Indiana Senate elects first new leader in 12 years

The Indiana Senate has a new leader for the first time in a dozen years.

The Republican-dominated Senate elected Sen. Rodric Bray of Martinsville as its president pro tem during the Legislature's Organization Day session on Tuesday. The election was a formality because Senate Republicans picked Bray to become their new leader in May after Long announced he was stepping down.

Bray takes the place of former Sen. David Long of Fort Wayne, who retired from the Legislature after the November election.

Bray is an attorney who was first elected in 2012 to succeed his father in the Senate.

Bray said he wanted to see respectful debate as legislators work on matters such as drafting a new two-year state budget during the session that starts in early January.

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