Episode 52: Born to Lift People Up
Guest: Katrina Owens (D) - Candidate for Indiana State Senate, District 32
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https://www.owens4in.com/
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Here at HoosLeft, I’ve introduced you a number of recurring villains. Like The Joker, The Penguin, and The Riddler to our Batman, these characters pop up again and again as the good people of Indiana try to move our state forward in the face of their malevolence. Our stable of scoundrels includes The Charlatan - alias Pastor Micah Beckwith; the Inquisitor - AKA Attorney General Todd Rokita; and Governos - the hellhound of Naptown, a three headed beast comprised of Mitch Daniels, Mike Pence, and Eric Holcomb. Very Scary.
Back in February of this year, in discussion with Indianapolis City-County Councilman Jesse Brown, we met another scofflaw - The Puppet - otherwise known as State Senator Aaron Freeman, whose superpower is absorbing heat - heat which would otherwise be directed at his benefactor and longtime contributor, car dealer Ray Skillman. Like the Batmobile or Wonder Woman’s invisible jet, The Puppet even has a signature vehicle - a Corvette gifted to him by the auto magnate.
The Puppet once again serves as the villain today. In that February episode, Brown promised to help find - and fund - a challenger for Freeman’s Senate seat in the 2024 general election. Stepping up to fill that role is a new superhero - The Knockout.
Katrina Owens - KO, see what we did there - is, and now I’m reading from her website, a “mother, women of faith, dog lover and a passionate community activist who has dedicated her life to serving the people of Indiana. With years of experience working in public service roles and advocating for her fellow Hoosiers, Katrina is the best candidate to represent District 32 in the Indiana Senate. As a proud native of Indianapolis, […] Katrina understands the unique challenges facing her community and is committed to fighting for the issues that matter most to her constituents. From advocating for human rights, improving access to quality education to creating jobs and promoting economic growth, Katrina has the experience and vision needed to lead Indiana into a brighter future.”
In the following interview, we will talk about her work in the community and how her diverse experiences prepared her for a role in elected office. We’ll dive into each of her three focus areas - human rights, economic security, and infrastructure - and how they are inextricably entwined. We’ll also discuss the challenges her campaign faces and her vision for Indiana’s future.
Cited in the interview:
National Association of Workforce Development Professionals:
https://www.nawdp.org
Indiana Senate District 32: https://ballotpedia.org/Indiana_State_Senate_District_32
Abortion and LGBTQ rights, both freedom issues: https://www.aclu.org/news/reproductive-freedom/the-future-attacks-abortion-gender-affirming-care-lgbtq-rights
Abortion rights ARE economic rights: https://www.epi.org/blog/abortion-rights/
OBGYNs leaving Indiana: https://www.npr.org/2022/08/15/1117605629/ob-gyn-residents-want-to-quit-in-indiana-after-states-abortion-law-harassment
Freeman’s SB52 anti-Blue Line bill: https://fox59.com/news/indiana-state-senate-passes-bill-threatening-future-of-blue-line-development/
More federal funding for Blue Line: https://www.wfyi.org/news/articles/indianapolis-blue-line-recommended-for-federal-funding-just-weeks-after-bill-to-stall-the-project-dies
Indy public transportation referendum: https://www.indystar.com/story/news/politics/2016/11/08/marion-county-voters-consider-tax-hike-mass-transit/93284726/
Transportation a barrier to employment: https://www.richmondfed.org/publications/research/econ_focus/2023/q4_district_digest
Economic effects of Bus Rapid Transit: https://www.cityofmadison.com/metro/documents/Economic%20Effect%20of%20BRT%209_17_21.pdf
House Bill 1558 “Science of Reading”: https://iga.in.gov/legislative/2023/bills/house/1558/details
The only state-sanctioned third-party literacy license provider: https://keystoliteracy.com/idoe-literacy-endorsement-pd/
Now listen, I don’t believe in destiny. I think everybody chooses their own path. But, different folks find inspiration all over the place, and whatever gives someone a positive purpose - I’m all for it. Katrina’s found special meaning in her birthday - January 20, Inauguration Day. This birthright, as she called it, led her up a ladder to lead, to fight for change, to lift people up.
She touched every rung on that ladder, learning new skills, new techniques, new methods of leadership. And most importantly, she understands that when you reach the top, the job is not finished. If you’ve made it, if you’re doing okay, you’re obligated to help the next person up. It’s like returning your cart or holding the door open - just basic human decency.
Katrina’s areas of focus square perfectly with the theme of lifting people up.
Human Rights - we’re all people deserving of the same unalienable civil liberties.
Economic Security - we take care of everybody’s basic needs.
Infrastructure - we give people the means for self-improvement.
The Skillmans and Freemans of this world don’t want folks to have these things guaranteed. They want people to go through them, set up artificial tollbooths so they can get their cut first, and throw a tantrum when we find a democratic workaround.
Needing a car just to survive is one of these artificial tollbooths, and I could go on a whole rant about car culture and the violence, ill health, social injustice, and environmental damage resulting therefrom, but I’ll spare you… this time.
And look, I’m not some crunchy anti-automobile hippie. I love the golden age of muscle cars - Mustangs, Challengers, GTOs, a 1967 Camaro SS - just a beautiful piece of machinery. But also, like, the whole mid-century US economy was built on the backs of these vehicles that got, like, 8 mpg of leaded gasoline, overwhelmingly depended on cheap foreign oil, and completely collapsed when the spigot got shut off.
The point is that capital - and capitalist supervillains like Ray Skillman - will always take the most profitable rout, whether or not it’s good for the rest of us. And sometimes that rout involves renting henchmen like The Puppet, Aaron Freeman.
Katrina Owens was born to lift people up. Who does Freeman lift up? His donors. And himself - just livin’ that 80s life: top down, wind in his hair, not a care in the world - particularly for his constituents. Is that what we want out of our public servants? I think not. Let’s hit him with a KO this November.
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Episode 52: Born To Lift People Up