having rallied support around a lame issue doesn’t disqualify Colglazier’s candidacy.

In my opinion, he’s still the better candidate. While his opponent Steele might not be guilty of wrecking the nation’s economy, the long-time legislator’s record in the Indiana Senate is frankly abysmal.

Here’s a sample of the sort of representation Steele has delivered his constituents just in the past year:

1. He co-sponsored House Bill 1042, which was passed by the legislature and created a mandatory registry for stores selling sexually explicit materials. On top of that, the bill established a $250 fee for these vendors. The problem? Aside from the disturbing suggestion that Indiana should limit the First Amendment, the law was incredibly vague. Mainstream bookstores were worried they’d be forced onto the “dirty list” if they sold even benign materials with sexual content, including literary classics and, dare I say it, the Bible. On a happier note, the law was struck down the day it took effect.

2. He supported and even advocated before a Senate committee for an amendment to the state constitution that would ban same-sex marriage in the state. Whether you support marriage equality or not, it’s worth pointing out that same-sex marriage is already banned in Indiana, leaving us to wonder why Sen. Steele considered this an efficient use of taxpayer dollars.

3. At the same time he was busy co-sponsoring that amendment, Steele voted in support of Senate Bill 3, which would have allowed pharmacists to object to dispensing birth control. This had special repercussions for Hoosiers living in rural parts of the state who might not have access to multiple pharmacies. It’s also certain this policy is no friend to college students who value modern health care.

4. When asked whether he’d support abstinence-only sex education, Steele said yes. That’s not the sort of preparation Indiana students need for their futures or college life.
By rabidly pursuing an outdated ideology, Steele has become a poster child for inefficient representation. Whether Colglazier faultily believes he’ll be able to radically change his district’s economy or not, his campaign still promises hope for a better future. His long march has shown that he is willing to blaze his own trail. It might not have been realistic this time, but any road less traveled by the likes of Brent Steele clearly promises more competent representation for the 44th district’s constituents.