This week's Portage Life in the Spotlight is State Representative Chuck Moseley. Mosley's job includes a lot more than just voting on bills. He was originally elected as State Representative in November of 2008. He then started his first term in 2009.
Moseley is a part of multiple committees. One committee that he is involved in is the Labor Pensions and Unemployment committee. As part of that committee, he does numerous things. He has to hear any bills concerning unemployment and who qualifies for it. He also hears bills on how it is paid out. On top of that, he also hears all legislations being proposed that affects jobs and labor, as well as unemployment pension.
Another part of Moseley's job deals with child labor laws. He also deals with any law having anything to do with someone getting laid off of work or hurt on the job, and he takes part in deciding on laws in the workplace concerning employers' and workers' rights.
Moseley is responsible for hearing all laws before the get to the house floor. Some of these laws include public safety laws affecting those like firemen and policemen. He hears ideas about new laws concerning everything from making sure that the music stages at the state fair are safe to laws addressing issues of terrorism in Indiana.
He is also a member of the Public Employees Management Pension Committee where he oversees pensions of public employees all over the state, such as snow plow drivers and teachers. On the house floor, he has to hear hundreds of bills being proposed.
Moseley said that he works a lot of hours every day when he's in session in order to make sure all those things are done.
"We passed 234 new laws in just two and a half months, just this year alone," Moseley said.
At home, Moseley is always calling people who send emails and write letters to him hoping he can help with problems.
"We're almost as busy when were at home as when we're in session in Indianapolis," Moseley said.
The part of his job that Moseley likes the most is the work that he does touches and affects the lives of people. When a law is passed in Indiana, he knows it is going to affect everyone he represents, which is a total of 65,000 people. Although being State Representative is a big responsibility, he enjoys it because a lot of times it helps people. Moseley said that helping people is always very rewarding and gratifying. He hopes to continue creating more job opportunities for people all around the state and accomplish his goal of making sure that people have the opportunity for the best education possible.