Indiana Democratic Party 2-27-21 Weekly Radio Address

Chairman John Zody and the Indiana Democratic Party 2-27-21 Weekly Radio Address:

Simply put: the Indiana Republican Party has lost their morals. They are no longer the Party of “local control and small government”, because instead, they are a political party without a vision and an allegiance to a fringe political ideology that only tears people down and divides our communities. 

TRANSCRIPT:

This is Chairman John Zody, bringing you the weekly message for the Indiana Democratic Party.

We’ve reached halftime for the 2021 legislative session at the Indiana General Assembly, and we now know how morally bankrupt Statehouse Republicans have become. 

In just two months, Indiana Republicans attacked our cities, disrespected our teachers, planned to strip millions from our public schools, struck down increasing the minimum wage for low-income families, and deployed arrogant and racist insults toward Indiana’s Black Legislative Caucus. All in two months. 

Simply put: the Indiana Republican Party has lost their morals. They are no longer the Party of “local control and small government”, because instead, they are a political party without a vision and an allegiance to a fringe political ideology that only tears people down and divides our communities. 

Hoosiers, we are better than this, and the Republicans know this. They know what’s right and what’s wrong — and they are choosing to embrace what’s wrong because it benefits them politically. They are willing to chuck out their Hoosier values and put the future of Indiana in jeopardy in favor of electoral politics. 

There’s still more time left on the legislative calendar to stop Statehouse Republicans from implementing their dangerous agenda — but we must start defining the Republicans now, not later. We must tell our friends, family members, and other community leaders how decayed the Republican Party has become. Only then will we be able to break down the grip the INGOP has on our state. 

This accountability must happen for elected officials in all offices — state and federal. And it includes elected officials like Congressman Jim Banks, who decided abiding by his constitutional duties and voting to provide COVID-19 relief for our state was beneath him. Instead, Banks opted to fly down to Florida for the Republican party’s fan club convention known as CPAC. 

What’s worse — he used the pandemic as an excuse not to show up for his elected duties. In a letter written to a colleague, Banks claimed that “due to the ongoing public health emergency”, he was unable to vote for the COVID-19 relief package. 

Jim Banks is a liar, and he showed us last night that he doesn’t value his constituents nor respect the office he holds. Banks’ biggest concern is sucking up to the disgraced former president and the QAnon ideology, not his constituents. He’s lost his morals and has lost his respect for this nation — and he is an example about why Hoosier families should not trust the Indiana Republican Party. 

Hoosiers, this is why the Indiana Democratic Party is asking everyone to join us in this new movement for a better tomorrow. Issues like raising the minimum wage are important, but it’s become clear the Democrats’ fight moving forward will sometimes literally be about protecting the democracy, human decency, and the values we cherish as Hoosiers. 

I hope you can join the Democrats in this new effort, and I urge those who are listening to consider stepping up and running for office yourself. Whether it’s through municipal, state, or federal elections, let’s all do our part and elect leaders who will protect our American values, and not the values of fringe politics. 

Stay safe, Hoosiers. Take care of yourselves. And mask up. 

Thank you for listening.