By Jennifer Tangeman
State Rep. Rich McClain says he wants to serve another two years in Indianapolis.
McClain, a Republican whose current term expires at the end of the year, represents District 24, which includes all or parts of Cass, Carroll, Miami and White counties.
The representative said he wants to continue in his post to work on tax reform, specifically for farmers.
“I think that a new formula for assessing farm ground needs to be improved upon, and hopefully we can get that done in this next session,” he said.
McClain, who has served in the statehouse since 1994, explained that the formula for assessing the value of farmland takes into account productivity levels and crop revenues of past years.
For example, if a farmer were earning $10 per bushel of corn or wheat three years ago, the farmer’s land would be assessed based on that earning.
“They’re not getting that same amount today,” the representative said.
A project McClain wants to see develop in the next two years are the Hoosier Heartland Corridor.
“I want to make sure the Hoosier Heartland Corridor gets completed,” he said. “So far it’s on track. The governor has stated that he wants the whole section between Logansport, Delphi and Lafayette to be completed by 2013.”
He’s also excited about the opening of Logansport’s new Ivy Tech campus.
McClain said he also wants to increase incentives for the creation of jobs in the local business sector if elected for another term.
He believes his business background gives him an edge over others because he has experience in hiring people, meeting a payroll and paying business property taxes.
McClain has experience in manufacturing and has been recognized for the distribution of tube squeezers. He has also served as a township trustee and Logansport city engineer.
The representative said his experiences have given him an appreciation for the tax burdens imposed on the farmer, the businessman and the homeowner.
Since he was elected the Indiana General Assembly, McClain has served on the Indiana House Roads and Transportation Committee, Financial Institutions Committee and the Ways and Means Committee, the committee that produces the draft of the Indiana State Budget every two years.
• Jennifer Tangeman is a reporter for the Pharos-Tribune. She can be reached at 674-732-5148 or jennifer.tangeman@pharostribune.com.
