Edward D. 'Ed' Clere (born April 16, 1974) is a Republican member of the

Indiana House of Representatives The Indiana House of Representatives is the lower house of the Indiana General Assembly, the state legislature of the U.S. state of Indiana. The House is composed of 100 members representing an equal number of constituent districts. House mem ...

, representing the 72nd District. He is seen as a bipartisan legislator who encourages constituent outreach.Political science students visit Indiana Statehouse as guest of alumnus Rep. Ed Clere
'' Indiana Southeast University'', March 16, 2016. Retrieved March 13, 2020. In 2015, Clere, concerned about the rapid spread of

HIV The human immunodeficiency viruses (HIV) are two species of '' Lentivirus'' (a subgroup of retrovirus) that infect humans. Over time, they cause acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (AIDS), a condition in which progressive failure of the im ...

Scott County, Indiana Scott County is a county located in the U.S. state of Indiana. As of 2020, the population was 24,384. The county seat is Scottsburg. History Scott County was formed in 1820 from portions of Clark, Jackson, Jefferson, Jennings, and Washington ...

, urged then-governor

Mike Pence Michael Richard Pence (born June 7, 1959) is an American politician and lawyer who served as the 48th vice president of the United States from 2017 to 2021 under President Donald Trump. A member of the Republican Party (United States), Repub ...

to sign an executive order to allow

needle exchange A needle and syringe programme (NSP), also known as needle exchange program (NEP), is a social service that allows injection drug users (IDUs) to obtain clean and unused hypodermic needles and associated paraphernalia at little or no cost. It i ...

programs to operate. After resisting the intervention for over two months, Pence spoke to the county sheriff, prayed for guidance, then capitulated, allowing such a program to address the epidemic. The rate of infection slowed dramatically.Mike Pence's Response to H.I.V. Outbreak: Prayer, Then a Change of Heart
''

The New York Times ''The New York Times'' (''NYT'') is an American daily newspaper based in New York City. ''The New York Times'' covers domestic, national, and international news, and publishes opinion pieces, investigative reports, and reviews. As one of ...

'', Megan Twohey, August 8, 2016. Retrieved March 12, 2020. Clere received the Chancellor's Medal from Indiana University Southeast in 2016.

References

External links

Ed Clere at BallotpediaState Representative Edward Clere
''official Indiana State Legislature site'' * Republican Party members of the Indiana House of Representatives 21st-century members of the Indiana General Assembly Living people 1974 births People from Floyd County, Indiana American United Methodists Indiana University Southeast alumni {{Indiana-politician-stub