Pack reminds House that all service members deserve due process

Yesterday, Rep. Renee Pack (D-Indianapolis) fought for National Guard members to retain the right to due process by proposing Amendment 1 to House Bill 1076. The amendment was ultimately voted down 26-67 on the House floor. HB 1076 removes the right of a member of the Indiana National Guard to demand trial by court-martial as opposed to nonjudicial forms of punishment.

“As a proud active-duty army veteran, I am disappointed that my amendment failed on the House floor,” said Pack. “The rights of our soldiers must be protected. My amendment would have explicitly provided the guaranteed right to due process, but it unfortunately fell along party lines. The rights of our guardsmen and women must come before party politics.”

Overall, Pack had the following to say regarding the legislation:

“If our soldiers are willing to fight for our rights, myself and my colleagues must be willing to fight for theirs. Moving into the final reading of the bill next week, you can be sure that my voice will be the loudest, that I will always be in the forefront when it comes to supporting and standing up for our military.”