State Senator's Wife Replacing Him In Statehouse During His Deployment

HUNTINGTON, Ind. (AP) — The wife of an Indiana state senator has been selected to take his seat during the upcoming legislative session while he's on military deployment to Afghanistan.

Republican Party precinct committee members voted Thursday night in Huntington to name Amanda Banks as the temporary replacement for Sen. Jim Banks of Columbia City.

Jim Banks was unopposed for re-election last month and was sworn in for his new term via Skype from Afghanistan, where he's a Navy Reserve supply corps officer.

Amanda Banks was the only candidate to take her husband's place during his leave of absence. She is a former policy analyst for the conservative group Focus on the Family and has been an officer of Allen County Right to Life and a host of its radio program.