Heidi Sellers for State Representative

Heidi is the clear choice if you want policies to help public education and working families.

A Note from Heidi Sellers: We Need Your Help This Weekend

Well friends, 7 days 1hour and 21 minutes til Election Day !!! I know we have all worked hard but it is get out the vote time!!! I am sorry I could not join you last Saturday at headquarters due to Floyd co vote centers opening. However, this Saturday is Harrison County day!! Jake, Senator Young and I would like to invite all candidates and as many volunteers as we can find to run 1 1/2 hour shifts on Saturday from headquarters from 9:30-5! Senator Young and I will provide chicken and sides for lunch from 11:30-1. See if you can round up help. Maybe Rachel will bring her truck and some people can call to get SD and LD out to vote and some of us can canvass.

Let me know you are coming and how many so we can plan food. We will see everyone at headquarters Friday night for trick or treat and we can finalize plans. Shifts can run 9:30-11,
11-12:30, 12:30-2, 2-3:30, and 3:30-5. We need help on Monday too.

Let's all kick in these last 72 hours and ALL WIN!!!!!!

Hugs to all and thanks for all your work on my behalf too!!

Heidi Sellers
Candidate State House 70

Heidi Sellers talking to the Colins.

Rhonda Rhoads: No Show at Another Debate

Rhonda skipped the North Harrison education forum last night. Heidi Sellers and Richard Young were there. Rhonda shows nothing but contempt for the taxpayers of her district. Let's take away her chair in Indianapolis come November 4!

So, Rhonda, why do you vote against public education and working families?

When will Rhonda Rhoads debate Heidi Sellers?

When will Rhonda Rhoads debate Heidi Sellers? That is the question at hand. Heidi Sellers has invited Rhonda to numerous forums across District 70. She has skipped events in Sellersburg and Corydon to date. Rhonda said she was too busy and could not come. This is despite Rhonda pulling in more than $58 thousand for her part time job in the Legislature. You would think she could sit by her opponent, side by side, for voters to compare and here both of their positions on the issues.

Well, Rhonda has a couple more chances. The Lanesville Education Association (LEA) has a forum October 22 at 6:30 PM in the Lanesville High School Cafeteria. The North Harrison NHCTA will be having a forum October 23 at 6:30 at Morgan Elementary. Rhonda has been invited. The public is invited too, so this is also to remind citizens concerned about public education to attend and see where the candidates stand.

Why is Rhonda skipping these events? Maybe she does not want to answer for her horrible record on public education, where she has voted for vouchers that rob public schools of money, and for the Tony Bennett corporate school agenda. Maybe she doesn't want to have to explain why she got a 0% rating from the AFL-CIO, but 82% from the Koch Brothers.

Rhonda: Its Time to Debate Heidi Sellers!

Rhonda Rhoads: Ineffective State Representative

State Rep. Rhonda Rhoads has not been effective this years as a member of the General Assembly. She authored three bills this session. None passed.

She co-authored 11 bills, resolutions, or constitutional amendments. Only one was signed into law by the Governor. She did manage to pass a constititional amendment to enshrine discrimination into our state constitution. It was amended to make it not as bad. But, the U.S. District Court, the 7th Circuit Court, and now the U.S. Supreme Court have rebuffed Rhonda on that one.

So Rhonda has passed only one law she co-authored and tried to deny rights to Hoosiers. Hey Rhonda- how about the JOBS? How about PUBLIC EDUCATION?

Good thing is that we have a candidate that is focused on jobs and public education: Heidi Sellers.

Meet Your Democratic Candidates-(Rhonda Rhoads has also been invited) Thursday, October 2 at the Leora Brown School

We will be having a meet the candidates meeting on Thursday, October 2. It will be at the Leora Brown School in Corydon on Summit Street from 6:30 to 8:00 P.M. Pop in at anytime to meet our candidates and enjoy some refreshments. Thanks to Rachael Armstrong for helping us to set it up. We will have further events all around Harrison County as the election approaches.

As a special bonus, Rhonda Rhoads has been invited to a forum with Heidi Sellers. At this time, we have not heard whether or not Rhonda will be attending. We will update if we here further. 

UPDATE: Rhonda Rhoads has said that she does not have time to attend this forum, or the other three forums across District 70 proposed by Heidi Sellers. Note that Rhonda is retired, and as a part-time legislator, her duties were over in mid-March. Draw your own conclusions there.

Leora Brown School

Pictures from the J-J Dinner, Part I

We wanted to share some pictures from the Harrison County Jefferson-Jackson Dinner this year. We will be putting this on the website in a few parts. A big thanks to Rachael Armstrong for the pictures!

Sen. Richard Young

Terry Miller, Bob Adams and Buck Mathes

Mike Claytor and Glenda Ritz

Debbie Mathes, Alvin Brown, Deanna Brock, Bill Brock, Barbara Mathes, Chuck Mathes

Ron and Sharon Simpson

Terri Byrd, Dennis Byrd, Leisa Emily

John and Kelly Colin talking to Heidi Sellers

Chairman Jim Kincaid addressing the packed house

The biggest J-J crowd in many years

The crowd getting the delicious meal prepared by Amy Valentine

Franklin Township Trustee thinking about gravy while Marvin and Dorothy Capehart fill their plates

Doris Bliss and Webster Township Trustee Merlin "Dick" Lillpop enjoying the food

Morgan Township Trustee Fred Uhl

Former Auditor Pat Wolfe enjoying the evening

Glenda Ritz and Sen. Richard Young

Heidi Sellers Needs Your Help this Saturday in Corydon!

Heidi Sellers and Harrison County Democrats need your help this Saturday. The World on the Square Festival is going on around the square in downtown Corydon. Heidi wants to bake and pass out cookies to the crowd from her and the Democrats. This is also a great festival for Harrison County. You can visit their website at http://www.worldonthesquare.org/. It is brought to us by the local group Community Unity, which was started after the Ku Klux Klan came to Corydon in 1999, to show that our community does not tolerate this type of bigotry and hate. We at the Harrison County Democratic Party stand squarely against hate groups like this, and hope everyone in our county feels welcome.

We will have a table in front of our headquarters on North Capitol Avenue from 4:00 to 8:00 PM. If you are interested in helping, you can contact Heidi at (502) 664-9409. Thanks in advance for your help!

New Website for Heidi Sellers

Visit Heidi's website at: http://heidisellers.com/ There is a lot of good information, pictures, video, etc.

Heidi Sellers and Glenda Ritz

CNBC: Indiana 7th Worst in Quality of Life Index in America

According the CNBC, not exactly what you would call a liberal bastion, the State of Indiana continues to fall behind in the quality of life index. We aren't exactly moving in the right direction either. Indiana dropped five spots from last year. Ranking 7th worst in the quality of life index is not something to be proud of. Nor is having seen teacher salaries declining more than all but one state in the country, when adjusted for inflation.

Things are not going so great in this state, when it comes to education, poverty, and quality of life. Given how Mike Claytor has shown that the state is cooking the books to make cooking the books to make the budget situation look better, so it is difficult to believe much that comes out of Indianapolis. Rhonda Rhoads and her partisan, far-right Tea Party agenda, which has targeted working families and our public schools have failed. It is time for her to go into early retirement. It is time for someone in Indianapolis that will work for regular people and our school. We need Heidi Sellers as our next State Representative.

Heidi, Heidi, Heidi, Oh! Rhonda Rhoads has got to go!

From Our Friends in Floyd County: Bailey, Sellers & Freiberger react to controversial State Board of Education action.

We wanted to share this press release from our Democratic friends next door in Floyd County. What can you do in Harrison County to put an end to these radical GOP policies? Help us to elect Heidi Sellers, Doug Leatherbury, and re-elect Sen. Richard Young. Visit, like, and share their facebook pages to help spread the word!

 

Bailey, Sellers & Freiberger react to controversial State Board of Education action.

 

New Albany – On Wednesday, Kevin Sue Bailey, Heidi Sellers and Chuck Freiberger – educators and candidates for State House District 72, House District 70 and State Senate District 46 respectively – released the following statement after the Indiana State Board of Education (SBOE) controversially stripped Superintendent of Public Instruction Glenda Ritz of duties assigned to her as chair of the State Board.

“As educators, we were motivated to run for office because of our passion for the future of our state’s youngest citizens.  We spend every day working with students at New Albany - Floyd County Schools, West Clark Community Schools, Greater Clark Schools, and Harrison County Schools to ensure they receive the highest quality education possible.

“Regrettably, constant political interference not only complicates our jobs, but most importantly it’s unfair to our students.

“Our children’s future and college and career preparedness shouldn’t be a Democratic or Republican issue.

“We appreciate the political dialogue and desire to improve our state’s education system, but it’s about time we solely focus on the needs of Hoosier students, not those of for-profit out-of-state schools or private schools looking to add extra revenue to their budgets through vouchers.

“Today’s meeting revealed that the State Board of Education is more interested in scoring cheap political points rather than solving the real issues that help prepare our children for the jobs of the future.

“The last election ended in November 2012, yet it seems Republicans are still in denial as they’re still furiously trying to undo the results.

“Apparently, the election is still being contested by the governor and by members of the State Board who instead of respecting the decisions of Superintendent Ritz as the elected State Superintendent, are attempting to diminish her powers rather than abide by her judgments as a duly elected official.

“Elections have consequences and the State Board of Education should remember who they serve – Indiana’s parents and students – not politicians or political parties.  Perhaps Governor Pence has forgotten that Superintendent Ritz got 1.3 million votes, more than he did, in the 2012 election.

“Our students deserve better and we look forward to getting back to school and being part of the solution – not part of the problem. Together WE can do better!”

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Fighting for common sense education policy

This year in the Statehouse, House Democrats proposed common sense improvements to our state’s education policy, all of which were blocked by party line Republican votes. Instead Republicans voted to:

• Forgive $91,000,000 in charter school debt at the expense of squeezing public school budgets even tighter (HEA 1001)
• Allow firearms on school property (SB 229)
• Allow homeschooled students to participate in sports programs at public schools (HB1047)
• Spend millions of dollars to fully fund the Governor’s duplicative and controversial education agency where staff are paid salaries over $100,000, while teachers continue to see their classroom budgets decrease (HB 1319, Amendment 4)
• Backed out on implementing the Pre-K pilot program after taking credit for its passage

Indiana Republicans Refuse to Respect Voters

Republicans in Indiana must not think much of democracy. Despite her win over former school chief Tony Bennett, who was recently fined $5,000 by the State Ethics Commission, the Pence appointed State School Board, voted to take more power away from Glenda Ritz.

Here is a bit from a recent Courier-Journal article:

She continued to say that the resolution was wasteful and that it suggested that the Department of Education was not doing its job. But board member Dan Elsener said board’s battles with the superintendent have “never been personal and it’s never been political.” The crowd groaned and laughed.

“I reject this resolution,” Ritz said, and ruled it was “out of order.”
After a few minutes of disagreement between Ritz’s attorney and the board’s attorney, her decision was appealed and overruled by a 7-3 vote. The board also passed a resolution to change board procedures, which outraged Ritz’s supporters in the audience.

“There are many of us in the state, 1.3 million that voted for Superintendent Ritz,” said Lynn Richard Nelson, a retired professor of history education. “And we do not share your educational philosophy.”

The resolution would allow board members to set meeting times and add items to the agenda more easily, without the approval of the chair. “The public deserves to comment,” said board member Andrea Neal. “This resolution makes it too easy to add last-minute items.” Ritz said the resolution was “especially insulting” to her.

Vic Smith — a former educator who tracks school policy — said the resolution is a “political move to reduce the powers of the state elected superintendent.” Neal urged board members to vote against the resolution, but it passed 7-3. Raised voices and eye rolling led to a 10-minute recess before the board continued on with less controversial business.

After the meeting, House Minority Leader Scott Pelath, D-Michigan City, said it’s “getting beyond tiresome to see monthly power grabs.” “This nonsense must stop … but it won’t,” Pelath said. “The board will continue to pick away and pick away until there is no way for Hoosiers to have a say in the way their children are educated.”

It is about time that the radical Tony Bennett policies, rejected by Indiana voters, go to the dustbin of history. These policies have lowered moral among teachers in our state to record low levels. It should be noted that Rhonda Rhoads, the anti-public education retired teacher, backed the entire Bennett agenda, including vouchers and reducing money to public education. One thing we can do to send a message in November is to send a pro-public education teacher to the Statehouse in the fall. That person is Heidi Sellers. Like and share her facebook page to help get the message out, and to throw out Rhonda Rhoads.

Rhoads Rhoads gets a raise every year. Why is she blocking one for Hoosiers?

According to the Indiana Transparency Database, Rep. Rhonda Rhoads made $58,471.66 last year from her part time position in the Indiana House of Representatives. Her salary is tied to judicial pay, so she has gotten a raise every year since she entered the General Assembly. Plus, she is drawing a pension check from being a retired teacher, despite her frequent votes against public education and teachers.

However, she refused to co-sponsor HB 1151, by Rep. John Bartlett, which would have taken the modest step of raising the Indiana minimum wage from $7.25 per hour to $8.25 per hour this year. This would have given a minimum wage worker a more than $2,000 a year raise. Her party refused to even give this a hearing, and spent much of their time this session on things that don't create jobs or raise wages. More than 70% of Americans want a minimum wage increase, and even Republicans in the Michigan Legislature recently passed an increase.

The questions we have for Rep. Rhonda Rhoads are simple.

• Do you support raising the minimum wage in Indiana at all?
• Would you support HB 1151 to raise the minimum wage by $1.00 per hour?
• Do you support the idea of having a minimum wage at all?
• If given the chance, would you abolish the minimum wage?
• Do you think it is right that you get a raise every year while minimum wage workers in Indiana are stuck at $7.25 per hour while you get salary and pension increase paid by taxpayers?

Answer us Rhonda. You have no problem giving your opinion on Duck Dynasty, so answer the questions.

New Challenges

Last week, we challenged our Democrats to push Heidi Sellers' facebook page over 300 like, and she is now at 329 likes. We also saw our own relatively young facebook page cross the 100 like mark earlier this week.

Our new challenges this week for facebook likes:

Harrison County Democratic Party up to 150 likes

Rachael Armstrong for Prosecutor to 200 likes

Donnie Hussung for County Council to 300 likes

Heidi Sellers for State Representative  to 350 likes

Helping grown these pages is really easy. We have provided the links above to get to the pages. If you haven't "liked" those pages yet, simply like the "like" button on facebook. If you already have liked them, go to the page and you will see a list of your friends that already like that page. Right below, you will see a feature where you can invite your friends to like that page. Simply invite as many of your own friends, and we will be able to spread the word even further. We will also have several of our other candidates that will be rolling out their own facebook pages in the next few weeks, so stay tuned for that.

Democrats at the Elizabeth Memorial Day Parade

Here are a few pictures of the Harrison County Democratic Party and our candidates at the Elizabeth Memorial Day Parade. And again, thank you to our veterans for all they do and have done.

Local Candidates with Facebook Pages

Did you know that several of our local candidates already have Facebook pages for their campaigns? Visit, "like", and "share" them to help them get their message out from now until November. We will add them as candidates launch their pages. Also, a shameless plug for our party's own Facebook page as well.

Rachael Armstrong for Prosecutor

Donnie Hussung for County Council

Heidi Sellers for State Representative, District 70

Carl Attwood for Sheriff

Harrison County Democratic Party

Heidi Sellers Event a Success!

From Heidi Sellers:

A BIG BIG Thank you to the great democrats in Harrison County for a terrific meet and greet tonight! Great food, great friends, and over $3200 in donations! Wow!

We have a link to her facebook page below. "Like" Heidi's page to keep the momentum going into November and add a dose of common sense to the General Assembly from a classroom teacher who supports public education and working families! 

Heidi Cade Sellers for State Representative, District 70 

And while you are on facebook, "like" our new facebook page for the Harrison County Democratic Party to keep up on the latest news and happenings. 

Harrison County Democratic Party  

Heidi Sellers Event on Thursday

Don't forget Heidi Sellers will have a meet and greet Thursday, April 17 at the Leora Brown School in Corydon at 400 Summit Street from 6:00-8:00 P.M. Refreshments will be served. She is our candidate for St. Rep. in District 70. She is a teacher in Clark County, and she will fight in Indianapolis for public education and working families. This will be an opportunity to meet Heidi and listen to her positions on the important issues facing Indiana.

Get updates from Heidi by liking her facebook page: Heidi Cade Sellers for Indiana State Representative District 70

                                               Heidi Sellers and Glenda Ritz, State Superintendent of Public Instruction