Aaron Freeman (politician)
Aaron Freeman | |
|---|---|
| Member of the Indiana Senate from the 32nd district | |
| Assumed office 2016 | |
| Preceded by | Patricia Miller |
| Member of the Indianapolis City-County Council from the 25th district | |
| In office 2010–2016 | |
| Preceded by | Lincoln Plowman[1] |
| Succeeded by | Brian Mowery |
| Personal details | |
| Political party | Republican |
| Spouse | Heather |
| Children | 2 |
| Residence | Indianapolis, Indiana |
| Alma mater | Bradley University (BS) University of Dayton (JD) |
Aaron Freeman is an American lawyer and politician from the state of Indiana. He has been a Republican member of the Indiana Senate from 2016, representing the 32nd district. He previously served on the Indianapolis City-County Council from 2010 to 2016.
Early life and education
[edit]Freeman grew up in Brookville, Indiana. After graduating from high school, he became an emergency medical technician, reserve deputy sheriff, and 9-1-1 dispatcher.[2] He graduated from Bradley University and the University of Dayton School of Law.[3]
Career as prosecutor and lawyer in private practice
[edit]Freeman was a Marion County deputy prosecutor before entering the private practice of law[4] as the owner of his own firm, Aaron Freeman Law Office, LLC,[2] which he opened in 2010 in Franklin Township.[3]
Political career
[edit]Freeman joined the Indianapolis City-County Council in March 2010,[3] after being selected by Republican precinct committee members to fill a vacancy created by the resignation of Lincoln Plowman.[1] Freeman was a member of the council for six years,[2] representing a district in the southeast side of the city.[1]
He was elected to the Indiana State Senate in 2016 from District 32,[4][5] Freeman received 31,173 votes (58.2%), defeating Democratic nominee Sara Wiley, who received 20,184 votes (37.7%).[6] Freeman succeeded longtime Senator Patricia L. Miller, who chose to retire after 34 years in the General Assembly.[4][2][7]
Freeman describes himself as a "solid Republican"[7] and a conservative.[3] In 2016, weeks after the killings of Alton Sterling and Philando Castile, Freeman dismissed the Black Lives Matter movement, saying on a segment on Full Frontal with Samantha Bee, "I just don't think it's helpful to the country. I don't know what their purpose is."[4] The comments were raised in 2020 by Democratic state Senator Eddie Melton, who asked Freeman to drop his reelection bid over the comments, a request that Freeman rebuffed.[4]
After Republican Senator Ron Alting sponsored a hate crimes bill in the state Senate in 2019, seeking to allow judges to increase sentences for bias-motivated crimes (Indiana is one of just five states without such a law), Freeman introduced an amendment that gutted the bill, removing the specified protection categories—race, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, and disability—and replacing them with a generic definition of "bias."[8] After the amendment passed on a 33–16 vote, Alting voted against the bill as amended, honoring a pledge not to support any hate-crimes bill that omitted protections based on sexual orientation or gender identity.[8]
In the state Senate, Freeman has been a prominent and avowed opponent of plans for an expansion of Indianapolis's IndyGo bus rapid transit system.[9] In 2018, in response to mass shootings at schools, Freeman called for the stationing of police officers at every school, saying, "We need to harden these targets and we'll put a stop to this."[10] For three consecutive years, Freeman sponsored legislation to criminalize "revenge porn"; the measure was enacted in 2019.[11] Along with other Republican lawmakers, he supported a bill in 2020 to ban local governments in Indiana from enacting tenant protection regulations; the bill was backed by landlords and opposed by tenant advocates.[12]
Freeman defeated Democratic nominee Belinda Drake in 2020 to retain his seat in the Indiana General Assembly.[4]
Personal life
[edit]Freeman is married and has two sons. He lives in Franklin Township.[3]
References
[edit]- ^ a b c Former councilman indicted in strip club case, Indianapolis Business Journal (September 16, 2010).
- ^ a b c d Abrahm Hurt, Q&A Meet Sen. Aaron Freeman, from volunteer to senator, TheStatehouseFile.com (January 23, 2017).
- ^ a b c d e Staff Report, Freeman Announces Candidacy For Indiana Senate Seat, TheStatehouseFile.com (January 13, 2016).
- ^ a b c d e f Elizabeth DePompei, Indiana senator asked to end campaign after 2016 comments on Black Lives Matter resurface, Indianapolis Star (July 3, 2020).
- ^ Hayleigh Colombo, City council to get two new Republicans after members elected to higher office, Indianapolis Business Journal (November 16, 2016).
- ^ Indiana 32nd District State Senate Results: Aaron Freeman Wins, New York Times (2016).
- ^ a b Chelsea Schneider, Candidates line up to seek seat of retiring state Sen. Patricia Miller, Indianapolis Star (January 13, 2016).
- ^ a b Dave Bangert, Lafayette Sen. Ron Alting will vote against his own, gutted Indiana bias crime bill, Journal & Courier (February 20, 2019).
- ^ See:
- Kellie Hwang, State lawmakers could throw the future of bus rapid transit in Indianapolis into question, Indianapolis Star (February 28, 2020).
- James Briggs, Donald Trump just became a champion for Indianapolis transit, Indianapolis Star (May 31, 2020).
- James Briggs, Indianapolis mass transit: One senator could kill what took years, Indianapolis Star (March 1, 2020).
- ^ Indiana gun bill under scrutiny after Florida shooting, Associated Press (February 21, 2020).
- ^ 2 new laws take aim at those accused of posting revenge porn, Associated Press (July 5, 2019).
- ^ Tom Davies, Indiana lawmakers back banning local rental regulations, Associated Press (March 12, 2020).