Bio
State Representative Julie McGuire was born and raised in Indianapolis. She earned a Bachelor’s degree in Political Science from Indiana University before working with nonprofits and in state government. McGuire has also been involved in her community through various organizations and is a longtime member of St. Roch Catholic Church in Indianapolis. Her top priorities include continuing her work on meaningful legislation and in her committees, improving access to affordable healthcare and advocating on behalf of her constituents.
Q&A
Why are you running for Indiana House District 93?
I’m running because I love the work that I do. I’ve spent my entire career working in the nonprofit and in the public sector. I haven’t worked at a for-profit entity since I was in college. I just really have a servant’s heart and want to continue to lead and serve my community and this is the best way I know how to do it right now.
What committees do you feel you’d be best equipped to serve on in the upcoming legislative session?
Currently, I serve as the vice chairman of the Public Health Committee, I’m on our education committee and I’m also on the insurance committee. The health committee and insurance committee complement each other as they have a lot of overlapping topics. I like my current load, so I will probably request to stay on those same committees. Once you have time spent on these committees, you kind of develop some expertise and get to understand the topics, and these are very complicated topics, especially health care and education. Those are probably two of the most complicated topics at the state house, so I will definitely request to be on those again and continue the work that I’m doing with those committees.
What would be your top priority if elected?
I’m a policy wonk, and I’m going to continue working on policy. That’s what’s most important to me. I spend a lot of time on health care legislation, and I’ve completed a couple different fellowships in healthcare affordability and healthcare reform. I’ve passed several key pieces of legislation on health care policy. Right now, Indiana is the eighth most expensive healthcare state and we definitely shouldn’t be because we rank so highly in many other areas. But healthcare is definitely a problem, and I want to continue to work on that over the next coming session, should I be reelected. Additionally, my other area of passion is child welfare, and the last three years I’ve passed three big pieces of legislation to transform and to try to prioritize children. Their interests get knocked to the side way too often, so I’m really focused on protecting vulnerable children, and that gets lost a lot of time.
What do you think is the biggest problem for the residents of Indiana House District 93 and how would you address it?
I think some of our issues in District 93 need to be addressed at the city level, having to do with roads and just some of the basic, everyday infrastructure things that we all experience. At the state level, it’s all the key button issues. For instance, property tax reform that the House Republicans have been working diligently on. We’re going to save taxpayers $1.3 billion over the next three years on property tax bills. Healthcare affordability is another big issue. Everyone needs healthcare and it needs to be affordable, but the current cost is just unsustainable. I want to continue to work on those important issues for District 93.
What role do you think the federal government or national organizations should play in state and local politics?
The fact of the matter is that the federal government and organizations are part of the ecosystem of what we do in public service, and, as elected members of the General Assembly, they can’t be ignored. It’s part of how we move and how we accomplish our goals. The laws of the federal government affect every bill I draft, as I have to consider how they factor in, so it’s unavoidable. Sometimes it’s a barrier and sometimes it’s helpful for us state policy makers.
Why should voters support you?
I’m going to continue to represent House District 93 as best as I can. I’m a team player, I’m out to talk to anyone who wants to call me and reach out, I’m very engaged in the community, I’m very responsive in the community, I try to be present and help solve problems for constituents and for other elected leaders in the district and I’ll continue that work. I’ll continue to work on health care affordability and child welfare. I have a couple constituents I’m working with right here in House District 93 for legislation next year as well, so I want to continue that work. I give 100% of my time and effort to this work, even though it’s a “part-time job.”
