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SUMMARY:
Scott Aaron Rogers hosts a virtual town hall with Jackson Franklin, Democratic candidate for Indiana’s 5th Congressional District running to replace Victoria Spartz. Franklin, a combat medic in the Indiana Army National Guard and paramedic, describes himself as the “younger, angrier Bernie Sanders of Indiana” running an unapologetically progressive grassroots campaign. He touts having conducted nearly twice as many town halls across all six counties in the district compared to Spartz’s two total, emphasizing his commitment to constituent engagement. Franklin’s platform centers on Medicare for All, getting money out of politics, abolishing ICE, advocating a Green New Deal, and fighting fascism without meeting it halfway. Throughout the town hall, he addresses questions about protest training, data centers, statehood for DC and Puerto Rico, sub-minimum wage, police reform, the meaning of a Green New Deal, and what inspired him to run. He emphasizes revolutionary optimism and building a movement based on popular progressive policies rather than corporate-backed moderate Democrats who he argues consistently lose elections.
QUESTIONS
0:09:49 - Does your campaign still support training citizens in defensive protest methods?
- Yes, providing protest training to Muncie community and Ball State students on effective protesting
- Training includes protest medic basics (use water not milk for CS gas, have lasers ready for surveillance)
- Everyone has a role if things escalate, continued action needed beyond calls and letters
0:13:33 - Would you support statehood for Washington D.C. and Puerto Rico?
- 100% support, but should have referendum for Puerto Rico to choose (statehood or independence)
- Does not believe in colonialism or imperialism, whatever Puerto Rico chooses in free and fair election
- Senate already rigged (16% of population can control majority), no more territories
0:15:37 - What efforts can undo data centers in our communities and protect natural resources with real jobs?
- Halt all further data center construction in Indiana until renewable process developed
- Need online safety Bill of Rights like EU has (companies can’t sell data without permission)
- Green New Deal jobs would replace environmentally destructive data centers (7 water bottles per ChatGPT prompt)
0:18:12 - Are you from District 5?
- Yes, lives in Muncie, lived there whole adult life
- Multiple primary opponents do not live in district (one from Fort Wayne, one in Indianapolis)
0:24:54 - What are your thoughts on the sub-minimum wage?
- Sub-minimum wage is disability discrimination, shouldn’t exist
- Campaign advocates for $25 minimum wage with phase-out of sub-minimum wage
- Employers brag about record profits but won’t pay workers living wage, tips should be on top of living wage not instead of it
[0:18:45-0:24:29 - We experienced some technical difficulties here. Scott makes a pitch to support Progressive Indiana Network]
0:29:48 - Would you agree to an ice bag punching contest? / Thoughts on ICE coming to your district?
- Would do fundraiser for immigration lawyers (ice bag punching contest for entry)
- Need to abolish ICE (the “Gestapo”), not reform it - they’re terrorizing people
- Democrat leadership proposing body cameras is absurd when they already record themselves shooting people
0:36:47 - If Democrats take back Congress, what do we do with ICE agents and Trump administration who committed crimes?
- Need second Nuremberg trials (first ones after WWII massively failed, most Nazis got away)
- Must uphold rule of law and impeach criminals for insurrection and immigration abuses
- Need due process but throw them in prison for life - can’t rehabilitate people who want ethnic cleansing
0:41:38 - Can you explain specifics of the Green New Deal?
- Green New Deal is basic starting level, not socialist utopia despite Fox News claims
- Includes carbon tax, jobs incentive program for manufacturing green tech (what EU already does)
- Must go big on climate crisis, planet being murdered by fossil fuel industry and lobbyists
0:49:36 - What policies would you fight for regarding police reform?
- End disastrous war on drugs (Black people 4x more likely to get drug possession charge despite same usage rates)
- 13th Amendment still allows slavery for incarcerated people, fuels for-profit prison industry
- Strengthen investigations (end police investigating themselves), demilitarize police, end qualified immunity
0:54:18 - What was your “I need to be the one to do this” moment that finalized your decision to run?
- Bernie Sanders activated him and entire generation 10 years ago
- Brother Julian encouraged him to run after years of working on campaigns as policy advisor
- Tired of seeing corporate conservative Democrats win nomination then lose general elections, wanted to run on popular progressive message
More information at jacksonfranklinforcongress.com
Progressive Indiana Network is subscriber-supported independent media. To help us continue doing this work, please consider becoming a free or paid subscriber.
