Jean Leising
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Jean Leising (born January 10, 1949) is an American politician from the
State of Indiana State may refer to: Arts, entertainment, and media Literature * ''State Magazine'', a monthly magazine published by the U.S. Department of State * ''The State'' (newspaper), a daily newspaper in Columbia, South Carolina, United States * ''Our S ...
. She is a
Republican Republican can refer to: Political ideology * An advocate of a republic, a type of government that is not a monarchy or dictatorship, and is usually associated with the rule of law. ** Republicanism, the ideology in support of republics or agains ...
member of the
Indiana Senate The Indiana Senate is the upper house of the Indiana General Assembly, the state legislature of the U.S. state of Indiana. The Senate is composed of 50 members representing an equal number of constituent districts. Senators serve four-year term ...
, representing the 42nd District from 1989 to 1996 and from 2008 to the present. She was Assistant Majority Whip from 1992 to 1996.


Career before politics

Leising was born on January 10, 1949, in
Batesville, Indiana Batesville is a city in Franklin County, Indiana, Franklin and Ripley County, Indiana, Ripley counties in the U.S. state of Indiana. The population was 6,520 at the 2010 United States Census, 2010 census, making it the largest community in both co ...
.CNN Election Guide: Candidates 1996
CNN (1996).
She graduated from Sunman Consolidated High School in 1966. Leising is a farm owner,Could marijuana extract save Tristan?
''Indianapolis Star'' (January 17, 2016).
haven taken over operation of the farm after he first husband died in an accident. Leising is also a travel agent and retired nurse.


Political career


State Senate tenure

Leising first entered the state Senate in 1989. In the 1990s, Leising authored legislation requiring that women undergo a waiting period before seeking an abortion in Indiana. For nearly a decade, Leising has annually introduced into the state Senate a bill to require elementary schools in Indiana to teach cursive handwriting; the proposals have been unsuccessful.Jeanie Lindsay
Researcher Pushes Back on Cursive Writing Op-Ed From Senator
Indiana Public Broadcasting (February 9, 2018).
Jeanie Lindsay
Leising’s Campaign For Cursive Writing Continues
Indiana Public Broadcasting (April 17, 2019).
Leising has chaired the state Senate's Agriculture Committee.'Cannabis for kids' legislation filed in Indiana
''Courier-Journal'' (January 5, 2016).
In 2015, Leising introduced legislation that would prohibit local governments (such as counties, municipalities, and townships) from placing restrictions on building livestock structure, including
concentrated animal feeding operation In animal husbandry, a concentrated animal feeding operation (CAFO), as defined by the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA), is an intensive animal farming, intensive animal feeding operation (AFO) in which over 1,000 animal units are c ...
s, which in some cases present substantial environmental risks and odors, such as those arising from
manure lagoon An anaerobic lagoon or manure lagoon is a man-made outdoor earthen basin filled with animal waste that undergoes anaerobic respiration as part of a system designed to manage and treat refuse created by concentrated animal feeding operations (CAFOs). ...
s. Environmental groups and local government officials opposed the legislation, which they viewed as an attempted power grab by the state's agribusiness lobby. The proposed "preemption" provision did not pass. Also in 2015, Leising was one of five Republican state senators who asked state Attorney General
Greg Zoeller Gregory Francis Zoeller (born March 28, 1955) is an American lawyer who served as the 42nd Indiana Attorney General, attorney general of the U.S. state of Indiana from 2009 to 2017. A Republican Party (United States), Republican, he was elected in ...
to investigate the animal welfare group
Humane Society of the United States The Humane Society of the United States (HSUS) is an American nonprofit organization that focuses on animal welfare and opposes animal-related cruelties of national scope. It uses strategies that are beyond the abilities of local organizations. ...
. The Republican lawmakers accused the group of deceptive fundraising practices; the Human Society responded that the letter was an "obvious political attack from politicians who stand in the way of protecting animals from captive hunts,
puppy mill A puppy mill, also known as a puppy farm, is a commercial dog breeding facility characterized by quick breeding and poor conditions. Although no standardized legal definition for "puppy mill" exists, a definition was established in ''Avenson v. ...
s, and
factory farm Intensive animal farming or industrial livestock production, also known by its opponents as factory farming and macro-farms, is a type of intensive agriculture, specifically an approach to animal husbandry designed to maximize production, while ...
s." In 2012, when the legislature was considering legislation to ban smoking in most indoor public spaces, Leising proposed an amendment to exempt nursing homes, group homes, mental health and veterans facilities from the ban.Amendments could spark fight over smoking ban in Senate
''The Times of Northwest Indiana'' (February 27, 2012).
Leising was the chair of an interim study committee that looked into the possible legalization of the use of
cannabidiol oil Cannabidiol (CBD) is a phytocannabinoid discovered in 1940. It is one of 113 identified cannabinoids in cannabis plants, along with tetrahydrocannabinol (THC), and accounts for up to 40% of the plant's extract. , clinical research on CBD incl ...
in Indiana for treating seizures in children; in 2016, she sponsored a bill to immunize Indiana physicians from prosecution for conducting trials studying the effectiveness of CBD oil as a potential seizure treatment. In 2020, Leising was one of four senators to vote against an anti-distracted driving bill to prohibit the use of handheld telecommunications devices (such as mobile phones) while driving a car; the bill passed 43–4.Dan Carden
Indiana Senate approves $500 fine for holding a phone while driving
''The Times of Northwest Indiana'' (February 25, 2020).


Unsuccessful congressional runs

Leising was the Republican candidate challenging Democratic congressman Lee H. Hamilton in the 1994 and 1996 elections for
Indiana's 9th congressional district Indiana's 9th congressional district is a congressional district in the U.S. state of Indiana. Located in south-central and southeastern Indiana, the district stretches from the south suburbs of Indianapolis to the Indiana side of the Louisvi ...
, but was defeated on both occasions.David E. Rosenbaum
The 1998 Campaign: Indiana: District May Be a Barometer, Thanks to a Tight Race and Early Results
'New York Times'' (October 30, 1998).
In 1994, the year of the Republican Revolution, Hamilton only narrowly won, but his margin of victory in 1996 was substantially wider. In 1998, after Hamilton decided to retire, Leising made a third bid for the congressional seat, challenging Democratic nominee Baron Hill for the primarily rural congressional seat. Hill defeated Leising in an
upset victory An upset occurs in a competition, frequently in electoral politics or sports, when the party popularly expected to win (the "favorite"), either loses to or draws/ties a game with an underdog whom the majority expects to lose, defying the convent ...
.
Stuart Rothenberg Stuart Rothenberg is an American editor, publisher, and political analyst. He is best known for his biweekly political newsletter ''The Rothenberg Political Report'', now known as ''Inside Elections''. He was also a regular columnist at ''Roll ...

Analysis: A small but historic shift for the Democrats
CNN (November 3, 1998).


Personal life

Leising lives in
Oldenburg Oldenburg may also refer to: Places *Mount Oldenburg, Ellsworth Land, Antarctica *Oldenburg (city), an independent city in Lower Saxony, Germany **Oldenburg (district), a district historically in Oldenburg Free State and now in Lower Saxony *Olde ...
.Kellie Hwang
Hands-free driving bill easily passes Senate, likely will become law in Indiana
''Indianapolis Star'' (February 25, 2020).
Her first husband died in an accident, and she subsequently remarried. Leising has three children. She is
Roman Catholic Roman or Romans most often refers to: *Rome, the capital city of Italy * Ancient Rome, Roman civilization from 8th century BC to 5th century AD * Roman people, the people of ancient Rome *'' Epistle to the Romans'', shortened to ''Romans'', a let ...
.


References


External links


Official profile
from the Indiana Senate website
Jean Leising at Ballotpedia
* {{DEFAULTSORT:Leising, Jean 1949 births Living people Republican Party Indiana state senators Women state legislators in Indiana People from Batesville, Indiana 21st-century American politicians 21st-century American women politicians 20th-century American politicians 20th-century American women politicians Candidates in the 1994 United States elections Candidates in the 1996 United States elections Candidates in the 1998 United States elections Farmers from Indiana Travel agents (people) American nurses American women nurses People from Franklin County, Indiana Catholics from Indiana