After 32 years of representing District 18 in the Indiana House of Representatives, Dave Wolkins has decided not to seek re-election in 2020.
“It’s time,” he said in a telephone interview Monday morning. “I’ve had 32 years, and I’ve been dealing with health issues. I’ve said if someone steps up I could support, I wouldn’t run again.”
That “someone” is Alan Alderfer, a Winona Lake financial planner and co-owner of Alderfer Bergen & Co., who announced Monday that he would seek the District 18 seat. Wolkins said Alderfer can not only handle the job, but he has confidence in him.
In his last year of office, Wolkins, 76, said there was a number of things he’d like to take care of, including five bills, though some are minor.
A bill passed last year requires teachers to have 15 hours of an externship in the community to find out what jobs will be available for students. Teachers were not enthusiastic about it, Wolkins said, and it didn’t add anything to the teaching profession in the lower grades. He said he’d like to get a bill passed that makes that 15 hours of externship only applicable to secondary education teachers.
Another bill, which Wolkins plans to file at the end of next week, is in regards to legal notices in newspapers. It got out of the House last year.
If the bill were passed by the Indiana House and Senate and signed by the governor, legal notices over $300 would not have to be published in a local newspaper. They would just need to be published on a website for a certain length of time, Wolkins said.
“The thought was everything is going to digital anyway,” Wolkins said.
He did note that the Hoosier State Press Association has already had its lobbyists out against it.
Another topic he’d like to address in his final year is a requirement that all elected city and town officials have to go through training. He understands that new elected officials may need it, but those who have served for a long time shouldn’t be made to take it. He said he’d like to change it so elected officials who have served four or more years don’t have to go through the training.
Indiana Department of Environmental Management has a big environmental bill coming out in 2020, as they do every year, Wolkins said. He sits on that committee and said he’d like to try to handle that bill for IDEM.
His No. 1 priority for his last year, he said, is the J-turn the Indiana Department of Transportation wants to put in place in Lagro. Wolkins said he and others have tried to stop it, but INDOT decided to go ahead with it, despite public meetings where 100% of those in attendance were against it.
He said a letter was sent to Governor Eric Holcomb against it, and INDOT will study the J-turn again.
“I will do anything I can to stop it,” Wolkins said. “J turns supposedly are safer but no one likes them.”
He said that intersection had nine accidents in five years and “that’s not a dangerous intersection.”
He’d also like to see the distribution of the gas tax changed so more goes to local government than INDOT. Even if that doesn’t happen, Wolkins said that should send a message to INDOT.
Reflecting back on his time in the Indiana House, Wolkins said, “The big thing is, I think people trust me. I do what I say I’m going to do.”
He said it’s been a tremendous honor to represent the communities in District 18. While he’s not politically correct, he said people respect that he takes a stand and sticks to it.
“I’m the same guy I was 32 years ago when I first got elected and people understand that. I’m very proud of that,” Wolkins said.
He concluded by saying, “It’s been a tremendous privilege to represent the people of Kosciusko and Wabash counties.”
