In politics, the most meaningful impact rarely happens under bright lights. It happens in classrooms, along rural highways, at school board meetings, and in the daily lives of families trying to make ends meet. In this episode, I sit down with Tom Arthur, Republican candidate for Indiana House District 46, to explore how personal experience shapes public service and how local issues often tell the bigger story of state politics.
Tom’s path from math teacher to mayor to school principal informs much of our discussion. I wanted to understand how those roles influence his approach to accountability, education policy, and community leadership. We begin with childcare vouchers and the strain their reduction has placed on working families, particularly single parents balancing employment and education.
From there, we examine infrastructure and road funding, including concerns about I-70 and the condition of Indiana’s highways. Broadband access in rural communities also enters the conversation, alongside broader questions about economic growth, small business investment, and attracting quality jobs without sacrificing local identity.
Education funding becomes a central theme, especially the impact of the current funding formula on rural schools. We also talk about property taxes, utility costs, and the broader rise in the cost of living. Throughout the discussion, I focus on how policy decisions made at the Statehouse ripple outward into small towns and school districts.
This episode is less about partisan divides and more about how lived experience informs governance. It is a conversation about accountability, equity, and what responsible representation should look like for Indiana’s rural communities.
