Thomas Washburne (c. 1963 – ) 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 64th District since 2013. In 2017, Washburne announced that he would not be running for reelection to the State House.

Personal details

Thomas Washburne was born around 1963 and comes from

Princeton, Indiana Princeton is the largest city in and the county seat of Patoka Township, Gibson County, Indiana, United States. The population was 8,301 at the 2020 United States census, and it is part of the greater Evansville, Indiana, Metropolitan Area. H ...

. He has five children. He resides in Inglefield, Indiana.

Career

An attorney, Washburne has worked for multiple law firms and represented two Indiana members of the US Congress, including United States Representative

John Hostettler John Nathan Hostettler (born July 19, 1961) is an American politician who served in the United States House of Representatives for 12 years, representing as a Republican Party (United States), Republican. He lost his reelection bid for a sevent ...

, as their chief of staff. Washburne is currently an attorney at

Old National Bank Old National Bank is an American regional bank with nearly 200 retail branches operated by Old National Bancorp and based in Chicago and Evansville, Indiana. With assets at $48.5 billion and 250 banking centers, Old National Bancorp is the larg ...

in Evansville, Indiana.

Politics

Washburne was reelected to his seat in the Indiana House of Representatives in 2014 after running unopposed in the republican primary and in the general election. In 2012, Washburne defeated James Amick in the republican primary election and won the 64th district seat against democratic opponent Mark Norton. Indiana House of Representatives, District 64, Election Results, November 6, 2012

Issues

Capital punishment

Washburne spent the 2015 legislative session pushing for more severe capital punishments for specific aggravators as chair of the House Courts and Criminal Code Committee. Senate Bill 385, which passed the Senate and has moved on to the House, would allow for defendants to receive the death penalty or a conviction of life without parole if they are charged of committing murder on a school grounds or in a place of religious worship. Washburne, who is a strong supporter of capital punishment, says that both of those situations warrant being added to the list of aggravators, which already includes defendants charged with dismembering a body.

Religious Freedom Restoration Act, 2015

Washburne also voted for Indiana's version of the

Religious Freedom Restoration Act The Religious Freedom Restoration Act of 1993, Pub. L. No. 103-141, 107 Stat. 1488 (November 16, 1993), codified at through (also known as RFRA, pronounced "rifra"), is a 1993 United States federal law that "ensures that interests in religio ...

, which was signed into law by Indiana Gov.

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 ...

on April 2, 2015. He supports the law, which protects Indiana businesses and business owners' freedom of religion and does not allow for interference from state and local government. Washburne says it's important that citizens of Indiana have religious freedoms, even those that others "might be appalled by."

References

External links

Indiana State Legislature - Representative Thomas Washburne
Official government website
Project Vote Smart - Representative Thomas Washburne (IN)
profile {{DEFAULTSORT:Washburne, Thomas Republican Party members of the Indiana House of Representatives Living people 1960s births 21st-century members of the Indiana General Assembly Year of birth missing (living people)