Current is publishing Q&As with candidates for various seats in our readership area. Below are the responses of Becky Cash, a Republican running to retain her seat in the Indiana House of Representatives District 25, and Democratic challenger Tiffany Stoner. District 25 includes Zionsville and Whitestown.
The election is Nov. 5.
Why do you want to run for this office?
Cash – I have spent the last 18 years advocating for parents and families of children with special and medical needs and helping them to make the educational and medical decisions that are best for their families. I have also advocated for them at the Statehouse, both by contacting legislators and testifying on bills. During the pandemic, I watched families struggle and knew that I could make a difference. In the first two years that I have been in office, I have put forward legislation to better protect our workers and residents in long-term care, to protect our special needs children in schools, to increase the penalty for those who fail to report knowledge of child sexual abuse in sports like at USA Gymnastics and to protect the rights of parents. I am running to continue that work.
Stoner – Just like my grandmother before me, I watched my husband leave for war. When he deployed to Iraq, we had three young children in diapers, and suddenly the “man” of the house became our 6-year-old son. Make no mistake — military spouses are also serving our country, holding families together during times of uncertainty. The support I received from the Zionsville community during that challenging time was incredible and deeply appreciated. It’s that sense of community that has inspired me to run for office. It’s my turn to give back. I have experience working for a large corporation, owning a small business and volunteering passionately. I’m an independent thinker who’s connected with thousands of Zionsville residents. One thing is clear: they want a safe, vibrant community with solid infrastructure and a strong, well-funded school district.
What sets you apart from your opponent?
Cash – Many people run for office and go in thinking that they will spend their first year or two learning what they need to learn. I ran for office having spent time already advocating for the children, families and individuals of our district. I went in ready to work. I will continue the work that I have done in the first two years advocating for our special needs families, working to both build up our public schools while advocating for the rights of parents to make the educational choices that are best for their families, continuing to work across the aisle to get healthcare costs down for our Hoosiers, advocating for our law enforcement, and working for the people of Dist. 25.
Stoner –Throughout my campaign, I have actively engaged with people from both political parties, valuing diverse perspectives. I am committed to making informed decisions based on research and collaboration, not pursuing baseless conspiracy theories. My goal is to bring a balanced voice to the Statehouse, providing much-needed perspective after 12 years of one-party rule.
What top three issues is your campaign focused on?
Cash – We have many important issues facing our district and state; however, three that I believe are particularly important right now are:
Protecting vulnerable populations — The legislation that I have put forward focuses on protecting our children from abuse, our special needs population, those with complex medical issues, our elderly in long-term care facilities, and those who struggle to advocate for themselves.
Property/tax reform — I believe that we can lower property tax costs for Hoosiers while also making sure that we properly find our law enforcement, public safety, schools and community resources. I look forward to helping tackle this issue in the next legislative session.
Public safety – Public safety is crucial for both our district and the state. As we are watching more and more fentanyl come into our state and into Hendricks and Boone County, we must ensure that our law enforcement has the resources they need to protect our residents. We are also watching crime cross from Indianapolis into the suburbs. We have increased funding, at the state level, for our law enforcement, and I will continue to prioritize this funding.
Stoner –I will prioritize protecting funding for our Zionsville schools, ensuring our children receive the quality education they deserve. I am a firm advocate for the medical freedom of all Hoosiers, believing that health care decisions should be made by individuals in consultation with their doctors and faith leaders — not by 150 legislators in the Statehouse. I will never support legislation that endangers the health and lives of women. Additionally, I will champion local control, empowering communities to make decisions that best serve their residents. With strong local leadership, we can create a state where people want to live and businesses want to invest for the future.
Rising assessed values are quickly increasing property tax bills, making it more unaffordable to move here (or stay here). How do you plan to address this?
Cash – House District 25 is an economically diverse area. I represent from the most affluent to the poorest families in our state. But across the board, regardless of what part of the district people live in, most are asking for property tax relief. I look forward to going back into session in January, rolling up my sleeves and working with my colleagues in the legislature to create meaningful property tax reform. This is essential and I have repeatedly said that I believe that we can get property taxes under control while continuing to uphold the quality of life that Hoosiers expect.
Stoner – Indiana’s current property tax system is failing Hoosiers, placing an unfair burden on families, seniors, and aspiring young homeowners, making the American dream increasingly difficult to achieve. Seniors and families on fixed incomes are struggling to afford their homes, and homeownership is becoming more elusive. In rapidly growing communities like Zionsville, the system exacerbates the challenges of population growth. Essential services such as police and fire protection, infrastructure, and public education are underfunded, stretching local government budgets too thin.
To address this broken system, we need a reform framework that offers taxpayers stability and predictability. I believe property tax bills should not increase by more than 10 percent from year to year and I would support legislation to the effect. Fast-growing communities must receive the resources they need to support their expanding populations without having to appeal to the state every year. Most importantly, we need to prioritize relief for those at risk of losing their homes and for those aspiring to become homeowners. By making our system more equitable, we can build stronger, more resilient communities across Indiana.
Health care costs continue to rise sharply in Indiana. How would you propose reining them in?
Cash – Healthcare is one of if not the biggest expenses for many families. Health care costs are also one of the biggest issues that we tackle in the Indiana Legislature. Over the last few years, the legislature has passed important legislation to require hospitals to be transparent with pricing. This is an important starting place because hidden costs are crippling for families. In 2023 the Indiana legislature passed bipartisan legislation to require rebates in prescription drug costs to go directly to patients instead of through middlemen. This equates to direct savings for patients. In addition, we are creating more options for Hoosiers by creating competition. When hospitals and Hospital systems are the only place that Hoosiers can go for health care, hospitals can control the pricing. We have passed important legislation, that I co-authored, to do away with non-competes for primary care doctors and to incentivize doctors to go into private practice. As I talk with doctors throughout our district, they are asking us to expand the ban on non-competes to specialists so that patients can have continuity of care and more options. It will not happen overnight, but I will continue to support efforts to build more competition in Indiana, make sure that rebates are going directly to patients and to ensure transparency.
Stoner – We must ensure that Hoosiers have access to preventive healthcare, which not only fosters healthier communities but also helps lower long-term health care costs. I support increasing funding for primary care providers in rural areas, establishing more health centers, and expanding telehealth services. Currently, three-quarters of Indiana counties lack practicing OB/GYNs, leaving many pregnant mothers without access to essential care—contributing to our state’s alarmingly high rates of maternal death and infant mortality. This healthcare crisis goes beyond OB/GYNs and affects all medical professionals, including pediatricians and family doctors. It’s crucial to explore and implement innovative incentives to attract and retain healthcare providers across Indiana. Additionally, we need to require health care providers to disclose the costs of services upfront so that patients aren’t surprised by unexpected bills and can make informed decisions about their care.
Half of the state’s budget pays for education, and we’re seeing the impact of learning loss suffered during the COVID-19 pandemic in student assessment scores and anecdotally. How can the legislature address this issue without increasing education funding?
Cash – We have amazing schools in House District 25, and some of our schools have suffered less learning loss than others. However, Indiana has an obligation to every single child that lives in our state. We have passed legislation in the last two years to bring science of reading, literacy coaches, and additional tutoring into our schools. Some of the schools in our district already have literacy coaches, but it is not even between all of our school districts. I’m excited that this legislation and funding will enable us to get more literacy coaches into all of our schools. In addition, the funding for science of reading training for all of our elementary school teachers will also help ensure that children are excelling, and those that are behind will be able to get caught up. Indiana has a strong commitment to all Hoosier children, and I believe that the legislation that has passed in the last couple years, will enable our children to catch up and go beyond. In addition, Indiana has also made historic Investments into the transition to teaching program so that we can train more teachers. In fact, that program is so popular that program enrollment has exceeded all expectations both in 2023 and 2024. I will continue to meet with our school administrators, teachers, special education departments, and constituents to make sure that our schools and families have the resources they need.
Stoner – If we stopped defunding our public education across the state, we would be able to recover from learning loss more effectively through targeted intervention programs that focus on struggling students. Unfortunately, we continue to expand the voucher program, which was originally intended to help low-income children from families earning less than $40,000 a year, giving them access to quality education outside of underperforming schools. However, it has since morphed into a government subsidy for affluent families who were already planning to send their children to private schools. Starting next year, a Hoosier family of four earning nearly a quarter of a million dollars will qualify for vouchers. Since 2017, Zionsville schools have lost $22 million due to the voucher program, yet the school district is still responsible for maintaining facilities, providing special education services, and supporting sports and extracurricular activities. This is unsustainable, and now the supermajority in the Statehouse is pushing to extend the same level of funding to homeschoolers.
Like many of you, my husband and I chose Zionsville for its exceptional schools, and we’re proud that all four of our children have gone through the Zionsville school system. But I am deeply concerned that we are undermining the strength of our communities statewide. If we truly care about fiscal responsibility and the proper use of our tax dollars, we cannot support funneling public funds to private schools with no accountability.
We live in an increasingly polarized and politically divided state and nation. How will you work to lead and better all Hoosiers, whether they support you or not?
Cash – I am sad to see our country, our state and our district divided; however, I can tell you that I am incredibly active in our district from Whitestown to Lebanon to Brownsburg and to Zionsville. I meet with constituents, regardless of political ideology, all year long. I represent the people of House District 25. Constituent services is one of my favorite parts of what I do and we never ask who that person is voting for. The mother who is trying to navigate their child’s IEP or figure out why their insurance is denying the surgery their child desperately needs or the resident who just wants to know whether the town, the county or the state is in charge of a road that has damage does not care what political party their state representative is a part of. They want someone who will advocate for them. 94 to 96 percent of all legislation that passes the Indiana House of Representatives is bipartisan. People are shocked to find that out because that is not what is in the mainline media. If I am re-elected, I will continue to serve 100 percent of the residents in House Dist. 25.
Stoner – Throughout this campaign, I’ve made it a priority to meet with leaders from both political parties, ensuring that I’m not surrounded by an echo chamber of like-minded individuals. I genuinely want to understand the issues from all perspectives because that’s who I will represent. Hoosiers have told me they want a reasonable voice in the Statehouse — someone who listens to their concerns and responds thoughtfully. My opponent has pursued her personal and business interests and entertained conspiracy theories, rather than focusing on the needs of our community. It’s time to restore balance to the Statehouse, which has been under one-party control since 2012. Even former Gov. Mitch Daniels has expressed concern that the supermajority is not serving Hoosiers well. It’s unhealthy for one party to have unchecked power in government.
What do you most want voters to know about you?
Cash – My husband and I have lived in Zionsville, on the border of Whitestown, for over 18 years. We moved here from Illinois for a safer place to raise our children. As the parent of six children, four of whom have special and medical needs, I am completely dedicated to the parents, children and individuals of our district. I will work to make sure that our schools are as strong as possible, that parents have the ability to make the educational and medical decisions that are best for their children, that our retired and elderly residents have a safe place to grow old and I will work to be fiscally responsible with the tax money that the state receives. I love our great state, and I will work to make sure Indiana continues to be an amazing place to work, play and raise families. I can be reached with questions at [email protected] and I hope to have your vote on or before Nov. 5.
Stoner – It’s essential that we all play our part, as every election is decided by those who show up! I am dedicated to protecting public school funding rather than redirecting resources to private schools. I will defend a woman’s right to choose what happens to her body, especially since my opponent strongly opposes medical freedom for women. Additionally, I will work to lower gas taxes because we live in the most commutable district in Indiana. Lastly, I’ve been married to a Republican for 28 years, and if we can engage in constructive debate at home, I can certainly do the same in the Statehouse.
