Dear Friend, 

It's been an eventful few weeks here in Indiana. I've traveled around our district, visiting with families, teachers, farmers, small business owners and more. Getting your feedback and hearing your thoughts on how to improve our country, state and communities is important to me. Please don't hesitate to contact me with any questions or concerns. 

Sincerely,
 
Luke Messer

Securing Our Schools

Nothing is more important than keeping our kids safe when they walk into school each day.

Congresswoman Susan Brooks and I recently held a School Safety Roundtable, where we had the opportunity to discuss school security challenges with administrators, teachers, parents, law enforcement and security professionals across the state.

With the rise of global terrorist networks and a lack of meaningful public policy to address mental illness, the reality is our schools may be more at risk today than ever before.

Thankfully, our own state and local leaders are pioneering the school security landscape. In 2016, Indiana approved a new law to establish minimum standards and best practices for school emergency response systems.

Shelby County public schools are serving as a model for our state. The Shelby County Sheriff's Office is working closely with the school system to make sure they can respond quickly and effectively to threats. 

Read my recent Op Ed with Congresswoman Brooks on how to secure our schools and protect our kids, and let me know your thoughts.

Restoring Pell Grants for ITT Tech students

When ITT Technical Institute closed its doors last month, it left 40,000 students nationwide in the lurch, including those who had received Pell Grants to attend the institution.

Federal Pell Grants are provided to low-income students pursuing college, and lifetime eligibility for the need-based grants is limited.

I sent a letter to the U.S. Department of Education earlier this month, after I realized the Department was refusing to restore Pell Grant eligibility to ITT Tech students, leaving them with few options to finish their degrees.

The Education Department responded to my letter last week, announcing it will reverse its decision and reset Pell Grant eligibility to ITT Tech students.

It's estimated that the Education Department’s decision could help more than 16,000 students, ensuring they have a path forward to continue their education.

I have also authored legislation to ensure the 7,000 veterans who were using GI Bill benefits to attend ITT Tech can use their benefits at another institution to finish their degree.

Supporting Hoosier Farmers

Earlier this month, I visited with farmers in Rush County and was honored to be named Friend of the Farm Bureau for representing and supporting Indiana's agriculture industry. 

Agriculture is vital to our state and local economies.

• Indiana is home to nearly 60,000 farms covering more than 14 million acres. 
• This industry is responsible for employing more than 100,000 Hoosiers.
• Our state exports nearly $6 billion in agricultural products each year.

I am proud to represent Hoosier farmers and advocate for policy that reduces burdensome regulations on farmers and strengthens agriculture in our state.