In one of the most dramatic moments in Indiana's legislative history, a Wabash man's “act of political courage” changed the financial structure of the state, fixed its financial problems, and probably cost that man the Indiana Governor's mansion.
So writes Geoff Paddock of then Lieutenant Governor Richard O. Ristine '41 in the Fall 2004 issue of Traces, the magazine of the Indiana Historical Society.
In 1963, Ristine, knowing his decision would undermine his campaign for governor, cast the deciding vote in the Indiana Senate that approved a state sales and income tax to repair the state's financial woes.
Paddock writes: "Public service is a noble calling, and standing up for principle is more important than political gain. Perhaps no Hoosier has exemplified that spirit any better than Richard O. Ristine."
Read the Traces article