GREENFIELD – During his keynote address at the Hancock County Lincoln Day Dinner, State Sen. Mike Crider urged his fellow Republicans to do all they could to combat the opioid scourge that continues to devastate Indiana and the nation.
Crider, R-Greenfield, speaking before a packed house of several hundred Republicans, briefly touched on the work he and his colleagues in the Indiana Statehouse have done to help fight the drug issue. He stated bluntly though that there is a long way to go and a lot of hard work left to do. That load will need to be shouldered by all, from the smallest level of local government all the way up to the governor’s office, he said.
“We have to win this particular battle,” Crider said. “We are losing a generation.”
Before running for Indiana Senate, Crider spent two years as head of security for a hospital. He said it was during that period he really saw the faces of the drug crisis. From accidental overdoses to attempted suicides, those who sought treatment gave him a firsthand look at the personal toll the opioid crisis is having on his community.
The senator urged local leaders to ensure the proposed new criminal justice center has adequate treatment for mental health services, addiction recovery and work-release programs. It is critical in Crider’s eyes that people struggling with addiction who want help have access to the right resources to turn their lives around.
The current $55 million proposal calls for a new jail as well as other renovated county buildings that support the local criminal justice system.
“Without question, it’s an expensive problem,” Crider said.
Those in the audience included nearly every elected official in Hancock County and those hopeful to join their ranks. Crider urged them all to listen to their constituents and do all they could to make sure they were providing the best services to the people they serve.
U.S. Representative Luke Messer, R-Indiana, also spoke at the Lincoln Day Dinner. Messer is currently running for a U.S. Senate seat and is in a contentious primary battle with Todd Rokita and Mike Braun. Messer said he has done his best during this primary to keep the focus on the current incumbent, Joe Donnelly, D-Indiana. Something he doesn’t think his current opponents are doing.
“You will not see me trying to divide our team during this critical time,” Messer said.
Messer, who represents Hancock County as part of the state’s 6th Congressional District, said he views Greenfield as one of his hometown cities. He congratulated all of the hopeful politicians on running for office and urged them to continue to fight for Republican principles.
