From Jackie's Desk...

For those of you interested in reshaping and reforming local government, make sure you read the Kernan/Shepard Commission report. This report has a vast array of information about every area of local government and how it can become more efficient. It is important for you, as voters and taxpayers, to read this report and decide for yourself and your family if you agree with the suggested changes or not. This issue is an issue of "the people" and should be decide by "the people". Please take the time to see what is out there and ask questions of your elected officials, let them know how you feel about it and what you would like to see changed. This is the kind of issue that is so dramatic it should be allowed to be a referendum vote. I will post the link to this report as soon as it becomes available.
Jackie

Representative Walorski on the Harvest Show!

See Jackie today on the Harvest show as she speaks about the Prayer Ban Victory in Indiana!
Click here to view

Thanks to all of you who attended the "Repeal Property Tax" rally on Friday night..it was great! For those of you who didn't let me reiterate one point that is critical to remember on this issue. There is ONE person who stands between 6.2 million Hoosiers and true property tax reform OR repeal and that is House Speaker Patrick Bauer. If he doesn't hear these extremely important bills, there will be no votes. You might want to call or email him to urge him to MOVE on this issue in January.

Also: please remember to vote on Tuesday...VOTE FOR JUAN MANIGAULT, JEFF REA & JIM PETTIT!!! We CANNOT lose these important Mayoral races! If you know someone that lives in the city limits of these three cities of South Bend, Mishawaka or Elkhart....call them and encourage them to vote for these guys. In addition, offer to pick them up, drive them to vote, take a friend, etc. EVERY VOTE will count this year so it is critical. YOU will make the difference.

Hope to see you at the celebration parties Tuesday night!!
Jackie

Thank you...

Well, today was a major victory for us and a major defeat to the ACLU! The 7th Circuit Court of Appeals ruled in our favor and reversed the prayer ban in Indiana! Yeah for us, for freedom of speech and religious expression. It is amazing to think that a liberal court would actually uphold the Constitution and vote AGAINST the ACLU!! Wow....justice prevailed. Thanks to all of you who have been praying about getting this ridiculous ruling reversed. The Indiana House can now pray with uncensored prayers again, when we convene in January, as has been the tradition in our State for nearly 190 years!
Jackie

Huge Victory in Indiana!!

Today, the 7th Circuit Court of Appeals dismissed the ACLU lawsuit regarding praying in Jesus name in the Indiana House of Representatives. The District Court ruling was a landmark decision marking the first time a federal court had attempted to dictate the specific content of prayer in a state or federal legislative body.

Representative Jackie Walorski said, "This is a great day of victory in the State of Indiana and for the United States as well, that the 7th Circuit Court of Appeals has ruled in favor of uncensored prayers at the Indiana Statehouse. I am thankful to the thousands of people in our State that have fervently prayed for this ruling to be overturned and today, we are thankful
that we can again openly pray in Jesus' name in our State. In our culture today, it is critical to protect individual freedom and freedom of expression, and this is a major victory!"

For nearly 190 years, it has been the tradition of the Indiana House to allow clerics from many faiths to offer prayer before the House begins its business for the day. This tradition is also followed by Congress for over 200 years. This freedom, for individuals to offer prayers freely and in accordance with their own religious beliefs has been protected for generations as a free expression of speech and freedom of religious expression. The District Court that originally banned prayer ignored this tradition and sought to require the House Speaker to censor prayers.
The Court of Appeals returned the case to the District Court with instructions to dismiss for want for jurisdiction.

Property Tax Reform

"I have consistently said that Indiana only has a chance at real property tax reform under this Governor. Gov. Daniels has displayed courage and political will to take on a broken system. I am very pleased that the Governor has heard the pleas of thousands of Hoosiers and is leading the charge to take action. This bold plan gives the legislature a starting point to begin the process of bringing much needed property tax relief in 2008. I look forward to the debate and the details of how this plan will effect my district. I will be holding town hall meetings for the next 8 weeks to see what my constituents think of the plan and how it will effect them."
Jackie

Nappanee Update

" For 5 hours on Sunday, I registered volunteers at the Northwood High School parking lot...some 3,500-4,000 people..who came to help a community put their lives back together after a fierce F3 tornado ripped thru Nappanee on Thursday night. It was awesome to be part of such a relief effort..I have never seen anything like it. People came from everywhere to lend a hand and the logistical part of organizing that many people was incredible as well. Again, I am grateful to the officials in the City of Nappanee, Elkhart County & the Indiana State Police for doing an incredible job. Keep the people of Nappanee in your thoughts and prayers over the coming weeks and months as the rebuild continues. Thanks."
Jackie

Nappanee Tornado damage

I toured the damage area in Nappanee this morning to see, first hand, how devastating the tornado was that touched down there @ 10:15 pm. The Dairy Queen & Taco Bell on US 6 are gone and a subdivision there has sustained significant damage. Thank God no one was killed. Keep the people of Nappanee and the officials in your prayers. There is a great deal to clean up and rebuild. Thanks! Jackie

From Jackie's Desk...

Friends,

Good Morning! There is so much happening right now, I wanted to slow down a bit to catch you up, and let you know what I've been up to the past few weeks!

I was honored to speak at the Gun Rights Policy Conference in Ft. Mitchell, Kentucky last weekend. Not only am I a huge proponent of our 2nd amendment rights but am honored to have co authored the lifetime handgun permit in Indiana back in 2006. There were over 800 people in attendance representing pro gun groups from all over the nation..from the NRA, 2nd Amendment Patriots, to every small grass roots group in the country. I urged them to pass the Castle Doctrine in every state this next session as well as the lifetime handgun permit. I'll be carrying two pro gun bills (or amendments) in the upcoming session...good, common sense gun bills. Stay tuned for more details on that as the time approaches.

Yesterday I had a chance to speak to about 60 candidates and "would be" candidates running for office in Indiana. These are die hard conservatives that have either already committed to running or are helping someone else's campaign. We have great hope for the future by the looks of the folks that showed up at that training conference!

Thank you for your support, I am looking forward to the things that are ahead! You can now keep in touch with me through Face Book and My Space! Stop in an drop me a note!

Keep pressing forward!!

Jackie

Jackie Awarded National Legislator of the Year!

Jackie received Eagle Forum's Legislator of the Year award in St. Louis, Missouri for her work on pro family, pro life issues in the past session. Jackie is an outspoken advocate for the family & has quickly become the conservative leader in Indiana. This past week she also recieved Citizens for Community Values Public Servant of the Year award in South Bend, Indiana. This award was again for leading on conservative values and for defeating the Hate Crimes Bill in Indiana in during the 2007 General Assembly.

Congratualations Jackie!

Monica Boyer

Jackie speaks at 2007 Gun Rights Policy Conference!

Jackie speaks at the 22nd anual gun rights policy conference on October 6th in Cincinatti Ohio.

Jim Tomes (Second Amendment Patriots) Jackie Walorski (Indiana State Representative) & Larry Pratt (Executive Director of Gun Owners of America)

Jackie Walorski (Indiana State Representative) & Larry Pratt (Executive Director of Gun Owners of America)

Alan Gottlieb ( Founder of the Second Amendment Foundation) Jackie Walorski (Indiana State Representative)

Monica Boyer

Photo's taken by Vanderberg Photography 2007 (http://www.vanderbergphotography.com/)

Faith, Family and Freedom Rally

State Representative Jackie Walorski appeared on National Radio this afternoon speaking on pro family issues, and our upcoming rally. You can download the link below to hear the broadcast. Download the September 12, 2007 F2A Program Guest: Jackie Walorski, Indiana State Rep. And former missionary; former Navy Chaplain Gordon James Klingenschmitt Topics: 2nd Annual Faith, Family, and Freedom Rally in Wakarusa, IN on Sept. 29 Wakarusa In 6:30pm; Florida hospital chaplain fired for praying in Jesus' name Download MP3 (Right click and select "Save Target As") http://www.f2a.org/radio/archive2003.htm


Monica Boyer

Working Hard for Property Tax Reform

As you may have seen in the news, Indiana State Representative Jackie Walorski has been working overtime this summer for her constituents in the 21st district, spurred on by the property tax crisis that we are currently facing here in Indiana.

She has been tirelessly gathering signatures, now totaling near 10,000, asking Legislative Leaders and Governor Daniels to study long term property tax reform with at least one option for the elimination of property taxes. Rep. Walorski says she is “cautiously optimistic” that there has been some movement in the State with three different plans now in the works. Her colleague, Rep. Jim Buck, has a plan that is worthy of consideration as does a retired businessman from Elkhart County, Bob Dutton. Keeping up the pressure, which has been her number one priority this summer, is paying off because good plans are coming from all corners of the State from people who have studied this issue for more than a decade.

Rep. Walorski is consistently speaking to groups all over Northern Indiana about the possibilities of long term property tax reform. She continues to affirm her original request to Legislative Leaders that two or three of these plans have honest and open debate in January. If they pass, Rep. Walorski would like to see them put on a referendum for voters to choose their system of taxation by November. Thus far, every plan that actually calls for the "elimination" of property tax in it has mandatory spending controls.

Jackie will continue to work hard to keep this issue at the forefront of debate here in Indiana. It is vital that progress toward permanent property tax reform be made in the 2008 Legislative session. Rest assured that Rep. Walorski will do all in her power to see that happen, and with the continued support of the citizens of this great State, it will happen!

News

From the Tribune this morning:

LAKEVILLE — Gov. Mitch Daniels stopped short of saying he would seek to eliminate property taxes in Indiana here Tuesday, but suggested the issue is one that requires examination. "We ought to look and see," Daniels said in response to a question. "We certainly need to head in that direction and go as far as we can."

State Rep. Jackie Walorski, R-Lakeville, has been an advocate of eliminating property taxes altogether.

On Tuesday, she suggested that property taxes could be replaced by a combination of increased sales and income taxes and a reduction in spending.

Right now, she said, several different tax plans have been suggested, but none are on the table for discussion. "If ever we have a shot at long-term property tax reform, it will be while he's governor," Walorski said, indicating she meant Daniels... more

Boston

I just returned from a Legislative Conference and learned that several states are looking at the repeal of property taxes as an option for the changing dynamics of their individual tax structures.

Georgia is wiping out their entire tax structure including property tax, gas tax, etc. and replacing the entire system with 2 flat taxes, income & sales, same amount across the board.

Florida is losing their senior citizen population who retire & live there as residents and property taxes have soared out of control so they are looking at eliminating residential property taxes in their next session.

Our effort to at least get the elimination of property taxes on the table as a "possible solution" is gaining much momentum in the past week. The Indiana Farm Bureau has now tossed their hat into the ring and brings many more thousands of grassroots people wanting to see change.

I am more optimistic today, than I was last week, that we have a real chance to usher in long term property tax reform because of the crisis half of the State is experiencing in this latest tax fiasco. We have a window of opportunity to change our system of taxation. If we move quickly, we could actually get a new tax plan on the ballot in May '08 and allow Hoosiers to vote on a referendum...what a great day that would be!

Back from Boston Conference

I'm finally back from an awesome conference in Boston. I found out that Florida has now joined the list of States looking to eliminate property taxes! They will be voting on the elimination of residential property taxes. I'll post more details later.

Property Tax March

On July 22nd, I led a march of 200 people to eliminate property taxes in our State. If you agree we need to get rid of this unfair system of taxation, please click here and let me know.

Some pics from the march.

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Ammendment to Stop Mass Mental Screening of Indiana Kids

State Representative Jakie Walorski introducing ammendment to to Stop mass Mental Screening of Indiana Kids