Jennifer Meltzer

Jennifer Meltzer was born in Toledo, Ohio, and lives in Shelbyville, Indiana. Meltzer earned a bachelor's degree in psychology from Xavier University in 2006 and a law degree from Indiana University McKinney School of Law in 2009. Her career experience includes working as a city attorney with the City of Shelbyville, Indiana.[1][2]

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Who are you? Tell us about yourself.

Jennifer is the current City Attorney for the City of Shelbyville and a former Deputy Attorney General for the State of Indiana. She and her husband Trent Meltzer, Shelby County Circuit Court Judge, have three daughters, June (10), Rose (8), and Pearl (5). Jennifer is Secretary of the Shelby County Republican Central Committee, a Girl Scout leader, Vice President of her daughters' Parent Teacher Organization, and a member of the Shelby County Youth Assistance Program. They are members of St. Joseph Church. Professionally, Jennifer has appeared on behalf of the State of Indiana in both State and Federal Courts. She has defended the constitutionality of Indiana's laws and represented Indiana Judges, Prosecutors, Legislators, and Governor in Court.

Please list below 3 key messages of your campaign. What are the main points you want voters to remember about your goals for your time in office?

Pro Life: A human life begins at conception. Jennifer will work to protect all lives. As a proud mother of three daughters she cherishes each and every single moment she has with them everyday. Every child deserves the right to be born, loved, and cared for.Pro 2nd Amendment: An individuals Second Amendment Right is their way of ensuring they are armed and able to defend themselves and their family if they need to. Jennifer will work to ensure that our Second Amendment Right is protected.Anti Mandate: The State should stay out of mandating individual Hoosiers from receiving a vaccine and from mandating or prohibiting businesses from requiring a vaccine. The choice should be left up to each individual in consultation with their doctor.

What areas of public policy are you personally passionate about?

Jennifer is passionate about mental health, education, and local control. Mental health is the elephant in the room that has been ignored for too long. Big Pharma lied to us. They advertised and encouraged the prescribing of opioids for their own financial gain knowing they were highly addictive. Now after years of litigation by local governments the State has an opportunity to receive millions in settlement dollars. These monies need to be channeled directly to local communities who have been on the frontlines of responding to the opioid epidemic for years. Local communities shouldn't have to compete with each other for these funds.

Education: parents need to have an active and ongoing voice in education. As a parent of three elementary school aged children I fully appreciate and recognize the voice that teachers and our schools administration have in my children's and your children's education and lives. It is imperative that parents have a voice.

Local Government: It is important that each level of government stay in their own lane. This begins with letting families make their own personal choices. Local governments need to be in charge of local issues and our State should tackle statewide issues and protect us from Federal overreach. The Federal government should mostly leave us alone and protect our country.

Who do you look up to? Whose example would you like to follow, and why?

Supreme Court Justice Amy Coney-Barrett. Jennifer respects Justice Coney-Barrett's ability and willingness to defend her conservative view points on various issues of law before Congress. Jennifer strives to be the same voice for conservative Hoosiers in the State House. She hopes she can be a strong and persuasive voice to her fellow Republican House Representatives.

What characteristics or principles are most important for an elected official?

Selflessness. Humility. Honesty. An elected House Representative is elected to represent the Hoosiers is their district. This requires an open dialogue between citizens and the House Representative. If I am elected to serve as your House Representative I truly believe it is an honor to do so. I believe I am elected to serve and represent and I will serve and represent the people that have elected me.

What qualities do you possess that you believe would make you a successful officeholder?

Jennifer is honest and straight forward. She is involved in her community and has the experience and knowledge to be a successful House Representative.

What do you believe are the core responsibilities for someone elected to this office?

To uphold the Constitution and represent your Constituents. Each time I speak to the constituents I ask "What would you like your House Representative to do?". It is imperative that I uphold our constitution, while at the same time representing the desires of my constituents.

What is the first historical event that happened in your lifetime that you remember? How old were you at the time?

In 2000 Jennifer went to a rally for George W. Bush. in Cincinnati Oh. She was 16 at the time. Then on September 11, 2001 two planes struck the twin towers. Jennifer was in high school at the time. She remembers teachers talking in the hallways while not allowing the high school students to fully understand what was going on. Cross Country practice was cancelled that afternoon and her paternal grandparents were staying with their family that week. Upon getting home they sat as a family in front of the tv watching the planes hit the twin towers. Several of Jennifer's close friends joined the military upon graduation. Jennifer remembers watching the planes crash into the twin towers, seeing people jump from the buildings, and the aftermath of the terrorist attack. This has defined her generation.

What do you believe is the ideal relationship between the governor and state legislature?

The Governor should focus on governing and the Legislature should be making the laws that the Governor needs to enforce.

What do you perceive to be your state's greatest challenges over the next decade?

JOBS!! Indiana needs to be a destination for employers.

What are the benefits and drawbacks of a unicameral state legislature, in your opinion?

Indiana has a bicameral state legislature with both houses controlled by Republican majorities. Good ideas will prevail, no matter what party they come from. It just so happens that the Republican party has a monopoly on those at this moment.

Do you believe that it’s beneficial for state legislators to have previous experience in government or politics?

I've had years of experience in both, and I think it leaves me uniquely qualified. This experience includes defending Indiana laws and policies in Federal Court. I've defended our pro-life legislation including shutting down abortion clinics. I've worked closely with numerous state agencies while a Deputy Attorney General and the knowledge and understanding I've gained from each of these experiences will be invaluable as a State Representative.

Do you believe it’s beneficial to build relationships with other legislators? Please explain your answer.

Of course. Mutual respect is imperative to the legislative process.

What process do you favor for redistricting?

Pubic input begins with whom the public has elected prior to redistricting. Redistricting should be based on the data to best ensure that lines are drawn in a way that ensures that each district represents an equal number of residents.

If you are not a current legislator, are there certain committees that you would want to be a part of?

I'd love to be a part of any committee that leadership feels I'd be an asset to. As a lawyer I have a unique perspective and respect for our judiciary and therefore, ideally I'd be a member of the House Judiciary Committee.

Are you interested in running for a different political office (for example, the U.S. Congress or governor) in the future?

I welcome this opportunity to run for an open House Seat. I have no other ambitions.

Both sitting legislators and candidates for office hear many personal stories from the residents of their district. Is there a story that you’ve heard that you found particularly touching, memorable, or impactful?

I've spoken with hundreds of constituents over the past several months. During this time period I've been asking residents what they would like to see out of their state house. I've heard pro-life, constitutional carry, educational matters, and local control. The story that has stuck with me is a mom of a sophmore in highschool who was so anxious about mandatory testing that she was hospitalized due to the annexiety. We need to take a serious look at standardized testing and determine if it is doing more good than harm.

Should the legislature oversee or grant the use of emergency powers?

It is the duty of the Legislature to write laws, including all laws granting emergency powers. When emergency power laws are written to broadly, it is an invitation for the executive to abuse them. We have witnessed this over the past two years and the emergency powers need to be reeled back.

Do you believe that compromise is necessary or desirable for policymaking?

A bird in the hand is worth two in the bush. At least, that's what my father always told me. I'm willing to do what it takes to represent my constituent's interests, and sometimes, something is better than nothing.