Jan Keefer

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?

The “bell-to-bell” cell phone ban passed this session will be transformative for both educators and students. As past President of the Lawrence Township School Foundation Board and current Emeritus Director, I hear time and again that students aren’t reading proficiently, and as a result, are also falling behind in other subjects as well. There are many causes, and many solutions, but one important step is removing cell phones from the classroom so students can fully engage with the material. Had I been in the legislature, I would have fully supported this measure. I was also pleased to see that the legislature began addressing the childcare crisis facing working parents by expanding access to in-home care and increasing the employer child tax credit, but there’s more work to do. In the Statehouse, I will push for policies that incentivize employers to offer more childcare options and better support working families.

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?

Like many Hoosiers, I am concerned about the downstream effects of data center development in our communities like pollution, rising energy bills, and property values. I approach this issue the same way I do in the courtroom: with the facts and focused on solutions.

The reality is that data centers are critical infrastructure, essential to powering today’s technological advancements and our digital economy. However, not every community is an appropriate fit, and data center companies need to operate with clear community standards and guidelines. We must establish a framework that requires data center developers to meet objective criteria, such as sufficient energy grid capacity, adequate water resources for cooling, land use compatibility, and an assessment of local economic and environmental impacts.

Not every region in Indiana, especially Indianapolis, meets these thresholds, and areas that fail this criteria should not saddle communities with the long-term consequences of rushed facilities that offer limited local benefit.

It is important to look at all the facts; how many jobs will be created, what tax revenues will be realized and what other benefits might the local economy receive. Then we need to balance those benefits with the overall costs and impact to the community. For example, all of Geist Reservoir is in my district and there are already concerns about the drawn down of water from Geist for use in other areas of the state. Citizens Energy has indicated the Citizens-Lebanon Water Supply Program will draw water from Geist for the 9,000 acre LEAP Research and Innovation District in Lebanon. As a Senator for District 31, I would have to consider the overall impact to my district that another nearby data center might have not only on the Geist community, but the surrounding area as well (such as agricultural areas within the district and neighboring the district) and balance that with real and demonstrated benefits resulting from any proposed data center.

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?

I will fight to expand access to high-wage jobs. A reliable paycheck is one of the most effective ways to ease the financial burden on working families. Furthermore, Indiana’s long-term success depends on creating opportunities here at home so Hoosiers can raise their families and build their futures. I will support pro-business legislation that will encourage innovation and support entrepreneurs. I’ll also work to make the homebuilding and/or home renovation process easier by eliminating red tape and government bureaucracy that delays construction and drives-up costs so that families can get into homes in a faster timeframe. Finally, I will work to reduce taxes and look at the state budget with a critical eye to see where spending might be streamlined and reduced and also look for opportunities for public-private partnerships that will save public tax dollars.

More than 1 in 10 Marion County residents were born outside the country. President Donald Trump’s administration is pursuing an 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?

My top priority is listening to my constituents and defending their rights. I’ll partner with law enforcement to keep our communities safe and secure. And, as a lawyer, I will always work to make sure that our laws are upheld, including our laws regarding the right to due process.

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?

As a proud parent of children who attended public schools, and as the wife of Jack Keefer, a longtime educator and basketball coach at Lawrence North, I’ve seen firsthand the impact a strong education can have on a child’s life.

We must continue to invest in education, while also ensuring taxpayer dollars are used responsibly. Parents need to be able to make choices that best fit their child’s needs, and I am mindful that some students have needs that cannot always be met by public schools or private schools. Thus, I will support funding for some charter schools that are proven and can meet specific needs that may not be available in traditional public schools, and believe Indiana should continue providing tax credit scholarships to help families afford private school tuition if that is their choice.

At the same time, public schools play a very important role in every community throughout Indiana and we need to keep them strong as that will also keep the community strong and have a positive impact on homeowners’ property values. I believe that we can and should do more to strengthen public schools through public-private partnerships. In my work at the Lawrence Township School Foundation, I’ve leveraged private dollars to fund critical technical education programs, like those at the McKenzie Center for Innovation and Technology, to prepare students for in-demand jobs. Additionally, public school foundations can provide funding for additional programming in the schools that may not otherwise be available through public funding. I will support legislation to provide tax credits for donations to public school foundations in order to further encourage these types of public/private partnership.

I want every student in Indianapolis to have access to a high-quality education because a strong education is the foundation for a successful future.