Wes Culver (Taxpayer Friendly)

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Address: 2020 Elkhart Road, Suite B, Goshen, IN 46526
Phone: (574) 533-6300
E-mail: H49@in.gov; wesculver@wesculver.com; wes@wesculver.com
Website: http://www.in.gov/legislative/house_republicans/homepages/r49/; www.ElectWesCulver.com

2011 General Assembly Voting Record
Voted YES on House Bill 1001, which includes among its 16 Taxpayer Friendly state budget provisions no tax increases and an operating surplus in both the 2012 and 2013 fiscal years with a satisfactory reserve balance on June 30, 2013.
Voted YES on House Bill 1002, which is Taxpayer Friendly because (1) charter schools have the potential to help increase the academic growth of lower socioeconomic students, (2) the number of Indiana nonprofit private colleges and universities authorized to create charter schools is limited, (3) the Indianapolis mayor is the only Indiana mayor who may authorize charter schools, (4) conversion from a public school to a charter school is sufficiently stringent, and (5) property taxes are NOT improperly used to support charter schools.
Voted YES on House Bill 1003, which uses state K-12 tuition support money to fund scholarships for nonpublic school students and is Taxpayer UNfriendly because (1) nonpublic private and parochial schools are not equally open to all children, (2) nonpublic school budgets are not approved by a directly elected public body, (3) evidence-based research does not support greater school choice as a means to achieve overall educational improvement, (4) it is very likely unconstitutional, and (5) state tuition support dollars would go to nonpublic schools that are not uniformly distributed throughout the state.
Voted YES on House Bill 1022, which would have implemented a number of Taxpayer Friendly local government provisions related to nepotism and officeholder conflict-of-interest.
Voted YES on House Bill 1074, which provides that school board members selected by election must be elected at November general elections and is Taxpayer Friendly because the greater voter turnout in general elections will make it more difficult for local vested interests to unduly influence school board elections.
Voted YES on House Bill 1583, which passed as part of House Bill 1004 and is Taxpayer Friendly because the 1% homeowner property tax cap and ten homeowner property tax deductions are allowed in the year of a property transfer if the property is determined to be exempt in the year following the transfer year.

2010 General Assembly Voting Record
Voted YES on House Joint Resolution 1, which gives voters statewide the opportunity to amend the Indiana Constitution to (1) make the 1% - 2% - 3% property tax caps permanent and (2) protect homestead property tax deductions from legal challenge.
Voted YES on House Bill 1001, which contains 21 Taxpayer Friendly government ethics reform provisions including a 365-day wait after leaving the General Assembly before a legislator can become a lobbyist or legislative liaison, the reporting of certain expenditures by the legislative liaisons of state agencies and state educational institutions, and a reduction from $100 to $50 in the minimum reportable amount for the total daily gifts given by a registered lobbyist to a legislative person.
Voted YES on House Bill 1086, which contains 7 Taxpayer Friendly provisions including the HJR 1 Constitutional Amendment ballot language.
Voted YES on House Bill 1367, which contains 5 Taxpayer Friendly K-12 education provisions that preserve and protect instructional programs.
Voted YES on Senate Bill 23, which delays the scheduled increase in unemployment insurance premiums for one year until 2011.
Voted YES on Senate Bill 396, which mandates an adjusted six-year average that eliminates the highest value to calculate the base rate for the assessment of agricultural land.

2009 General Assembly Voting Record
Voted YES on House Bill 1001 SS, the 2009-2011 special session budget bill that (1) provides enough resources for good government AND (2) satisfactorily protects Hoosier working families from state and local tax increases. A YES vote supports a budget that is sufficiently Taxpayer Friendly. A NO vote would have shut down much of state government.
Voted NO on Senate Bill 374 to allow Regional Transportation Districts, which are new tax-imposing levels of Indiana government controlled by boards with unrestricted powers where most board members have no real connection to the taxpayers' community, to be established WITHOUT a referendum of affected voters.

Watchdog Indiana Candidate Questions - November 4, 2008, General Election
1. QUESTION: Do you pledge to vote in 2009 for the exact same version of Senate Joint Resolution 1 that passed in 2008? ANSWER: Unless property tax assessments are locked in we haven't gained anything. For me to be fully supportive of the 1-2-3 property tax it needs to have assessment's valuation of properties locked in at a reasonable 2%+- annual cap. It is important to lock in assessments with the 1-2-3 tax measure to ensure the government does not artificially raise assessments in order to get more taxes. I want even more protection then what we are currently offered. I would vote for the 1-2-3 as a compromise if we can't lock in the assessments, but I feel we need to work at doing this right and permanently. RECORD (www.indystar.com/2008race): Yes. And the assessed valuations’ annual increase should be capped at 2 percent annually. Though the current property tax proposal is not perfect, it is better than having no caps. People could be assured their taxes won’t go higher and at the same time be looking for ways to lower our property taxes. In other words, it creates a ‘ceiling’ for property taxpayers, but does not create a ‘basement’ on how low they could go. I’d like to work at ways of lowering the 3 percent property tax on businesses. Also, the 2 percent rate on rentals is hurting low-income renters more than landlords.
2. QUESTION: Do you wish to make some additional comments about your candidacy? ANSWER: I am all about lowering the cost of government and passing that savings on to taxpayers.

Watchdog Indiana Candidate Questions - May 6, 2008, Primary Election
1. QUESTION: Do you pledge to vote for Senate Joint Resolution 1 in 2009? ANSWER: I'm for Senate Joint Resolution 1.
2. QUESTION: Do you wish to make some additional comments about your candidacy? HAS NOT RESPONDED.

This page was last updated on 05/06/11.