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Background checks are infrastructure

Background checks are infrastructure

by Michael Leppert | Mar 26, 2021 | Politics/Government, Pop/Life

For what seems like a lifetime, most of us have been anxiously waiting for life to return to normal. Two mass shootings in consecutive weeks remind us that regardless of how much we have grown to miss in the last year, not everything that is “normal,” is...
For some leaders today, there is simply no honor in any of it

For some leaders today, there is simply no honor in any of it

by Michael Leppert | Oct 25, 2019 | Politics/Government

Arlington National Cemetery is a unique place. I have traveled to our nation’s capital many times and I still get excited every time I go. My wife spent a few months living there during a college internship way back in the 90’s, and her brother was...
My dad ate Brussels sprouts before it was cool

My dad ate Brussels sprouts before it was cool

by Michael Leppert | Mar 22, 2019 | Politics/Government, Pop/Life

One of my favorite newish restaurants is MiMi Blue Meatballs. Yea, it’s a meatball restaurant and all of their meatballs are good. But the fried Brussels sprouts are delicious. So, what? I grew up in a crowded house as the sixth child of a seven child flock....
Aspirational ideas are often the beginnings of progress

Aspirational ideas are often the beginnings of progress

by Michael Leppert | Mar 8, 2019 | Politics/Government

When was the last time anyone in this part of the country cared about a first-term member of the U.S. House of Representatives from The Bronx? I don’t know, but the gambler in me might go all-in on “never.” Like her or not, Rep. Alexandria...
My fellow Americans, I have a bedtime spook story to tell you

My fellow Americans, I have a bedtime spook story to tell you

by Michael Leppert | Jan 11, 2019 | Politics/Government

It was 9:00 on a dreary, wintery Tuesday night. Something lurked in the living room that was frightening in an almost inhuman way. A ghost or some sort of supernatural being had seized control of America’s television networks to tell a skin-crawling tale of evil...
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Indiana Radio

Leppert Discusses New Book with Will Murphy
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Indiana Television

Pence and Trump Take Their Oaths
Holcomb Federal Health Care Bill
Indiana Anti-Abortion Law is Halted
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Keeping the Big Ten Network on the Air

One of Mr. Leppert’s successful projects was his media campaign on behalf of the Big Ten Network in its dispute with cable formats for broad distribution of the network during its start-up years. He wrote and distributed press releases, organized supporters to attend press conferences and traveled the state for media events with both Mark Silverman, the original president of the network and Jim Delany, the long-time commissioner of the Big Ten Conference. Silverman has since moved into an executive position at Fox Sports, and Delany has announced his retirement in June of this year. The media output and related responses to it were vital in moving the stalled discussions to a mutually beneficial resolution between the network and cable formats. The Big Ten Network is distributed widely today and is a model for college sports networks.

The three of us were only flagged for speeding one time during the campaign, fittingly on State Road 37, while racing between press conferences at IU and downtown Indianapolis.

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Moving Indiana Forward with Bias Crimes Legislation

Mr. Leppert was engaged by the United Way of Central Indiana to design and implement the campaign in 2018-19 for the passage of new hate/bias crime legislation in Indiana. The foundation of this coalition was built by joining two organizations, the Indiana Alliance Against Hate, and Indiana Competes. After several years of resistance in the Indiana General Assembly, specifically since the RFRA session of 2015, this campaign was the catalyst to passage of the new law and removing Indiana from the list of only five states without hate crimes legislation.

More than 800 members of the smaller merged entities were mobilized. Press events were held throughout the state. Editorial boards were visited. Letter writing and phone banking strategies were implemented. The management of this large group, and the short timeframe available to make our impact was an experience. While the law enacted by the legislature did not include all of the protected classes our coalition sought for inclusion, the establishment of hate or bias as statutory consideration in sentencing was established for many classes. Our campaign proved successful.

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Adjunct Professor

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Master of Science in Communications (MSC)

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