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Dennis Tyler
| Dennis Tyler | ||
 | ||
| Indiana House of Representatives District 34 | ||
| Former Member | ||
| In office | ||
| 2006 - 2011 | ||
| Party | Democratic | |
| Personal | ||
| Birthday | 1943 | |
| Profession | Firefighter | |
| Websites | ||
| Office website | ||
 | ||
Contents |
Tyler works as a Line Captain with the Muncie Fire Department.
He is a member of the Fraternal Order of Eagles #231, Knights of Pythias Lodge #37, and United Way of Delaware County.[2]
Committee assignments
2011-2012
In the 2011-2012 legislative session, Tyler served on these committees:
- Employment, Labor and Pensions
- Roads and Transportation
- Veterans Affairs and Public Safety, Ranking Minority Member
2009-2010
In the 2009-2010 legislative session, Tyler served on these committees:
Legislative walkout
Tyler 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. [3] 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.[3]
On March 7, House minority leader B. Patrick Bauer revealed the Democratic caucus' hideout to be the Comfort Suites in Urbana, Illinois.[4] 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. [5] 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. [4] 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. [4]
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. [6] Rep. Winfield Moses, Jr. (D) called the increase "a poke in the eye," and promised that it would do nothing to break the impasse. [7]
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.[5] 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. [5]
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.[8]
Elections
2010
Tyler defeated Republican candidate John Tuttle by a margin of 7,543 to 4,545 in the November 2 general election. [9]
In the May 4 primary election, Tyler ran unopposed and received 4,231 votes. [10]
| Indiana House of Representatives, District 34 General Election (2010) | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Candidates | Votes | |||
 Dennis Tyler (D)
|
7,543 | |||
| John Tuttle (R) | 4,545 | |||
2008
On November 4, 2008, Democrat Dennis Tyler won re-election to the Indiana House of Representatives District 34 receiving 14,234 votes, ahead of Republican Theodore Baker who received 6,796 votes.[11]
| Indiana House of Representatives, District 34 (2008) | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Candidates | Votes | |||
| Dennis Tyler (D)
|
14,234 | |||
| Theodore Baker (R) | 6,796 | |||
2006
On November 7, 2006, Tyler won election to the Indiana House of Representatives District 34.[12]
| Indiana House of Representatives, District 34 (2006) | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Candidates | Votes | |||
| Dennis Tyler (D)
|
8,526 | |||
| Adrian Leavell (R) | 4,631 | |||
| Carrie Dillard-Trammell (L) | 511 | |||
Campaign donors
2010
In 2010, Tyler collected $107,125 in donations. The top contributors are as follows:[13]
| Indiana House of Representatives 2010 election - Campaign Contributions | |
|---|---|
| Top contributors to Dennis Tyler's campaign in 2010 | |
| Hoosiers For Justice | $13,000 |
| American Federation Of State County & Municipal Employees | $10,000 |
| Heat & Frost Insulators | $9,000 |
| Indiana State Auto Workers | $4,000 |
| Form Cg-0 Single Event Raffle | $2,608 |
| Total Raised in 2010 | $107,125 |
2008
In 2008, Tyler collected $89,945 in donations.[14]
Listed below are those that contributed most to his campaign.
| Donor | Amount |
|---|---|
| Indiana Democratic Party | $6,921 |
| Muncie Fire Fighters Local 1348 | $4,500 |
| Munci Police Officers Pac | $3,250 |
| Carpenters Local 1016 | $3,000 |
| Bricklayers & Allied Craftworkers Local 4 of Indiana & Kentucky | $2,800 |
| Indiana State Auto Workers | $2,600 |
| Plumbers & Steamfitters Local 661 | $2,200 |
| International Brotherhood of Teamsters | $2,100 |
| Electrical Workers Local 855 | $2,096 |
| Indiana Trial Lawyers Association | $2,000 |
| Laborers Local 1112 | $1,600 |
| Professional Fire Fighters Union of Indiana | $1,600 |
| AT&T | $1,600 |
| Teamsters Local 135 | $1,500 |
| Greenview Development Inc. | $1,500 |
| DLCBA | $1,400 |
| Edward Cowgill | $1,300 |
| United East Central Indiana Building Trades Fund | $1,200 |
| AFSCME Council 62 | $1,050 |
| Indiana Association of Realtors | $1,000 |
2006
In 2006, Tyler collected $64,738 in donations.[15]
Listed below are the top 5 contributors to his campaign.
| Donor | Amount |
|---|---|
| Muncie Firefighters Local 1340 | $5,790 |
| United East Central Building and Construction Trades Council | $2,090 |
| Indiana State Auto Workers | $2,000 |
| Teamsters Local 135 | $2,000 |
| Muncie Police Officers PAC | $2,000 |
External links
- Dennis Tyler's personal website
- Indiana House of Representatives - Dennis Tyler
- Project Vote Smart legislative profile
- Project Vote Smart biography
- Watchdog Indiana Candidate Ratings
- Campaign contributions: 2010, 2008, 2006
References
- ↑ The Associated Press, "Democratic activist inherits Tyler's open House seat," December 30, 2011
- ↑ Project Vote Smart - Rep. Tyler
- ↑ 3.0 3.1 IndyStar.com, Indiana Democrats trigger Statehouse showdown over anti-union legislation, 22 Feb. 2011
- ↑ 4.0 4.1 4.2 Fox 59, Fines begin for absent House Democrats, 7 March 2011
- ↑ 5.0 5.1 5.2 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
- ↑ Tyler Campaign Donors
- ↑ 2006 Campaign Donors
| Political offices | ||
|---|---|---|
| Preceded by - |
Indiana House of Representatives District 34 2006–present |
Succeeded by NA |
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