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David Cheatham
| David Cheatham | ||
 | ||
| Indiana House of Representatives District 69 | ||
| Former Member | ||
| In office | ||
| 1984-1992, 2006 - Present | ||
| Party | Democratic | |
| Elections and appointments | ||
| Last election | November 2, 2010 | |
| Term limits | N/A | |
| Personal | ||
| Place of birth | Madison, Indiana | |
| Profession | High School Teacher | |
| Religion | Baptist | |
| Websites | ||
| Office website | ||
 | ||
Contents |
Cheatham has worked as a High School Teacher since 1976.
He is a member of the First Baptist Church, Indiana Department of Education's State Advisory Council, and Indiana Water Resources Board.[1]
Committee assignments
2011-2012
In the 2011-2012 legislative session, Cheatham served on these committees:
- Agriculture and Rural Development
- Commerce, Small Business and Economic Development
- Education
- Natural Resources, Ranking Minority Member
2009-2010
In the 2009-2010 legislative session, Cheatham served on these committees:
Legislative walkout
Cheatham and 36 other Democratic representatives participated in a legislative walkout on Tuesday, February 22, 2011 in opposition to proposed legislation limiting union powers in Indiana. The Democratic departure left the House void of a quorum, leaving only 58 of the 67 Representatives needed to establish a quorum. [2] Terri Austin, Steven Stemler, and Vanessa Summers stayed behind to provide, if necessary, a motion and a seconding motion, which would enable them to stop any official business from proceeding should the Republicans try to do so.[2]
On March 7, House minority leader B. Patrick Bauer revealed the Democratic caucus' hideout to be the Comfort Suites in Urbana, Illinois.[3] According to the Indiana Constitution, Article 4, sections 11 and 14, the House may enforce fines and other methods to compel absent members to return. Beginning on March 7, the Democrats were subject to a fine of $250, to be withheld from future expense or salary payments, for each day they were not present in the statehouse. [4] Regarding their actual pay, House Speaker Brian Bosma announced that the 37 lawmakers were required to be physically present in the chambers to receive their per diem payment of $152/day. [3] This move came as a result of the approximated $40,000 in per diem payments automatically made to the legislators during their first seven days of absence. According to reports, the representatives promised to either return the money, or donate it to charity. [3]
March 22 marked the start of the fourth consecutive week of Democratic absenteeism, complete with an increased incentive to return. Governor Daniels and House Republicans upped the ante with daily fines increasing from $250/day to $350/day, effective Monday, March 21. Despite the increased penalties, Democratic resolve remained intact. House Minority Leader B. Patrick Bauer stated that Democrats "will remain steadfast" in their opposition to bills hurting wages and education in Indiana. [5] Rep. Winfield Moses, Jr. (D) called the increase "a poke in the eye," and promised that it would do nothing to break the impasse. [6]
The Democrats ended the standoff after 36 days, returning on March 28. The two sides agreed to compromise on a number of issues, including shelving the controversial "right-to-work" bill.[4] Although the Democrats returned with some of their wishes granted, their actions were not without consequence. Each absent member accrued a total of $3500 in fines given by Republicans. [4]
The Legislature ended up passing "right-to-work" legislation on February 1, 2012, becoming the 23rd state to do so. Gov. Mitch Daniels (R) immediately signed it into law.[7]
Elections
2010
Cheatham defeated Republican candidate Ricky Warren by a margin of 11,633 to 7,330 to win re-election. [8] The general election took place on November 2, 2010.
In the May 4th primary, Cheatham ran unopposed and received 3,792 votes. [9]
| Indiana House of Representatives, District 69 General Election (2010) | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Candidates | Votes | |||
 David Cheatham (D)
|
11,633 | |||
| Ricky Warren (R) | 7,330 | |||
Cheatham ran unopposed in the Democratic primary on May 4th.
2008
On November 4, 2008, Democrat David Cheatham won re-election to the Indiana House of Representatives District 69 receiving 17,645 votes, ahead of Republican Floyd Coates who received 7,411 votes.[10]
| Indiana House of Representatives, District 69 (2008) | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Candidates | Votes | |||
| David Cheatham (D)
|
17,645 | |||
| Floyd Coates (R) | 7,411 | |||
2006
On November 7, 2006, David Cheatham won election to the Indiana House of Representatives District 69.[11]
| Indiana House of Representatives, District 69 (2006) | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Candidates | Votes | |||
| David Cheatham (D)
|
10,861 | |||
| Billy Bright (R) | 9,244 | |||
Campaign donors
2010
In 2010, Cheatham collected $30,779 in donations. The top contributors are as follows:[12]
| Indiana House of Representatives 2010 election - Campaign Contributions | |
|---|---|
| Top contributors to David Cheatham's campaign in 2010 | |
| International Brotherhood Of Electrical Workers | $2,000 |
| Indiana Builders Association | $2,000 |
| Indiana Bankers Association | $1,500 |
| Indiana Trial Lawyers Association | $1,500 |
| Comcast | $1,500 |
| Total Raised in 2010 | $30,779 |
2008
In 2008, Cheatham collected $53,118 in donations.[13]
Listed below are those that contributed most to his campaign.
| Donor | Amount |
|---|---|
| Indiana State Teachers Association | $2,000 |
| SE Pac | $2,000 |
| International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers | $2,000 |
| Indiana Trial Lawyers Association | $2,000 |
| Sommer Barnard PC | $1,500 |
| Indiana Hospital Association | $1,500 |
| Indiana Amusement & Music Operators Association | $1,300 |
| AT&T | $1,250 |
| Plumbers & Pipefitters Local 502 | $1,250 |
| Indiana Beverage Alliance | $1,250 |
| Indiana Association of Realtors | $1,000 |
| Indiana Statewide Association of Rural Electric Cooperatives | $1,000 |
| Scott, Jefferson, Clark Pac | $1,000 |
| Comcast | $1,000 |
External links
- Indiana House of Representatives - David Cheatham
- Project Vote Smart legislative profile
- Project Vote Smart biography
- Campaign contributions: 2010, 2008, 2006
- David Cheatham on LinkedIn
References
- ↑ Project Vote Smart - Rep. Cheatham
- ↑ 2.0 2.1 IndyStar.com, Indiana Democrats trigger Statehouse showdown over anti-union legislation, 22 Feb. 2011
- ↑ 3.0 3.1 3.2 Fox 59, Fines begin for absent House Democrats, 7 March 2011
- ↑ 4.0 4.1 4.2 The Wall Street Journal, Pressure Mounts on Absent Democrats in Wisconsin, Indiana, 3 March 2011
- ↑ IndyStar.com, Dems' walkout drags on, among nation's longest, 23 March 2011
- ↑ WFIE.com, Indiana Republicans say they're done negotiating, 17 March 2011
- ↑ Reuters, "Indiana becomes 23rd "right-to-work" state," February 1, 2012
- ↑ Official Indiana General Election Results
- ↑ Official Indiana Primary Election Results
- ↑ Indiana House of Representatives official election results for 2008
- ↑ Indiana House of Representatives official election results for 2006
- ↑ Indiana House 2010 Donors
- ↑ Cheatham Campaign Donors
| Political offices | ||
|---|---|---|
| Preceded by - |
Indiana House of Representatives District 69 2006–2012 |
Succeeded by Jim Lucas (R) |
 |
State of Indiana Indianapolis (capital) |
|---|---|
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