American Soybean Association Director, Indiana Soybean Alliance Director, Jasper County Commissioner, Indiana Farm Bureau Vice President- all titles that Rensselaer farmer Kendell Culp has held or currently holds. But now, he’s trying to get used to a new title.
“I hear a few people calling me ‘Representative’ and I’m not quite used to that title yet, but hopefully I can do good things for my district, my community, and certainly for Indiana agriculture.”
Culp, the lone full-time farmer in the Indiana House of Representatives, spoke with HAT shortly before being sworn in last Tuesday on Organization Day at the Statehouse. Culp now serves House District 16 in the General Assembly, which includes portions of Jasper, Pulaski, Starke and White counties.
2023 is a budget year. Culp says 50% of that budget is for K-12 education and he will be focusing on how to help rural schools as part of that budget process. He’ll also be looking at other ways to help rural communities.
“We need to have access to healthcare in our rural areas. As a former, just recently, Jasper County Commissioner, we are trying to make sure we have a reliable, steady funding source for EMS, ambulance service, volunteer fire departments in these rural areas are having a hard time getting staffed up and getting enough volunteers to respond to fires. Things that we’ve always taken for granted in the past in our communities may not be there in the future.”
Another issue he hopes to tackle surrounds simplifying sales taxes for agricultural producers.
“If you buy a mower and mow your pasture, that’s sales tax exempt. If you mow your roadsides, it’s not exempt. If you use a frontend loader to clean out your barn, it’s exempt. If you scoop up stone and put it on your driveway, it’s not exempt. We need to smooth some of those out and clarify some of those exemptions.”
Culp believes if you file a Schedule F with your taxes, you’re an agricultural producer, and you should be exempt from those tax situations.
Hear more from Culp in the full HAT interview below.
