State Senator Tom Weatherwax

200 West Washington Street – Indianapolis , Indiana 46204

NEWS RELEASE
12-31-07		  

Jennifer Regazzi (317)232-9499
jregazzi@iga.state.in.us
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Weatherwax says this session will  wrap up ‘fulfilling 24-year career’

Longtime Logansport legislators ‘resolute’ to fight for tax reforms, jobs, schools in 2008

(LOGANSPORT) -- As far as New Year’s Resolutions go, State Sen. Tom Weatherwax has one that is as straightforward as the longtime Logansport lawmaker – “Begin concentrating more time on private life and family and less time on public policy and politics.”

Weatherwax, who has represented his hometown in the Indiana House of Representatives and Indiana Senate since the mid-1980s, announced New Year’s Eve he will “wrap up a fulfilling 24-year career in public service” by next year’s end. Still, Weatherwax said he is “resolute” about continuing his fight for further property tax reforms, job creating measures and school improvement during the 2008 Indiana General Assembly.

“My wife Kay and I have made this decision together and shared it with our family and friends,” Weatherwax said. “I have been blessed with productive careers both in and out of politics. I’ve authored and sponsored policy changes I believe mean a fairer tax system, continued economic development, improved schools and a cleaner environment for generations to come. But for a citizen legislator, a father and grandfather, there comes a time when a person wants to focus on family and pass the baton to another public servant willing to continue the good fight. I would like to thank my constituents for all their years of confidence and support and God for the many blessings he has bestowed on me.”   

Weatherwax was elected to the Indiana House of Representatives in 1984. In 1988, he was elected to the Indiana Senate, where he currently serves on the Senate Committees on Appropriations; Commerce, Public Policy and Interstate Cooperation; and Pension and Labor. He is ranking member of the Senate Committee on Tax and Fiscal Policy.

“Sen. Weatherwax has provided our state and party strong leadership for a generation,” Senate President Pro Tem David C. Long (R-Ft. Wayne) said upon receiving the news. “Tom is respected by legislators across Indiana and throughout the nation. He has championed causes important to our state and his constituents who he has served and continues to serve so well. Indiana House and Senate members will miss his guidance in the future and will certainly lean on him during this upcoming historic session. As always, I trust he will be but a phone call away.” 

Senate staffers on Monday confirmed Weatherwax has served on and chaired more committees than any Senator in recorded state history.

“His track record of working with lawmakers and governors of both parties is remarkable,” said former House staffer Scott Minier who now works for Weatherwax at the Indiana Senate. “He has always been a hard worker. In the House, I watched then-Rep. Weatherwax author, co-author, sponsor and co-sponsor 34 major pieces of legislation. Here in the Senate, just through 2007, he has been instrumental in introducing 445 individual bills and resolutions. That is not to say he has ever believed in piling on unnecessary governmental regulation, but it is to say that when Tom Weatherwax saw a problem, he went about fixing it.”  

Weatherwax said he would continue in his full-time position as sales and marketing manager with agri-business leader, The Anderson.

Tom and Kay Weatherwax live in Logansport. They are the parents of 6 children and 15 grandchildren.

Senate District 18 includes all or part of Cass, Fulton, Kosciusko, Miami, Pulaski and Wabash counties.

Highlights of Weatherwax’ public career:

Awards and Recognition:

  • 1985 “Outstanding Freshman Legislator”
    Indiana House of Representatives
  • 1993 “Small Business Champion Award”
  • Indiana Chamber of Commerce
  • 1995 “Legislator of the Year”
  • Indiana Chamber of Commerce
  • 1995 “Legislator of the Year”   
  • National Conference of State Legislators
  • 1999 “Continued Service Award”
  • Indiana Alternative Education Conference
  • 1999 “Outstanding Indiana Senate Member”
  • Indiana Greenways Conference
  • 2005 “President’s Award”
  • Indiana Soybean Growers Association

Key Legislation:

  • Education Roundtable: established unique-in-the-nation bi-partisan policy discussions about public education by Indiana’s Governor, State Superintendent of Public Instruction, teachers, administrators, colleges and universities, business, labor and other stakeholders. 
  • Education Standards: required education community to identify specific curriculum exposure to every student at every grade level in every school.
  • Tax Reform: Conferee on HB 1598 in 1995 and established more oversight of local government spending, more spending controls to limit the growth in property tax levies and significant property tax relief; long time advocate of property tax reform and key negotiator in property tax relief legislation in 1993, 1995, 2002 and 2003.
  • Job Creation/Economic Development: Implemented the Economic Development for a Growing Economy (EDGE) tax credit, developed legislation allowing the establishment of enterprise zones on closed and inactive military bases and developed tax credits to incentivize business to relocate in these zones.
  • Environment: Created the center for coal technology and research at Purdue University and extended, increased, and added credits and deductions for the production, sale and use of alternative energies and fuels.

Major Projects:

  • Ivy Tech: secured initial funding for architectural and engineering studies of Logansport campus, then state monies needed for the new multi-million dollar higher education and job training facility.
  • U.S. 24: successfully pushed for Major Moves funding of multi-lane section of U.S. 24 and U.S. 35 to ease traffic congestion and create jobs.
  • Hoosier Heartland Corridor: worked with 12 members of Congress, four U.S. Senators and four Indiana governors to connect Senate District 18 with the economies of Ft. Wayne and Toledo, Ohio.

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