Indiana House newcomers begin on Organization Day

INDIANAPOLIS — Two new members of the Indiana House of Representatives have joined their colleagues in Indianapolis.

Republican Reps. Greg Beumer of Modoc and Casey Cox of Fort Wayne joined other lawmakers Tuesday for the Organization Day for the 2014 legislative session.

The (Portland) Commercial Review reports Beumer, a former Randolph County commissioner, was elected over two other candidates Monday night in a caucus of Republican precinct committeemen in western Indiana’s District 33. He’ll serve the remaining 13 months of the term of Bill Davis of Portland, who resigned this month to become executive director of the Indiana Office of Community and Rural Affairs

Cox was elected by a caucus earlier to finish out the term of Phyllis Pond of New Haven. Pond died in September after a battle with pulmonary fibrosis.