One of the most powerful Republican lawmakers in the Indiana Senate says he is stepping down.
State Sen. Brandt Hershman said in a news release Friday that he is resigning from his Lafayette area Senate seat effective Jan. 2.
Hershman has served in the chamber since 2000 and built a reputation as a policy heavyweight in tax, utility and telecommunications issues.
Hershman, a practicing attorney, says he will be joining Barnes & Thornburg's Washington D.C. office. Did not elaborate on his reason for stepping down.
Republican Senate leader David Long lamented the departure. He said Hershman offered "wise counsel" and said he will miss his longtime friend.