ELECTion 2016 Candidates for governor answer questions about key farm issues Indiana Farm Bureau recently asked the three candidates for governor – Libertarian Rex Bell, Democrat John Gregg and Republican Eric Holcomb – to consider three of the state’s key ag issues. The issues were funding for roads and bridges, rural broadband and local government and school funding. On this page are the answers supplied by the candidates. All of the answers are in the candidates’ own words, but because space is limited, they’ve been edited for length.
Rex Bell Rex Bell, the Libertarian nominee, was born in Millville, Indiana, one of 8 children of Myron and Phyllis Bell. They raised him to adulthood there on a small dairy and grain farm. He started his own contracting business in 1974 which he still operates today. He and his wife Susan have been married for 40 years, and are the proud parents of 3 children and the proud grandparents of 7 grandchildren. Q: Farmers rely on adequate roads and bridges to transport grain, livestock and equipment. What is your plan for long-term, sustainable state and local road funding, including revenue sources? Bell: The most important thing we can do to assure quality roads is to make sure all of our road use taxes are applied to the roads at the local, state, and federal level. Currently, too many of the funds are applied to programs that have nothing to do with roads. That needs to stop. We also need to adopt a plan so electric vehicles will also help pay for the roads they use. Gregg: I and my running mate, State Rep. Christina Hale, have proposed investing $3.2 billion in Indiana’s infrastructure over 10 years without raising taxes, generating an estimated 54,600 Hoosier jobs. About $200 million from the existing $500 million Next Generation Trust Fund would be used to establish the Hoosier State Infrastructure Bank. Modeled after New Jersey’s Local Aid Infrastructure Fund, the HSIB will loan money to support high priority local projects, such as infrastructure, mass transit and building broadband access. The remaining $300 million would be used to leverage bonds (paid by federal highway dollars) for local and state projects critical to economic growth and development. Holcomb: It is obvious some of our roads and bridges need improvement. When I was growing up, a two-ton truck or a tandem axle 10-wheeler was a big truck. Today, many farmers have their own semis and often more than one. Hogs and feed used to be hauled in those smaller trucks and trailers, but to remain competitive pork producers must now sell in semi-load lots, and those trucks strain our bridges and roads. I know that we must act quickly. We saw a great start this past legislative session when I worked alongside House and Senate leadership to secure a half billion in new money for rural infrastructure funding. I know that is not enough. I will work hard with our Indiana congressional delegation to make sure Indiana gets its fair share of road funding dollars.
John Gregg
Eric Holcomb
A lifelong resident of Sandborn, where he lives on his farm, Democratic nominee John Gregg is a former university president, speaker of the Indiana House of Representatives and businessman. As governor, he will focus on expanding economic and educational opportunities, improving infrastructure, tackling the drug epidemic and keeping taxes low.
Eric Holcomb, the Republican nominee, is Indiana’s lieutenant governor and secretary of agriculture. He was deputy chief of staff to Gov. Mitch Daniels, state chief of staff to Sen. Dan Coats, and advisor to Gov. Mike Pence. A graduate of Hanover College, he is also a U.S. Navy veteran – and a member of Indiana Farm Bureau.
Q: Rural Indiana needs broadband to support the modern technology that connects farmers to their production information for better decisionmaking and regulatory requirements of government agencies. Broadband is also needed to support educational opportunities in rural schools consistent with those in urban and suburban settings and to support rural entrepreneurs for the creation of off-farm jobs. What is your proposal to get high capacity broadband “to-the-last-mile”?
Q: Indiana farmers are grateful for the property tax relief they received in the last legislative session, but we are aware that property tax caps and a static economy make this revenue stream less stable than it once was. What are your ideas to address local government and school funding?
Gregg: Expanding high-capacity broadband to every Hoosier will be a top priority. Fourteen percent of Hoosiers don’t have access to this needed technology, and that includes me on my family’s farm in Sandborn. We will first work with providers to remove barriers to expanding their networks. For example, Indiana should work to access federal funds available to expand service. Second, we will support other innovative options, such as in Scottsburg where local leaders set up a broadband network for less than $400,000 using monies from the Hoosier State Infrastructure Bank to support them. Finally, we will go after every available federal dollar to support this goal. Unfortunately, the Pence/Holcomb administration has regularly turned away our federal tax dollars. Holcomb: If we are to remain competitive and draw businesses to rural areas, we need broadband access. This is critical for attracting jobs, but modern farming practices also demand connectivity. I recently announced a new public/private project that could infuse millions into making Indiana a global leader in broadband access. Much like the REMCs did in bringing electricity to rural Indiana, I plan to find creative opportunities to speed this deployment. I will work closely with the federal government and telecom industry to make sure they continue to build out to the last mile of rural Indiana. Bell: Modern technology is important to all aspects of the Hoosier economy, and as demand increases, so will technology. No one, and certainly not government, knows what new advancement will come out next week, next month, or next year. We need to remember the proper role of government, and instead of getting it involved to bog down progress, we need to get it out of the way of the businesses and entrepreneurs who are more able and better prepared to make those advancements for all who desire or need them.
Holcomb: Although we made great strides in the last legislative session, we have room to improve. I want to thank you and your members for your long and dedicated efforts to find much needed property tax relief. As I’ve travelled the state, I’ve heard the concerns from farmers, who are facing one of the worst income years in decades, as well as from mayors and school superintendents, who are struggling to make their budgets balance. What this says to me is that we need to continue to use the best minds to explore solutions. I pledge that agriculture will have a seat at that table, and I welcome your ideas as we work together on this complex problem. Bell: Property taxes are one of the worst taxes imaginable. Any tax that allows the government to seize a person’s home or land simply because that person may be experiencing hard times should be repulsive to anybody who desires to live in a free society. We can do better. We can eliminate property taxes, and fund essential and constitutional government duties, including education, with a simple and modest sales tax that everyone would pay. Gregg: I manage my mother’s 225-acre farm and my 140-acre farm, so I understand the burden property taxes put on farmers. A one-size-fits all approach does not work, and the Statehouse should not dictate to local governments and schools on how to spend local revenue. By making funding streams more flexible, communities will have more resources to prioritize their needs. We will work with the General Assembly to pass legislation that eliminates state restrictions on how city and county governments use their local option income and other local taxes, creating more flexibility to attract business, improve amenities, upgrade infrastructure and address local issues. We also believe that the General Assembly should revisit the homestead deduction because it has created significant funding problems in many taxing districts.
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ELECT endorses candida Indiana Farm Bureau ELECT, IFB’s political action committee, is supporting the congressional and General Assembly candidates listed here in the Nov. 8 general election. ELECT is funded through voluntary contributions of our individual members. No monies of an Indiana Farm Bureau for-profit companies are used to support political candidates.
U.S. HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES Congressional District 4
Congressional District 1
(Lake, LaPorte and Porter counties)
Pete Visclosky
Congressional District 2
(Elkhart, Fulton, Kosciusko, LaPorte, Marshall, Miami, Pulaski, St. Joseph, Starke and Wabash counties)
Jackie Walorski
Congressional District 3Â
(Adams, Allen, Blackford, DeKalb, Huntington, Jay, Kosciusko, LaGrange, Noble, Steuben, Wells and Whitley counties)
Jim Banks
(Benton, Boone, Carroll, Cass, Clinton, Fountain, Hendricks, Howard, Jasper, Montgomery, Morgan, Newton, Putnam, Tippecanoe, Warren and White counties)
Todd Rokita
Congressional District 5
(Blackford, Boone, Grant, Hamilton, Howard, Madison, Marion and Tipton counties)
Susan Brooks
Congressional District 6
(Bartholomew, Dearborn, Decatur, Delaware, Fayette, Franklin, Hancock, Henry, Jefferson, Jennings, Ohio, Randolph, Ripley, Rush, Scott, Shelby, Switzerland, Union and Wayne counties)
Congressional District 8
(Clay, Crawford, Daviess, Dubois, Gibson, Greene, Knox, Martin, Owen, Parke, Perry, Pike, Posey, Spencer, Sullivan, Vanderburgh, Vermillion, Vigo and Warrick counties)
Larry Buschon
Congressional District 9
(Brown, Clark, Crawford, Floyd, Harrison, Jackson, Johnson, Lawrence, Monroe, Morgan, Orange, Scott and Washington counties)
Trey Hollingsworth
Luke Messer
INDIANA HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES House District 4
(Porter County)
Ed Soliday
House District 5
(St. Joseph County)
Dale DeVon
House District 7
(St. Joseph County)
Justin Chupp
House District 9
(LaPorte and Porter counties)
Scott Pelath
House District 10 (Porter County)
Chuck Moseley
House District 11
(Lake and Porter counties)
Mike Aylesworth
House District 12 (Lake County)
Mara Candelaria Reardon
House District 13
(Benton, Fountain, Jasper, Montgomery, Newton, Tippecanoe, Warren and White counties)
Sharon Negele
House District 15 (Lake County)
Hal Slager
House District 16
(Fulton, Jasper, Newton, Pulaski and Starke counties)
Doug Gutwein
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House District 17
(Fulton and Marshall counties)
Jack Jordan
House District 18
(Grant, Kosciusko, Miami and Wabash counties)
David Wolkins
House District 19
(Lake and Porter counties)
Shelli VanDenburgh
House District 20
(LaPorte and Starke counties)
Jim Pressel
House District 21
(Elkhart and St. Joseph counties)
Tim Wesco
House District 22
(Elkhart and Kosciusko counties)
Curt Nisly
House District 23
(Cass, Fulton and Miami counties)
Bill Friend
House District 24
(Boone and Hamilton counties)
House District 30
(Grant and Howard counties)
Mike Karickhoff
House District 33
(Delaware, Jay and Randolph counties)
Greg Beumer
House District 34 (Delaware County)
Sue Errington
House District 35 (Delaware and Madison counties)
Melanie Wright
House District 36 (Madison County)
Terri Jo Austin
House District 37 (Hamilton County)
Todd Huston
House District 38 (Carroll, Cass, Clinton and Howard counties)
Heath VanNatter House District 40
(Hendricks County)
Donna Schaibley
Greg Steuerwald
House District 25
House District 41
(Carroll, Cass, Clinton, Tippecanoe and White counties)
Don Lehe
House District 28
(Boone and Hendricks counties)
Jeff Thompson
www.thehoosierfarmer.com
(Boone, Montgomery and Tippecanoe counties)
Tim Brown
House District 44 (Clay, Morgan, Owen, Parke and Putnam counties)
Jim Baird
ates in Statehouse races INDIANA HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES House District 46 (Clay, Monroe, Owen and Vigo counties)
House District 66 (Clark, Jefferson and Scott counties)
House District 79 (Adams, Allen and Wells counties)
Bob Heaton
Terry Goodin
Matt Lehman
House District 48
House District 67
House District 82
(Elkhart County)
Doug Miller
House District 52 (Allen, DeKalb and Steuben counties)
Ben Smaltz
House District 53 (Hancock, Madison counties)
Bob Cherry
House District 57 (Bartholomew, Hancock and Shelby counties)
Sean Eberhart
House District 58 (Johnson County)
Woody Burton
House District 60 (Monroe and Morgan counties)
Peggy Mayfield
House District 62 (Daviess, Greene, Martin and Monroe counties)
Jeff Ellington
House District 63 (Daviess, Dubois, Martin and Pike counties)
Mike Braun
House District 64 (Gibson, Knox, Pike, Posey and Vanderburgh counties)
Tom Washburne
(Dearborn, Decatur, Jefferson, Jennings, Ohio, Ripley and Switzerland counties)
Randy Frye
House District 70 (Clark, Floyd and Harrison counties)
(Allen, Elkhart, LaGrange, Noble and Whitley counties)
David Ober
House District 83 (Allen and Whitley counties)
Karen Engleman
Christopher Judy
House District 71
House District 85
(Clark County)
Steven Stemler House District 72 (Floyd County)
Ed Clere
House District 73 (Clark, Harrison, Jackson, Lawrence, Orange and Washington counties)
Steve Davisson
House District 74 (Crawford, Dubois, Orange, Perry and Spencer counties)
(Allen County)
Dave Heine
House District 88 (Hamilton, Hancock and Marion counties)
Brian Bosma
House District 89 (Marion County)
Cindy Kirchhofer House District 94 (Marion County)
Cherrish Pryor
Lloyd Arnold
House District 95
House District 75
John Bartlett
(Pike, Spencer and Warrick counties)
Ron Bacon
House District 76 (Posey and Vanderburgh counties)
Wendy McNamara House District 78
(Marion County)
House District 96 (Marion County)
Gregory Porter House District 100 (Marion County)
Dan Forestal
(Vanderburgh and Warrick counties)
Holli Sullivan
INDIANA SENATE Senate District 3 (Lake County)
Eddie Melton Senate District 5 (Jasper, LaPorte, Porter, Pulaski and Starke counties)
Ed Charbonneau Senate District 7
(Boone, Carroll, Clinton, Jasper, Tippecanoe and White counties)
Brandt Hershman Senate District 8
(LaPorte, St. Joseph and Starke counties)
Mike Bohacek
Senate District 9 (Elkhart, Kosciusko, Marshall and St. Joseph counties)
Ryan Mishler
Senate District 10 (St. Joseph County)
David Niezgodski
Senate District 12 (Elkhart and Kosciusko counties)
Blake Doriot
Senate District 13 (DeKalb, LaGrange, Noble and Steuben counties)
Susan Glick
Senate District 16 (Allen and Whitley counties)
David Long
Senate District 18 (Carroll, Cass, Fulton, Kosciusko, Marshall and Miami counties)
Randy Head
Senate District 20 (Hamilton County)
Luke Kenley
Senate District 28
Senate District 37 (Johnson, Morgan, Owen and Putnam counties)
Rodric Bray
Senate District 40 (Monroe County)
Mark Stoops
Senate District 42 (Decatur, Fayette, Franklin, Henry, Ripley, Rush and Shelby counties)
Jean Leising
Senate District 44 (Bartholomew, Brown, Jackson, Lawrence and Monroe counties)
Eric Koch
Senate District 50 (Vanderburgh and Warrick counties)
Vaneta Becker
(Hancock, Marion and Shelby counties)
Michael Crider
www.thehoosierfarmer.com
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Senatorial candidates talk about Trade, WOTUS and the farm bill Running for Indiana’s open seat in the U.S. Senate are former Sen. Evan Bayh and current Rep. Todd Young. Indiana Farm Bureau recently asked the two candidates to consider four important ag issues: trade, the renewable fuels Standard, the EPA’s Waters of the U.S. rule and the next farm bill. On this page are the answers supplied by the candidates.
Evan Bayh
Todd Young
Evan Bayh, the Democratic candidate for the U.S. Senate, was governor of Indiana from 1989 to 1997 and brought fiscal responsibility to the Statehouse, balancing the budget each year and amassing the biggest budget surplus in Indiana history. After his second term as governor, he successfully ran for U.S. Senate and served from 1999 to 2011.
Todd Young, the Republican candidate for U.S. Senate, graduated from the Naval Academy, served in the Marine Corps and earned an MBA from the University of Chicago. He was elected to Congress in 2010 and currently serves on the House Ways & Means Committee. He and his wife raise their four children in Bloomington.
Q: What is your position on trade generally and in relation to agriculture? What have you supported in the past? Specifically, what is your position on TPP? A: I believe that multilateral agreements can help open new markets for U.S. agriculture by strengthening our relationships with other countries and lowering trade barriers. We should pursue trade agreements that are balanced and enforceable, based upon principles that will guarantee a fair and level playing field for Hoosier farmers abroad. However, I am concerned that the TPP lacks necessary provisions to protect Hoosier jobs from being outsourced overseas.
Q: What is your position on trade generally and in relation to agriculture? What have you supported in the past? Specifically, what is your position on TPP? A: I philosophically support free trade. However, I have significant reservations with specific provisions negotiated by the Obama administration in TPP and the resulting effects on Hoosier companies. I also recognize that it’s important that we open up the other 95 percent of the world market that our agricultural industry currently does not have access to. I am a supporter of free trade and look forward to working on agreements that increase the ability for Hoosier businesses to sell their products overseas.
Q: What has been your position on the Renewable Fuel Standard? What is it now? How might that change in the future? A: I believe that the RFS is an essential component of our efforts to reduce American dependence on foreign oil. During my service in the Senate, I voted to support the RFS several times and I wrote many letters in support of the RFS to the energy bill conference committee. I oppose legislation to reduce or repeal the RFS because its continued use helps promote both clean air and energy security. Q: With so much controversy surrounding EPA’s Waters of the US regulation, what do you think needs to happen?
A: In many instances, federal regulations are stunting business growth. With this in mind, I believe that Congress should have a more active role in overseeing and evaluating the effects of agency rulemaking. The scope of the “Waters of the U.S.” rule should be determined through a full, substantive debate in the halls of Congress, not through executive order. Q: What do you think the priorities should be for the next farm bill? Do you support separating nutrition programs from the farm bill? A: As a fifth-generation Hoosier who comes from a proud tradition of family farming, I can understand many of the challenges that come with running a farm. My priorities for the next farm bill include the preservation of programs to support farmers during difficult seasons, research and development of clean, renewable energy technology, encouraging rural entrepreneurship, and ensuring that Hoosiers have the flexibility to plant the crops that make the most sense for the land and the market. Additionally, I do not support separating nutrition programs from the farm bill.
October 31 – Deadline for absentee-by-mail applications to be received by the county office. Absentee-by-mail voting is open to voters who are unable to vote in person due to factors that include disabilities, age, military service and work duties.
Q: What has been your position on the Renewable Fuel Standard? What is it now? How might that change in the future? A: I am aware of the difficult, longterm planning many Hoosiers farmers must undertake each season. Such planning efforts are made difficult through the EPA’s continual delays and changes to the RFS requirements. I promise to work to instill freemarket principles in the renewable fuels sector that allows this vibrant industry to operate efficiently and effectively without the need for government mandates and market distorting subsidies. I have made progress in this area by passing into law a provision to fix the tax disparity between liquid natural gas and diesel fuel. This is a market-based solution that is good for Hoosier farmers.
November 7 – Deadline for absentee-in-person voting, which began Oct. 12. All registered voters in Indiana are eligible to vote absentee-in-person at their county election board offices or satellite locations (if available). November 8 – Election Day. Polls open 6 a.m. to 6 p.m. local time. For more information on voting in Indiana, visit the homepage for the Indiana secretary of state Election Division, www.in.gov/ sos/elections/.
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www.thehoosierfarmer.com
Q: With so much controversy surrounding EPA’s Waters of the US regulation, what do you think needs to happen? A: The EPA’s WOTUS rule is one of the biggest unilateral regulatory overreaches in recent memory. Under this rule, the EPA would have jurisdiction over nearly every creek, drainage ditch and irrigation runoff in the country. This is why I have authored the REINS Act, which would require an up-or-down vote by Congress of any regulation that has more than $100 million in economic impact so we can put an end to absurd regulations like the WOTUS rule. Q: What do you think the priorities should be for the next farm bill? Do you support separating nutrition programs from the farm bill? A: Separating the agriculture and nutrition provisions within the Farm Bill is a proposal worthy of further consideration. However, these two programs have been paired together historically and help ensure the passage of the farm bill. I pledge to work each five years to ensure a fair and budget-friendly farm bill is passed to provide surety to Hoosier farmers.