INDIANAPOLIS – Republican Indiana Sen. Jack Sandlin, who represented the south side of Indianapolis and part of Johnson County, died Wednesday evening. Marion County Republican Party Chairman Joe Elsener confirmed Sandlin’s passing.
“We are incredibly sorry to hear of the passing of Senator Jack Sandlin,” Elsener said in a statement. “Jack lived a life in service to his community from his time on the police force, through his tenure as a city-county councilor, and finally as a state senator representing the Southside. His voice and impact on our city will certainly be missed.”
Sandlin was elected to the Indiana Senate in 2016. During his Senate tenure, Sandlin served on various committees, including:
- the Corrections and Criminal Law Committee,
- the Senate Environmental Affairs Committee,
- the Insurance and Financial Institutions Committee,
- the Veterans Affairs and the Military Committee,
- the Homeland Security and Transportation Committee and
- the Senate Public Police Committee
At the Statehouse, Sandlin championed public safety, criminal justice, and road funding bills. Eleven of his authored bills became law during the 2023 legislative session. That included legislation to remove residency requirements for 911 operators and require additional background checks for teacher and police officer hiring, as well as bills to change the state’s waste management law and expand the Purple Star program to Indiana colleges and universities.
A graduate of Greenwood High School, Sandlin served in the U.S. Army and spent 20 years as a member of the Indianapolis Police Department from 1973 to 1993. He then served the Southport Police Department from 1995 to 2009, when he also spent seven years as a Perry Township Trustee.
Sandlin was a member of the Indianapolis City-County Council from 2010 to 2016 when he was elected to the Senate.
He is survived by his wife, Lydia, a daughter, and three grandchildren.
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