Ahead of the upcoming election, Capital B Gary is giving readers the chance to hear directly from candidates appearing on their ballots. These candidates represent the interests of Gary and other Lake County residents and bring their unique perspectives and goals for the community. This year, incumbent Democratic state Rep. Ragen Hatcher faces Republican challenger Leslie Dallner in the race for the Indiana State House District 3 seat. In this Q&A, they share their motivations, legislative priorities, and hopes for the future of Gary.
This story has been edited for length and clarity.
State Rep. Ragen Hatcher
Capital B Gary: What was your biggest motivation to run for office this term?
A lot of times, because our legislative sessions are so short, we can only hear so many deals in one session. We get to start something, but we might not be able to get all the details. For example, the convention center project. We started that three years ago. We were able to get it passed two years ago. And last year, some adjustments were made to the legislation. Moving forward, when we come back, we’ll make some more adjustments, making sure that whoever receives the convention center will have the funding.
So that’s one motivation for sure. Another one, of course, is the Gary Community School Corporation. We worked hard to get them out of DUAB (Distressed Unit Appeal Board). So last year, we were able to set the date and get the board set up, and we’re hoping when we go back this year, we can do some more things to help them get out of their debt with the state and also bring back some funds to build a new school. I know the work isn’t done yet. Now, I guess the real question is, will there ever be a time when the work is done? I don’t know if you can ever say yes to that, but the reason I ran this time is because I know we have some big projects.
Another one is U.S. (Route) 6, which has been a thorn in the side of Hobart, East Chicago, and Lake Station, keeping that road drivable because they just don’t have the funds to do it. They’ve been going through their own financial hardships. And so we have started the process of turning that road back over to the state of Indiana where it used to be, and they will take care of that road. So, just something for each community that is continuing and will be going forward in the upcoming session.
Tell us about a bill you would propose in the state house that would benefit the residents of Gary.
The bills we propose are usually not location-specific. Gary’s schools are a little different because they came under DUAB control, which required us to propose legislation. But what I do usually impacts the entire state.
So, I’ll be proposing two bills coming up that I would like to mention. One is the safe storage gun law. Now that we have this super open carry, everybody law in the state of Indiana, we need to make sure that kids in households with guns are safe and, whether that means requiring parents to keep them locked lip or if it means prosecuting the parents criminally if the kids get hold of the gun and hurt themselves or someone else. That will be one bill.
A second bill is a domestic violence bill. And that one will make sure that when a police officer is called out to a home on a domestic violence call, that police officer will have the authority to give the victim a protective order on-site. When [the officer] provides [the victim] with the police report number,[the officer]can also give [the victim] a temporary protective order on site so when the police leave and the perpetrator [comes] back to the house, that person has the authority to call the police and say, “Hey, I have this protective order, please come get them,” and then that way, they get locked up immediately. We want to make sure that all communities have the ability to put this in place.
What areas do you find the most opportunity to work with Republicans in the state legislature?
I think that would be in the finance arena. That comes to taxes and providing funds for communities. Whether you’re Republican or Democrat, every community needs the opportunity to apply for funds, whether they be for streets or infrastructure. So when we are talking about making sure there are dollars for urban areas I can’t say, “Hey, give me dollars for Lake Station or give me dollars for Gary.” So what we do is, we say, “Can we allocate so many dollars to urban areas in the state of Indiana?” And they understand that because they’re also allocating dollars to rural areas. The majority of those 70 (GOP House members) are in rural areas. But that’s one place where we all agree. Every community that we represent needs money to do projects, and that’s one place where we all get on the same page.
What is your most fond Gary memory?
I can’t say how old I was, but I remember being at Gilroy Stadium over by the golf course. I remember being there with my mom and dad on the Fourth of July for the big fireworks show. And I think it was then that I realized how special it was. It felt like the entire city was there, and that was the first time I realized how much I loved Gary. I wanted to carry on Dad’s [former Gary Mayor Richard Hatcher] legacy of making sure that Gary was not only treated fairly by the state of Indiana, but that the people of Gary had the hope that I felt that night sitting there watching those fireworks.
What is your biggest hope for Gary?
Gary is the largest city in Northwest Indiana. We are the hub of Northwest Indiana, and just as Chicago has their metropolitan area, Gary is the hub of this metropolitan area. I think with Mayor [Eddie] Melton in office, I certainly see the city taking a turn already. We’re looking at the different programs he’s implementing not just outside of City Hall but also in City Hall. I think Gary is going to become a middle-class community in the next four years. I think if we continue forward on the path that we’re on, we can get there. I think that with that increase in income for the residents, we may be able to pull in all of these chain stores and restaurants and start that process so Gary can truly be the hub of Northwest Indiana.
Leslie Dallner
What was your biggest motivation to run for office this term?
For the last several years, the direction of our cities, county, country and nation has been going in the wrong direction. The constituents’ voice in District 3 has been ignored long enough. Our education system is failing our children, our health choices are being infringed upon using flawed data, and our communities are no longer safe and secure due to open borders.
Tell us about a bill you would propose in the state house that would benefit the residents of Gary.
EPA laws are very outdated and based on when the steel mills had 10 times operational output than today’s output. They are not as toxic as before. Revamping the EPA laws based on current production would open a door for an intermodal port that can bring 15,000 jobs to the area, stimulate the local economy, and bring in revenue that benefits District 3. One more thing to implement is a fair contract for public transportation working with all cities in NWI instead of each city running its own public transportation system. Our current public transportation system is underutilized because each city operates its own instead of collectively coming together to service the citizens of District 3 and all of NWI.
What areas do you find the most opportunity to work with Democrats in the state legislature?
Department of Education — we need to get back to the basics of math, reading, science, and history and teaching civic government and its operation along with teaching the constitution of this nation so children know who they are in order to become well-informed, self-sufficient contributing adults to our communities, cities, state, and nation. Creating strong partnerships with the trade industry, agriculture, and first responders will contribute to those who have talents choosing not to go to college.
What is your most fond Gary memory?
The beachfront in the spring and summertime — enjoying the breeze, the water, and the sand, along with the history of Marquette Park. Walking the trails and savoring the peace and tranquility of nature.
What is your biggest hope for Gary?
To become the logistical capital of the Midwest without the interference of Chicago politics. We have our own airport, we have an underutilized Burns Harbor port, and we supply 22% of the steel in this nation and abroad: we have everything we need to develop the self-sustaining economy in this region. Let’s work together to shine a light on the real crossroads of the Midwest.
