Allissa Impink

Candidate Q&A

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

One of the most important issues to come out of this year’s legislative session was the criminalization of homelessness through the public camping ban (SB 285). At a time when more Hoosiers are struggling to afford housing, Republican lawmakers chose to treat a symptom as a crime instead of addressing the root cause. Instead of investing in enforcement and pushing people further into crisis, I would have fought to invest in proven housing solutions, and strengthen partnerships with local service providers. This bill directly impacts District 46, the most dense Senate district in the entire State. We cannot legislate homelessness away by making it illegal to exist in public spaces

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?

Data centers are not new, they’ve been part of our economy for decades. But what’s different now is the scale, the speed of expansion, and the impact they have on our communities and environment. So for me, the most important questions are where and how. Where are these data centers being placed, and how are these projects being approved, are residents truly at the table, and are we being transparent about the long-term impacts on energy use, water, and property values. I believe there must be real community partnership and involvement before these projects move forward. District 46 is the mose dense district in the entire state of Indiana and its residents deserve a voice in decisions that directly affect their neighborhoods. I did not agree with the passage of Indiana House Bill 1007. Allowing utilities to fast-track power generation projects and begin charging customers before those projects are even operational shifts the financial burden onto everyday Hoosiers. I’m already hearing from neighbors who are seeing their utility bills rise and that’s not acceptable. If we’re going to pursue data center development, it must be done responsibly, strong guardrails, community input, and protections to ensure that the benefits don’t come at the expense of the people who live here.

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?

One policy I would pursue is addressing the childcare crisis, but I want to be honest about where we are. Right now in Indiana, the CCDF program is effectively closed to new families, with tens of thousands of children on a waitlist because state lawnakers say they do not have the funding to expand it. So the question isn’t just expansion, it’s responsibility. My focus would be on stabilizing the system we have, protecting families currently receiving support so they don’t fall off a cliff and then working to responsibly rebuild capacity so more families can access care over time. That means looking at how we better align existing workforce and economic development dollars with childcare, supporting providers so they can stay open, and making sure we’re not creating policies that increase costs for families in other areas like rising utility bills or housing instability. I’ve seen this firsthand when families lose access to childcare, it impacts their ability to work, their income, and their long-term stability. We cannot ease the cost of living for Hoosiers without addressing childcare but we have to do it honestly, sustainably, and with a plan that actually works.

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?

As a member of the Indianapolis Public Schools Board, I’ve already begun doing this work. Every day, we are responsible for ensuring that all students regardless of where they were born or their immigration status are safe, protected, and able to learn. That means being clear that our schools are places of stability and trust. In my leadership I’ve supported that our district is one where families understand their rights, and that our schools are not spaces where fear disrupts a child’s ability to show up and succeed. My role, both now and as a state senator, is to uphold due process and ensure that policies do not harm families or undermine constitutional rights. I will advocate for clear guardrails that protect residents from unlawful detention, support access to legal resources, and ensure that state and local systems are not contributing to fear or instability in our communities.

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

I do not support the continued expansion of public dollars to fund private school tuition. When we divert those funds, we are taking resources away from the public system that most families rely on. The reality is the pie for education funding is too small and it’s being sliced too thin.

As it relates to charter schools, in Indianapolis, we a have an oversaturated system of public schools. Before expanding funding structures, we need to right-size what we have, ensure quality across the board, and set a fair and transparent standard that truly serves students.There are too many public schools within the IPS boundary which is in the entirety of Senate District 46, and if elected I would enact a moratorium on charter school approvals in Indianapolis.