Candidate Ann Ennis Offers Representation Pledge

Candidate Ann Ennis Offers Representation Pledge

Ann Ennis, Republican candidate for State Representative, presented a pledge of representation March 19 to residents of Indiana District 64.  The pledge was read at the Tea Party Patriots Legislative Meeting in Evansville this afternoon.

In it, she pledges to attend all five district county council, county commission, soil and water and school district meetings at least quarterly during her term.

“A representative’s main obligation is to represent the interests of the district she serves,” Ennis said.  “Out-of-state or even Indianapolis-based interests are not necessarily addressing local needs.  As state rep, I will meet regularly with district county and school officials to assure Indy hears our reality.”

Ennis said she has been surprised to hear during her travel throughout the district, which covers all or parts of Gibson, Knox, Pike, Posey and Vanderburgh counties, that state legislators do not regularly confer with local elected officials before or during session.

“I heard recently that in 2014 HB 1006 Criminal Code Revision includes mandates that time served less than x-days for various felonies was then to be served in the county of prosecution.  News noted the savings to state prisons, but overlooked was that according to me sources, no monies from the state came with this influx of offenders.”

The commissioner who first shared the story with Ennis noted that he had no calls from any state representative about the law’s effect.

Her experience has been that state representatives do not regularly consult with elected school boards or professional educators when considering new state-mandates in K-12 schools, either.  “Centralized, big government direction is how we got into the ISTEP testing mess.  Centralized, big government direction is not going to get our local schools the help they need to teach,” she said.  “No one making the rules is talking to the educators in our communities.”

With five counties, and seven public school districts, including commissioners and councils and soil and water conservation to represent, Ennis calculates that is 88 meetings in the course of a 52-week year.  “That is easily manageable.  More grassroots direction has to be given to Indy,”

Ennis said. “It is absolutely essential to make noise for the district.  That is a representative’s duty.  Counties and schools cannot take any more fiscal pressure from the General Assembly without having their voices heard.”

A copy of the pledge is posted on Ennis’ campaign committee Facebook:  www.facebook.com/FriendsOfAnnEnnis and this week is being mailed to each county commission and school board in the district.

Ennis is a lifetime resident of District 64 with 30 years’ experience in civic leadership, including serving as Executive Director of Keep Evansville Beautiful (Evansville), and executive fund development positions with Habitat of Evansville, Ruth’s House (substance abuse recovery) and the Public Education Foundation of Evansville. She has been an officer in her family’s coal and oil exploration contracting firm, and worked in finance and media marketing.

FOOTNOTE:  This letter was posted without opinion, bias or editing,