Tyrell Giles Quest

How do you plan to work across party lines in the Statehouse to get legislation passed, especially given the Republican supermajority?

This is critical. I will have no pride in authorship to be effective. I worked with a Republican Mayor to deliver results for Lawrence and I’ll do the same with Governor Braun. I’ll work with the Republican Majorities when they want to improve the lives of my constituents. I will form relationships and find common ground with my colleagues whenever possible.

In your view, what was the most important issue to come out of this year’s legislative session, and how did you or would you have approached legislating the issue?

HEA 1001 sought to increase our housing supply. I was part of a housing task force in Lawrence that proposed much of what became law. We need more high quality affordable housing and I will seek to expand state support to accomplish that goal.

Companies proposing data centers in Indianapolis had touted jobs and local tax revenue as benefits. Residents, many of whom have fiercely opposed the proposals, are concerned about pollution, energy bills and property values. What is your stance on the future of data centers in Indianapolis?

I can’t support more data centers. I want real jobs and job training for our residents, not empty AI promises. We have foolishly scaled back our workforce development training programs. The Work One center in District 95 should be brimming with training for people to become welders and drivers, instead of the state giving outrageous tax breaks for big tech companies.

Indianapolis residents are facing steep increases to the cost of living at the same time federal benefits are being pulled back. What is one policy you would pursue to ease the financial burden of your constituents?

First is the high cost of healthcare and the second is increasing electric bills. The state has gone backwards, making cuts to healthcare while driving up the cost on employers. We have to do better at both investing in public health and in controlling the cost of care. What has occurred this winter with electric bills is simply unacceptable and demands immediate action. We have to make greater public investments in renewables and our power grid, while at the same time controlling the costs we allow utilities to charge customers.

More than 1 in 10 Marion County residents were born outside the country. President Donald Trump’s administration is pursuing a immigration agenda that has led to mass detentions and at times resulted in the deaths of citizens and noncitizens. What is your role in maintaining the safety and due process rights of immigrants and other residents in Marion County?

The way President Trump has used immigration enforcement officers at the national level is horrible. I will use my voice and my vote to ensure the safety and well being of every resident in Marion County. Immigrants are a vital part of District 95 and the Indianapolis community.

How should public dollars be spent on education? Do you support property tax funding for charter schools? Should Indiana fund students’ tuition to attend private schools?

It’s not the system I would have designed, but the school choice train has left the station. Money now follows the student and school districts must be flexible and competitive to attract families and students. MSD Lawrence Township has navigated this new world with distinction. My job as a state representative will be to ensure that all of our schools have the resources they need to provide an excellent education for our students. We can do better to raise teacher salaries and to provide more support for our schools. We must.