John Richard Gregg (born September 6, 1954)[1][2] is an American politician, businessman and attorney who served as the 85th and longest-serving Democratic speaker of the Indiana House of Representatives from 1996 to 2003.

He was critical of Pence's emphasis on social issues, such as his signing of the controversial Religious Freedom Restoration Act, and his policies on public education and Hoosier workers.

[1] After passing the state bar in 1984, he opened a private practice, Gregg & Brock, in Vincennes, which he led until 2002,[14] when he joined the Indianapolis law firm Sommer Barnard PC.

(In 1988, Michael K. Phillips (D-Boonville) and Paul S. Mannweiler (R-Indianapolis) shared the Speaker position in the first even-split between the two parties in history.

[23][27]) Gregg was reelected Speaker after the 1998 general election when Democrats took control of the House with a 53-47 majority.

[23] While in the House, he was an advocate of balanced budgets[23] and opposed gambling expansions, but later modified that stance, noting that gaming is "a business that is heavily regulated.

"[23] During his tenure as Speaker, Gregg championed many causes, including reforms in education, campaign finance, lobbying and ethics, and negotiated a compromise between Democrats and Republicans to expand worker's compensation coverage and build Conseco Fieldhouse in downtown Indianapolis.

[6][26][28] One commentator noted that despite disagreements over policy ideas during his speakership, "it is hard to find an enemy of Gregg's at the Statehouse.

"[23] House Representative, District 45, 1986 The incumbent Democrat Bill Roach lost to John Gregg in the primary election.

House Representative, District 45, 1988 John Gregg, in his first election as the incumbent, defeated opponent David Tatem, a Republican candidate from Terre Haute.

[31] House Representative, District 45, 1996 John Gregg won his sixth term against Republican opponent Julia Johnson Sheffler of Sullivan.

[32] House Representative, District 45, 1998 John Gregg ran unopposed for his seventh term in 1998.

Gregg's campaign was focused on putting Indiana back to work in the midst of the economic recession, and called for an armistice on social issues.

He attempted to brand Pence as an extremist Washington politician, which was effective with some demographics, particularly women, but did not carry the election.

Pence, who was perceived as politically weakened after signing the Religious Freedom Restoration Act.

The Indiana State Republican Committee selected Holcomb to replace Pence as their gubernatorial nominee.

[3] Gregg wrote at least one op-ed article, "Leave common construction wage law in place," in the Chicago Tribune on February 27, 2015.

He hosted the early morning talk show, "Indiana Open Phones," on WIBC (FM), an Indianapolis radio station from 1999 to 2007.

The program is filmed at and produced by Vincennes PBS and features Indiana artists, craftspeople, musicians, historians and storytellers.