Senator Meeks Announces Retirement

State Senator Bob Meeks announced his retirement today at 1:30 p.m. in a press conference in the Senate Chambers. First elected to the Senate District 13 seat in 1988, the Senator has been a long time friend and partner to the Chamber. He has announced his decision after having dealt with a number of health issues during and since the 2008 session.

Meeks serves as the Chairman for the powerful Senate Appropriations Committee. As Chair, Meeks was able to secure funding for several Northeast Indiana projects. In the last budget, the General Assembly authorized funds to plan and design the Library and Student Services Building at IPFW and the Technology Center for Ivy Tech in Fort Wayne. In the current biennial budget he helped authorize bonding to build the two facilities. In addition to these projects, the state budget included $5 million to expand the Northeast Indiana Innovation Center and $1 million towards the Regional Public Safety Academy.

As a key leader on Major Moves, his efforts provided over $86 million to important infrastructure improvements in Northeast Indiana.

“Senator Meeks is one of Northeast Indiana's most dedicated public servants. His absence at the statehouse will be missed by his constituents, the business community and the entire region. We sincerely thank him for his hard work, long hours, and continuous efforts on behalf of Northeast Indiana.” –Don Schenkel, Chairman of the Chamber Board of Directors.