Life Unscripted with Kevin Shook
Welcome to 'Life Unscripted with Kevin Shook', a heartening podcast where embracing vulnerability is the key to success. Join your host, Kevin, as he dives into the stories of remarkable individuals who have transformed their lives by opening up, facing challenges, and finding strength in their most vulnerable moments. Each episode features inspiring conversations with guests from various walks of life. Kevin's journey of embracing vulnerability has led him to meet amazing people, and now he brings their wisdom, laughter, and insights to you. Tune in and discover how embracing your vulnerabilities can lead to your greatest victories in life, both personally & professionally.
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Life Unscripted with Kevin Shook
Navigating the Fields of Politics with State Senator Jeff Raatz & State Representative JD Prescott
Ever wonder how a farmer transitions to the political arena or what the day-to-day of a Ways and Means Committee member entails? Buckle up, because Life Unscripted is gearing up for an engrossing conversation with Indiana State Representative JD Prescott and State Senator Jeff Raatz, where JD spills the beans on his move from tilling the fields to representing House District 33, and Jeff offers a peek behind the curtain of a state senator's role versus that of a representative. We're not just talking politics, though—get ready to celebrate community spirit with the heartwarming Prescott picnic story, and discover how the latest agricultural tech keeps farmers like JD at the top of their game.
But that's not all we're unboxing today. Step into the classroom of the future, where traditional education gets a run for its money from non-conventional learning paths. I'll be unraveling the stories of those who've forged successful careers through alternative routes, like paramedic programs and online platforms. Delving further, we'll light up the discussion on the symbiotic relationship between local community colleges and businesses, crafting technical programs that hit the bullseye for student needs and employer demands. And we're going to break down Indiana's school choice voucher programs—untangling financial myths and showcasing their role in cultivating educational diversity. Join us for a journey through the landscape of learning and work that promises to expand your perceptions and maybe even inspire your next move.
Life Unscripted with Kevin Shook.
Speaker 2:So welcome to Life Unscripted Today. I have a couple of friends of mine here and I've known them for a while. They've known me for a while. They know everything about me. They do know my life has been unscripted, but here we are. And I can't thank them enough for being great friends of mine and stuff. So introduce yourselves. Jd, you want to start?
Speaker 1:So I'm JD Prescott. I serve House District 33, which is Randolph. Blackford County is complete Two-thirds of Jay, a third of Delaware and a little bit of Henry County as well. I've been in the state house since 2018. I was first elected.
Speaker 2:Family farms a little over 3 000 acres in randolph county still involved in the farm own multiple small businesses and I'm gonna stop you there, because your brother the other day was like are you sure you know how to drive that thing?
Speaker 1:so I have stepped back a little bit on the farm, since I've been in the state house to have a few irons in the fire, but I'm still out there on the farm. I I still know how to drive everything. My younger brother tries to harass me a little bit, says I'm a part-time farmer now but I can still operate everything.
Speaker 2:And Jeff, do you want to introduce yourself? Sure.
Speaker 3:JD, don't stay out too long, because technology changes by the minute it seems like even in agriculture right. Too long because technology changes by the minute it seems like even in agriculture, right. So instead of looking down the the hood of the tractor to make sure you're going straight, now everything's by gps, right? Yep, yeah, anyway, jeff rott's indiana state senate district 27. Today it is comprised of part of franklin county, all of union, all of wayne and all of henry counties so it?
Speaker 2:when was it? Was it, uh, two years ago, when they changed that correct?
Speaker 3:yeah, it was. I guess it was last fall, not last fall, the fall before. It's been about a year and a half since they've been been in effect, correct?
Speaker 2:yeah, now did that help things does it just didn't hurt, it didn't really change anything much.
Speaker 3:I mean it's uh always. Uh, you know, I picked up a whole new county and lost randolph county. Essentially I had I lost randolph county and part of franklin county, so I'm part of that. I lost a few townships there and then a township in fayette county as well. So uh it it worked out well. Okay, really, the the way the district is comprised didn't change really anything. Okay, but gave opportunity, I guess, to get to know a whole new group right, we still go to the picnic, we still go to the prescott picnic august 24th.
Speaker 2:Yeah, we said in that video keep the plug in.
Speaker 3:Yeah, august 24th well, this year I'll get on the on the calendar.
Speaker 2:Jd, that's right we sent it to you right away. I'll pick you up. I'll be at your house.
Speaker 3:As long as it don't rain.
Speaker 1:It's in a barn.
Speaker 2:I told him about the time I left the top off the Jeep.
Speaker 3:Coming back and it was raining.
Speaker 2:I'm like, oh crap, I got the scissor with me, the top's off the Jeep, it's raining. He's like no big deal.
Speaker 3:It wasn't like it was poor for sure. I'm glad I heard from you again after that.
Speaker 2:I'm not one I'm I'm quick to forgive so, jd uh, you're the district 33 rep representative.
Speaker 1:So um explain what the roles of a representative are, yeah, so serving in the state, we're up every two years, unlike the senators. They're up every four years. So we're constantly. It feels like I'm constantly in campaign mode on the on the off years, but are on the when we're out of session. But during session it's one of the main responsibilities for me. I'm on the ways and means committee, the budgeting committee, so every every two years of state budget, uh, they have to originate out of the house, so we're heavily involved in crafting that state budget as well as, uh, just various laws that come before the general assembly as a whole, um, constituent service issues. I mean we, we both get constituent service calls about every day, whether we're in session or out of session. So, uh, it's, um, it's a good mix ofmaking the budgeting process just the political process in general, helping people out with the constituent services issues. Sometimes it can be a little aggravating dealing with some of these departments that we'd like to move things along a little quicker.
Speaker 1:Sometimes, the speed of government's a little slower than what we'd like coming from the business world, but overall it's a really good process and I enjoy enjoy serving the people.
Speaker 2:And you've been in it for how many years?
Speaker 1:Six years. It's hard to believe, but yeah.
Speaker 2:I remember when you were first running, because uh, meeks introduced us at lunch at the little restaurant downtown.
Speaker 1:Winchester, yeah, which is now the pizza place.
Speaker 2:Chicago Pizza.
Speaker 1:Yeah, was it Chicago Pizza at that time?
Speaker 2:No, it was that little deli. Yeah or deli shop and whatnot, jeff. So kind of explain what a senator does, because a lot of people don't know the differences between senator and now your new position that you're running for.
Speaker 3:so so, uh uh, the senate is the upper chamber in the, in the general assembly, whether it's at the national level or at the local.
Speaker 3:I'm kidding we should have put him on like a little higher pedestal under his chair probably the only, the only benefit which is a quite a benefit, as JD mentions is we have four-year terms and so we're not continually in the election cycle, which assists us from having to be on the election cycle all the time, essentially, so we get a reprieve in there somewhat, but you're really on stage all the time.
Speaker 3:As JD mentioned, constituent services at at the top, uh, and we get bogged down during session. Um, sometimes because of what I do as chair of the education committee and I'm also on the receiving end of the ways and means. I'm on appropriations now in the senate for this, the second year I've been on it, so we, we fine-tooth comb put our signature on the budget, send it back, and then there's final negotiations before it comes to the end and we all agree on it. But most of my time is spent on education as a chairman and so that takes up a lot of my time and so I focus on that even in the off session. So a lot of talking and I'm continually talking about it, so it keeps me busy for sure.
Speaker 2:Is there anything in the education world right now that might be a cool topic to mention?
Speaker 3:Yeah, I think one of the things that we're actually have been working on for a number of years is focusing on quality work-based learning as well as apprenticeships, and that when I use the word apprenticeship, generally the culture thinks about unionized apprenticeships and that could be part of it, but that's not all of it.
Speaker 3:Basically, let's just use the word quality work-based learning opportunities for students in 11th and 12th grade, where they actually go on the job and get paid, and we're working diligently now to figure out how to give credits.
Speaker 3:Maybe that's a business credit, it could be accounting credit, it could be multiple things and not only credit in the K-12 space, but also in higher ed, so how that translates the actual working into credits. Let's call it real-world experience, and I can refer back to myself. I like to do this, not changing the subject, just sharing after I, in the middle of a four-year degree in accounting and IT, back in the day, I had to learn from someone who had practical experience when I got on the job in a few areas, and so, yeah, you can't you can't deny that there's a great opportunity for people to learn uh, hands-on, like their technicals exactly such such like a program that you're running right here, this podcast, the things that you know you could teach a student and they could come out the other side with uh skills, a skill set that's ready to go right, right and I see.
Speaker 2:So I didn't. I didn't really go to college. My paramedic program was credited through iupi, but it didn't come with a degree or nothing, nothing. All of this was youtube university, which is what I'll always be a student of youtube university, yeah, um, but you've got to be passionate and, um, I've seen there's a shift. So, like in in high school, you know, I think I made it through algebra one, um, but I went to, like, automotive vocational instead of algebra 15. And I went to woods manufacturing.
Speaker 2:I think I got. I think they told me to leave Spanish class cause I just couldn't get it. So, like I, you know, I had to F my English in English my 12th grade year. So I was like, but I was, you know, I wish I was a better student. But, um, I am very thankful that I can change my brakes on my car. You know, I'm real thankful I can fix stuff and so you say it wasn't a waste of time.
Speaker 3:Sometimes even I think students will, in your case may go to like auto shop, not necessarily because it's the interest, but just to get by yeah so that's good that you learned some of those basics oh yeah, and I mean those are skills you'll carry with you forever.
Speaker 2:So that's really cool and I've seen that shift recently Some of our local college, our community college out here they're working with some manufacturing facilities here in Richmond to develop technical training programs to help with the workforce.
Speaker 3:And that, honestly, that's the part that I like about it the most, because as an employer, they could actually help create their own workforce pipeline by having students participate high school, last couple years of high school or during college, and they're providing an invaluable experience for them. But ultimately there's some self-preservation in there as well, that they're actually preparing their own workforce or participating in that, and so that's that's happy.
Speaker 2:Yeah, benefits both sides right, great, you know you start with an internship and it goes from there and provide their education if they want to further their education, create that buy-in, you foster a great work environment and hopefully stick with you.
Speaker 3:No, that's one thing we don't talk about enough. I think it's incumbent upon the employer to be a good actor in this situation as well. I think they are today. It's different than what the employer to be a good actor in this situation as well, and I think they are today. That's different than what it used to be. So you're absolutely right.
Speaker 2:JD, do you have any good topics to talk about? That's current events.
Speaker 1:Well, piggybacking off of what Jeff was talking about, with some of the things going on with education, I was reading actually I had an article sent to me this morning where Texas was stating that the future of their state really hinges on the success of their voucher program, where they're expanding school choice in Texas and that's one of the things that I think we've worked on both in Ways and Means in partnership with Jeff and education is really making sure that we're the number one state for school choice, making sure every student has an equal opportunity on the best education path forward for them. So that's one thing that we've really been able to work together with him. Being on both education and appropriations, that's been a huge help in making sure that we've been the true leader. So, like I was saying, that article that I was reading this morning, it referenced Indiana as being one of the leaders. They're trying to chase us down and catch up with us, but I think we're going to keep our foot on the gas and keep it up.
Speaker 2:Explain the voucher program. How does this work?
Speaker 1:Yeah, so it's 300% of the free and reduced lunch rate of family of four, for example, would be like $, be like 220 000 to be eligible for the voucher. Uh, and it covers 90 of the education fund dollars that would go. That would traditionally. If that student went to a traditional public school and then then switch to a voucher school, uh, 90 of those dollars would follow. So it's actually um more financially. Uh, dollars would follow. So it's actually more financially responsible from a state perspective because we're educating those dollars at a reduced rate but getting quality education, getting faith-based education.
Speaker 1:And some of my children go to a voucher accepting school and my wife and I chose that because of the faith-based aspect. We're Baptists, we went to a Baptist school. So it's one of the misconceptions that's out there that our opposition throws out all the time is that these schools don't have to follow private schools, don't have to follow the same standards as traditional public schools, and what they tell you is a mistruth Voucher schools, if they are a private school that are voucher accepting, they have to follow the same state standards as the public schools. But if it's a private school that's not voucher accepting, which means they don't accept these tax dollars, then they don't have to, so a lot of times you've got to look out for that misinformation that's being thrown out there.
Speaker 1:But there are really good options and the number of students that are taking advantage of this program, that are participating, continues to grow year over year. There's high demand, so I think it's been a great success for our workforce development in our state and really college readiness as well.
Speaker 2:Very cool.
Speaker 3:Let me add just a couple things there. So the other piece of the puzzle is for voucher schools. The property tax dollars stay in the place where they don't follow the child they actually stay. So JD lives in Randolph County, so those property tax dollars still go to the school district that he resides in. Okay, he does not follow the child, and so across the state it's the average is thirty three hundred dollars per student that's generated by property tax. Of course that's an average, so there's some that much higher and some that are lower than that, obviously, but so that's an actually an advantage to the local public school. They get to keep those dollars and so, uh, there are a lot of misnomers about it, but really it comes down to parental choice. Parents decide where their student goes and ultimately, as far as the state is concerned at least myself we really need outcomes. We're struggling with academic proficiency across the United States, and Indiana is no exception to that problem.
Speaker 2:Interesting. I remember the picnic circa 2000. When did we get rained on? Because?
Speaker 2:I got to give you guys kudos for doing what you're doing. I know we're all public servants here, but I have to give you guys major kudos. We were at your picnic and we're trying. I'm taking pictures because Mama Prescott always asked me to take pictures and she always has the homemade ice cream. And of course, you know, in politics there's always topics and the news is always bringing up topics and hot topics, not so Jeff's whittling away over here trying to get ice cream one day. So I'm just taking pictures.
Speaker 2:We're kind of talking and then a group of people come around and they're really nice and they start engaging in conversations with Jeff and asking him questions about certain topics and everything else. And he cares. I've known both of you forever and you guys care and that's the. You're not just trying to get a vote, you guys genuinely care what people think. I just felt bad because he's trying to get to the ice cream machine. He gets like 10 more feet. He has a conversation and he gets 10 more feet and a different group came around and started asking the same questions.
Speaker 2:I was like man, he should have just had a microphone a little bit ago. And um, he, he, he expressed like I mean he genuinely cared. So he talked to him and meanwhile I'm like sitting back there eating ice cream just looking at him. That was Meanwhile. I'm like sitting back there eating ice cream just looking at him. That was do you remember that? Yeah, thanks, that was funny. So kudos to you guys for stepping up, because we all know, everybody knows these positions don't compensate like they should. So no one does what you guys are doing for money, for the job itself, but more so you're to be a public servant, because you're passionate about it. So, um, I'm lucky to call you guys friends, um, before anything else, and, uh, I appreciate you guys being here today on life unscripted, um, is there anything you want to close up the show with, anything you want to mention?
Speaker 1:uh, maybe how they could vote, yeah, so election is coming up on may 7th. Early voting is uh available right now so you can go to your local courthouse and vote um check your courthouse hours. Each each courthouse has different hours and uh, some of them have lunch breaks and things where they're um have. So check your courthouse for your early voting timelines. Some elections are precincts. Some counties have precinct only, others have vote centers, so that'll be a little different too. So make sure you check out the clerk of courts website. Maybe some of them have social media pages as well. Anyway, then go ahead, jeff. Sorry, yeah.
Speaker 3:So we'll start early voting. You can apply for an absentee ballot now and you already had to be registered to vote, and that's been, I don't know, a week or so ago, two weeks maybe, what was the deadline for?
Speaker 1:Actually, it was just a couple days ago.
Speaker 3:It was May 8th.
Speaker 1:Yeah, it was the 8th April. 8th because it was on the eclipse.
Speaker 3:The deadline to be hey, what did you guys?
Speaker 1:think about that.
Speaker 2:That was awesome, that was crazy. I was in the back of an ambulance with a patient oh really yeah, transporting, and all of a sudden, as we're going down through Danville, I see gas station lights. I kind of forgot and I was like, oh, oh yeah, the eclipse.
Speaker 3:And we will wield the patient from the road to the hospital so he could look up and see it. I think the coolest thing was for me the, when it was about total it. We could feel the temperature change like maybe five degrees or something like that. Yeah, it was. It was incredible. And then there was a uh, there was a red dot on the base of the when the moon was right in front of the sun. Uh, there was a red dot and it was a solar um, uh, what the guy called it.
Speaker 3:I forget exactly what it was a flare or hole solar flare or something, I can't remember the exact term, but it but it was a red dot right at the base of it. I think it was kind of yeah, it was incredibly unique, yeah.
Speaker 2:I think it was really cool because it brought people together Absolutely. Yeah, like everyone stopped for a moment and all enjoyed it together. That was cool. We had a big dinner at work and brought people together. I liked it. It wasn't the typical Hallmark holiday so I was like I wish we could do do this every year, having the clips, um it was.
Speaker 1:It was wild well and sure, we live uh kind of out, out in the country where there's nobody close around us. So it was. It was neat hearing all the all right before the eclipse, all the birds started going, going crazy and the wildlife was making all kinds of animal or it turned the lights out.
Speaker 2:It was a little different.
Speaker 1:As soon as it got dark, they all went quiet. Then they started going back again as soon as it got light again.
Speaker 2:It was kind of neat to listen to that.
Speaker 3:That would have been cool. I heard that something similar like that was going to happen, but where I was at, we didn't. I didn't recognize, and so that I would. I would have rather been there to be able to testify about the way the animals responded to it yeah, yeah, that would.
Speaker 2:That was man. That was something that was really cool. Um so, district 33, which counties?
Speaker 1:randolph jay blackford, delaware, and henry. And Randolph Jay Blackford, Delaware, and Henry.
Speaker 2:And vote on what day? May 7th, cool and Jeffrey.
Speaker 3:So I'm actually in the middle of my Senate district race and so I'm off the ballot as far as the Senate's concerned, but I'm on for the 6th Congressional District. State law does not allow us to run for dual offices at the same time. To run for dual offices at the same time, but because I'm in the middle of my term, I can run for the sixth congressional seat, which I'm doing. Greg Pence decided late January that he was going to retire, and so it opened up that seat. So I'll be on the ballot right now for the sixth congressional district to serve us in Washington DC.
Speaker 2:Wow, when you're vice president, president, promise me you'll come right back here and do another podcast.
Speaker 3:Absolutely, we'll do a helicopter pad sitting there. Yeah, we'll land it on top.
Speaker 2:Hey, I'll have the ice cream.
Speaker 3:All right, I'll come, that's for sure. No, I'll go right to jd's mom. I'd forgotten about that. I won't miss this year, that's right. Yeah, about 10 o'clock in the morning I'll show up and start partaking in the homemade ice cream well again.
Speaker 2:I appreciate you guys. Coming up here having conversation with me is really good. Um, I love doing these because I learn more about everyone. So I have the animal care Care Alliance up here once a month now and they bring me a random animal. I told them I don't want to know what animal and they showed up last time with a red-tailed hawk and it just sat right here next to me and did a podcast. I was like wow.
Speaker 3:Was it wild or was it a captive one?
Speaker 2:So they rescued it and the way Dr Matt out there, the way she explained it is, they think someone grabbed it as a little baby and tried to have it as a pet and then, once it got bigger, they tried to let it go, but it just sat on a porch. So it almost thinks it's a human. Sure. So it lives out there at the ACA. Ozzie's his name. Uh, it's really cool. Well, I mean we've taken selfies with it and I mean it chilled in here and did a podcast. So I mean it didn't talk much, but uh, yeah, so they can take care of exotic animals and stuff now out there.
Speaker 3:So that's why they I'm familiar with where they're at and I don't know quite their um, what, what. All it is that they do, what their mantra is.
Speaker 2:But I'll take you out there sometime, because I just go out there and start saying hi to the animals. I mean, they have owls, little owls. There's a couple of horses out there that have been rescued from auctions Hawk, yeah, there's quite a few things out there. All right, that wraps up this episode of life unscripted life inscripted with Kevin shook.
