Controversial Actions and Statements:
Johnny Nugent
Johnny Nugent (Board Member)
Republican Senator in the Indiana State Senate
Johnny Nugent has served in the Indiana State Senate since 1978 and is a former Republican Majority Floor Leader. Nugent authored a bill that prohibits municipalities in Indiana from preempting state firearm laws that was enacted into law during the 2011 legislative session. In 2009, Nugent introduced a bill that would have prohibited Indiana public colleges and universities from banning firearms from campus. Nugent has also expressed disappointment over a policy that prohibits visitors to the Indiana Statehouse from carrying concealed firearms. Legislators are exempt from the policy, however, and Nugent has revealed that he carries guns into the statehouse. The NRA Political Victory Fund endorsed his candidacy for the Indiana Senate in 2010 and gave him an “A+” rating. Outside of his role in the legislature, Nugent works as a tractor salesman.
Johnny Nugent (Board Member)
In May 2011, the Indiana Supreme Court held that individuals do not have a right to use force to resist police officers who enter a home illegally. The ruling, which is consistent with laws in most other states, precipitated an increase in threats against police officers and judges. The Indiana Supreme Court ruled that a civil lawsuit against a police department was preferable to a violent confrontation when the legality of a police visit is in dispute. Nugent, who vowed to fight the ruling in the state legislature, said, “Hoosiers should not feel powerless in their own homes. They must be able to protect themselves and their families when they think it’s needed.”
Johnny Nugent (Board Member)
Johnny Nugent (Board Member)
In 2003, Nugent supported legislation that would have required public schools in Indiana to conspicuously display the words, “In God We Trust.”
Johnny Nugent (Board Member)
In 2002, Nugent was arrested for driving under the influence. He registered a blood alcohol content of .13, which is well over Indiana’s .08 limit. Police stopped Nugent after receiving a report that he was driving erratically. Nugent apologized for his conduct, but also said that he “felt fine” and that he “didn't really drink any more wine at dinner than regularly.”
Johnny Nugent (Board Member)
In 1997, Nugent sponsored legislation to ban same-sex marriages in Indiana. The bill was signed into law that year.
Johnny Nugent (Board Member)
In 1996, Nugent led opposition to a proposed piece of legislation that would have “made it illegal for adults to leave a loaded handgun where children could have easy access to it.”
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