NEWS

Rep. Lehman gets McMillin's House leadership job

Chelsea Schneider and Tony Cook
chelsea.schneider@indystar.com
  • Rep. Matthew Lehman is selected to fill role of House majority floor leader
  • Former Rep. Jud McMillin resigned his House seat and the leadership post after sex video emerged
  • House leadership shakeup is the second in less than a year
Matt Lehman.

A Northern Indiana lawmaker was tapped on Tuesday to fill a House Republican leadership position vacated by Jud McMillin, who resigned from office last week amid a sex video scandal.

State Rep. Matt Lehman will assume the role of House majority floor leader during the upcoming legislative session. The job places Lehman, a socially conservative Republican from Berne, in one of the top leadership positions in the Republican-controlled House.

His selection represents the second reshuffling of House Republican leadership within the last year. McMillin, of Brookville, served as majority floor leader for just one legislative session before stepping down after a sexually-explicit video was sent via text message from his cell phone.

McMillin had landed the role in an earlier realignment of Republican leadership last November following an ethics scandal involving another high-profile state lawmaker. State Rep. Eric Turner, a Cicero Republican, resigned after allegations he helped kill a bill that would have hurt his private business interests. House Speaker Brian Bosma – the chamber’s top Republican – had confirmed Turner would have been stripped of his leadership position prior to the lawmaker announcing plans to resign.

On Tuesday, Bosma, an Indianapolis Republican, said he doesn’t feel the resignations impacted the institution or the stability of the chamber. McMillin made the “prompt and appropriate” decision in resigning from the legislature, Bosma said.

“Of course when a person is in a position of leadership like this, Rep. McMillin did exactly the right thing. I believe his conduct was a complete distraction from important issues. He did the right thing on focusing on his family,” Bosma said.

House Republicans selected Lehman by a private caucus vote. State Rep. Sean Eberhart, a Shelbyville Republican, also ran for the position, Bosma confirmed. Bosma described the process as a healthy discussion about the caucus’ leadership and future.

Bosma called Lehman a trusted adviser.

“Just a person of high integrity, and that’s what we need,” Bosma said.

Bosma also confirmed Lehman would no longer serve as the chairman of the House Insurance Committee. He characterized it as a customary step given Lehman now holds a key leadership role.

While Turner’s case shone new light on potential conflicts of interests among Indiana lawmakers, Lehman hasn’t been a stranger to those concerns. His chairing of the insurance committee had raised eyebrows, given his work as an insurance agent.

Lehman is also a member of the Independent Insurance Agents of Indiana, a trade association that lobbies lawmakers on behalf of the insurance industry. The group's end-of-session legislative report gave "special kudos" to Lehman, noting that "nothing negative passed" and that "the insurance industry had a very positive session."

However, Republican legislative leaders have argued such arrangements are the nature of a part-time legislature, where lawmakers can bring expertise from their professional lives.

Bosma echoed those sentiments Tuesday, saying he’s not concerned about potential conflicts of interest with Lehman.

“The key is transparency. The key is disclosure, and the key is to not publicly or privately advocate for something that has a direct, unique, personal impact on you or your business,” Bosma said.

As majority floor leader, Lehman will play a pivotal role in the chamber – especially during floor debates.

Lehman is successful in moving legislation and seems to be well-respected among members, said Andy Downs, director of the Mike Downs Center for Indiana Politics.

“When you need to be framing the debate, when you need to try to take advantage of discussion, you need somebody who can actually see two or three or four steps ahead,” Downs said.

The maneuver comes ahead of a legislative session where lawmakers are anticipated to discuss expanding discrimination protections for lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender Hoosiers.

Lehman has supported past attempts to add a same-sex marriage ban into the state’s constitution. He also was one of 25 sponsors of the state’s controversial Religious Freedom Restoration Act.

Lehman was first elected to the Indiana House in 2008. He previously served on the Adams County Council.

Separately, a caucus of Republican precinct committee members from House District 68 will choose a replacement for McMillin, whose departure left the seat vacant. The caucus to choose a new state lawmaker is set for Oct. 22 in Brookville.