Ron Herrell considers himself a man of conviction. At least that's what he told me in an interview back in the fall of 2006 when we discussed the Indiana Marriage Amendment. At the time, he was campaigning against Republican John Smith who had voted for the amendment when the Republicans introduced it. Given the requirement that the IMA would have to pass through the legislature one more time before the people would be allowed to vote on it, Herrell sought to eliminate this topic as an election issue between he and Smith promising that he had strong Christian convictions that marriage was to be protected in Indiana as between a man and a woman.
What Herrell didn't seem to want to discuss was that the leader of his Democratic Party in the Statehouse, then minority leader Pat Bauer, was openly hostile to the amendment and had killed it in previous sessions. A vote for Herrell was a default vote for Bauer to be given power over the IMA, a seemingly foolish decision for anyone believing in the sanctity of marriage.
But Herrell assured voters that Bauer had made a campaign promise that he would allow the marriage amendment a floor vote at the Statehouse and not stand in the way of its passage. Simply put: the Bauer led Democratic Party of Indiana lied to Hoosiers. It has become quite apparent that the Bauer pledge, repeated throughout Indiana by numerous Democratic hopefuls like Herrell, was simply a ploy to get elected. Last year, after Herrell’s election gave the Democrats a razor thin one seat majority, Bauer used his power and lobbied to prevent the amendment from clearing committee and making it to the floor. Democrats on the committee who had voted for it previously voted against exactly identical language once Bauer had the reins.
Following this disgusting deceit, Representative Ron Herrell said and did nothing. He made no public statement of displeasure with Speaker Bauer for lying to the people of Indiana. He made no protests or threats to his Party that if they were unwilling to respect the citizens of Indiana he would consider leaving their ranks (thereby collapsing their majority). His silence concerned me and in a follow up interview, I posed a question to him: "If the Republicans had controlled the legislature, would the amendment have passed?" Herrell's response: "Yes, I suppose it would have." Incredulous, I pointed out this was the very concern so many of us felt when he was running for office and he reassuringly pointed out that there was one more year left to get it passed and that his convictions would lead him to do all he could to see it through.
For those who haven't been following, the Democrats have issued a statement (undoubtedly with marching orders from Mr. Bauer) that the amendment will not be introduced into committee, thereby killing it permanently. Who needs honesty when you've got power, right?
So now it becomes a test of character for Representative Ron Herrell. He has spoken of his Christian convictions and has promised voters where he stands on this critical issue. His action or inaction will prove whether he is a man of his word, or whether he is a man driven by political ambition.
Bucking your Party leadership, particularly a man known for vindictiveness like Pat Bauer, is not easy. But standing up in this world and fighting for your beliefs usually isn't...particularly in politics. The truth is that Herrell should be ashamed of Bauer's deception and should convene the press to announce that lying to the public is not the type of behavior he believes should characterize the Indiana Democratic Party. And he should put Mr. Bauer on notice that if the amendment does not come up for a vote, he will lead a movement of fellow Democrats to restore honor and integrity to the Party, or abandon it permanently.
With a month left, time is short Mr. Herrell. If you choose allegiance to your political party over those Christian convictions you spoke of so boldly, and remain silent and unwilling to challenge your Party leadership forcefully and publicly, the people of Kokomo will know exactly what kind of representative they have chosen: one who values power more than principle.
I challenge Mr. Herrell to be the man of integrity so many of us believe him to be.
Peter W. Heck 
