Bob Heaton

State Representative R-Terre Haute, District 46 (Owen, parts of Clay, Monroe & Vigo Counties)
 

Radical Public Education Policies

June 24, 2023

If you wonder why our state politicians keep making radical educational policies, look no further than how they are funded.

Hoosiers for Quality Education (H4QE), formerly known as Hoosiers for Economic Growth, is an education “reform” political action committee led by businessman Fred Klipsch. The group has spent more than $3 million on campaign contributions to benefit candidates who support the privatization of public education and other radical right-wing reforms. 

In fact, H4QE contributed $3,500 to District 46 Rep Bob Heaton’s (R-Terre Haute) 2022 campaign.  So it is unsurprising that Heaton not only voted for HB 1177 authorizing teachers to keep firearms in classrooms that has been signed into law, but also was a co-sponsor for HB 1407 called Parental Bill of Rights that prevents courts from removing a child from their home if there is a serious risk to themselves or others and won’t get the care needed from their parent or guardian. For example, if they are denied gender-affirming care making them suicidal, which is the law, the courts could no longer act in the best interest of the child. 

Follow the Money

If you think these votes reflect the interests of donors rather than Hoosiers, let Rep Bob Heaton know—especially if you live in District 46. 

If you care about keeping our schools public, check out the Indiana Coalition for Public Education (ICPE).

Highway Safety

November 28, 2023

Everyone driving on Indiana roads is currently faced with a greater risk of a truck-involved accident than in other parts of the country—not only because of the high volume of commercial truck traffic, but also because HB 1190 was signed into law in 2021 allowing overloading.

State Representative Bob Heaton, R-Terre Haute District 46, which includes part of Monroe County—but is mostly rural Vigo County, voted in favor of this.

  •  Many of our highways and bridges are not designed to support such heavy loads
  •  Repairing the damage diverts funds that could be used for other transportation projects. 
  •  Overloading causes a truck to increase speed when descending a hill, which puts added stress on the brakes. 
  • Weight gets shifted to the rear and affects steering. 
  • When the center of gravity is raised, it could lead to a rollover.
  •  Increased pressure on the tires leads to more tire blowouts.

If overloading creates all these unsafe conditions for the truck drivers as well as the public, why would Heaton vote in favor of it?

Follow the Money

Not only did Republican majority whip Heaton receive $4K from the trucking and transportation industry in the last election cycle, but he is a registered member of the American Legislative Exchange Council (ALEC).  ALEC is a well-known secretive organization that gives corporations cover for access to politicians.  They are not a friend to regulation, environment, or health and safety.  It’s all about the bottom line.

Heaton received $125,996.57 in reported total contributions for the last election cycle, but ALEC is well known to provide lots of perks behind the curtain.  And even though Indiana has lobby laws, ALEC is exempt from them in our state. 

Heaton is on the ballot again in 2024. 

Defunding Public Education

March 18, 2024

The January indictment of founder Thomas Stoughton and a couple associates for two Indiana Virtual Charter Schools on criminal charges is bittersweet for taxpayers. These men have allegedly defrauded Hoosiers for at least $44 million by inflating enrollments and then diverting funds to themselves. 

Bittersweet because this is just another example of how our public schools are being defunded.  And communities who care about these shortfalls and rally to bolster budgets by passing referendums almost had to share those monies with charter schools as well.  Why?

State Representative Bob Heaton R-Terre Haute for District 46 and House Majority Whip voted with the House for HB 1072 in 2022 to change “may” to “shall” for public schools to share referendum money with charter schools.  The only reason it didn’t become law is that it failed to receive a hearing in the Senate Appropriations committee.   Overall Heaton does not look good on public education bills.  Not only is his recent record dismal, but the Indiana Coalition for Public Education (ICPE) gave him an F in 2016, and Ds in 2018 and 2020.

Follow the Money

Heaton received $3,500 in the 2022 race from Hoosiers for Quality Education (H4QE).  This ultra conservative education reform group is led by businessman and long-time Republican operative Fred Klipsch.  According to ICPE, “H4QE is a pro-privatization of public education and has some large donors. . . .Their PAC gives generously to candidates who tend to vote against public education.”  California billionaire & former CEO of Netflix Reed Hastings donated $100 thousand to H4QE in 2020.

Further, Heaton is a registered member of the American Legislative Exchange Council (ALEC).  The Center for Media and Democracy reveals their goal is to make “education a private commodity rather than a public good.”   Not only do they want to privatize our schools but “crush teacher’s unions, and push American universities to the right.”

There is an alternative for District 46 this coming November.  Kurtis Cummings D-Ellettsville.