Former state lawmaker David Orentlicher has announced his return to politics.
Orentlicher served six years in the Indiana House of Representatives before becoming a law professor at IUPUI. He’s returning to the political sphere to vie for the 8th district’s Congress seat.
He says he doesn’t believe the incumbent, Larry Bucshon (R-8th) has been representative of the 8th district, especially economically.
“Too many people work hard, play by the rules, but they can’t make ends meet,” Orentlicher says. “They’re not earning enough money to meet their family’s needs nor to make sure THAT their children have the opportunities they had and that their children should have.”
Orentlicher says he’ll focus on economic issues, such as raising the minimum wage. Orentlicher says improving the economic situation of working Hoosiers is a top priority.
“If they’re not earning a sufficient amount of money, that we give them a tax credit that brings their income up,” Orentlicher says. “So we have a couple of tools to make sure people who are working hard can earn enough money to take care of their families.”
Bucshon and Orentlicher are both physicians and Orentlicher says he expects the Affordable Care Act to play a significant role in the campaign.
Orentlicher says both candidates agree it isn’t the perfect way to go about healthcare reform, but says he differs from Bucshon in that reworking the act -- instead of repealing it -- is the solution.
