State Representative Dave Wolkins is seeking re-election to the District 18 seat.
Wolkins (R-Winona Lake) has served in the Indiana House of Representatives since 1988.
Wolkins said he is running again in hopes of continuing to represent the people of this area."I would like to continue working on keeping property taxes low and attracting small businesses to locate in Indiana as that is where the jobs will come from to get us out of this recession," Wolkins said.
Throughout the years, he said he has built many relationships within state agencies, and can usually find someone who can help if constituents have problems.
Serving the people of District 18 for the last 22 years has been the most satisfying experience of his life, according to Wolkins.
While the majority of that time has been in the minority in the House, he said he has been able to get a lot done.
He said one thing that gives him the most satisfaction was rewriting of the Indiana eminent domain law that makes it tougher for government to take private property.
"The Indiana law is one of the best in the country, and I've had the privilege of speaking in Washington, D.C., on seminars on eminent domain," Wolkins said.
As the ranking minority member on environmental affairs, he has been able to bring balance to environmental discussions in the areas of wetlands and open burning in agricultural areas.
Wolkins presently serves as the Indiana state chair for the American Legislative Exchange Council, the largest national association of conservative legislators, and also serves as the chairman of the Natural Resources Task Force for that organization.
That task force has had a major impact on the cap-and-trade legislation currently in Congress and is actively engaged in the global warming debate, he said.
While he said he has disagreed with Governor Mitch Daniels on several issues, he fully supports his effort for the state to live within its revenues.
Daniels' recent cuts in agencies expenses and asking schools to tighten their belts is not popular, but necessary if Indiana is to rebound from this recession without raising taxes, Wolkins said.
Wolkins is self-employed and holds a bachelor's degree from Greenville College and a master's degree from St. Francis College.
He is married to Candice Wolkins, and they have one son, Matthew.
