Editor’s note: Republican Craig Haggard is one of two candidates for Indiana House District 57. The district covers portions of Johnson, Morgan and Hendricks counties. A Where They Stand interview with Haggard’s opponent, Republican Melinda Griesemer was in Thursday’s Daily Journal. The Q&A below includes answers by Haggard in his own words. It has been edited for length and grammar.
Two candidates are seeking an open seat for Indiana House District 57 in the Republican primary May 3. Following recent redistricting, the district was moved from Shelby County and now covers portions of Johnson, Morgan and Hendricks counties.
The Daily Journal asked both candidates questions about their priorities and what voters could expect from them if they are elected.
» Why are you running for office?
I spent 22 years in the military, 11 years in the United States Marine Corps, 11 years active duty with the Indiana National Guard. I was on the administrative board of my church for 10 years. I’ve helped out at the schools. It’s a brand new seat, with no incumbent. When I found that out, I went and talked to a bunch of people; I trust and respect their opinions. I talked to my family, and … I decided this was the next step in my life.
» Why are you qualified for this position?
No. 1, I’m from the area. I grew up there. I came back (to Mooresville) from the military, so I definitely know most of the people.
No. 2, I’ve had a vast amount of experience; I’ve traveled the world. I’ve seen good, I’ve seen bad, I’ve commanded people. When I was still in the military, I had a construction company. In 2008, when everybody closed their doors in construction for a while, we shut it down. I have a small business in Johnson County, a storage facility. I’ve been involved in real estate with my dad through the years. I’ve held positions at different churches and school groups. After the military, I was the NRA field representative for Indiana for seven years. I was a professional fundraiser. It led me to opportunities, meeting different people from different backgrounds. Fundraising for the entire state is not much different from this process … going around, meeting people, telling those people what you believe and seeing what they believe.
» What are the top issues facing Indiana?
Workforce. In every industry, an issue has been a lack of workforce – people leaving the state, not enough workers in the state. That’s everything from trades to professional services. I’ve looked at and researched some other states that had some programs to try to retain workers and bring them back to the state.
Energy. As a state … we have vulnerable grids. People are struggling to come up with different types of energy production. One thing they are looking into is small, safe nuclear power plants similar to those that are in submarines and aircraft carriers to replace some of the other energy production we have in the state.
Farming. Issues I’m grabbing from talking with farmers are a lot of growth in housing and costs. You have land prices going up, a lot of farms selling off to neighborhoods and things like that, so it’s really driving the cost of land per acre up. You have farming that is a commodity-based market going up and down, and that is not necessarily keeping pace with the cost of the land. Interstate 69, which goes through my area, is a big issue. A lot of farmers have land on either side of the interstate, but now instead of being able to cross State Road 37, have to drive 20-30 miles with a combine to get across, so now you’re talking more fuel.
Rural internet. I know farmers out in very rural areas that don’t have connectivity, can’t use some technology that drives some of the big machines. I know from eLearning through schools, you had some families in areas that don’t have internet infrastructure. Connectivity in rural areas is a huge issue, too. Bringing fiber to areas that really need it.
» What are your top priorities and how do you plan to push legislation that addresses them?
Free-markets. It’s up to private businesses to be able to make their own decisions as long as they’re following standards, regulations, rules and laws, (they should be able to) make their own decisions without government intervention. Sometimes you have a little too much red-tape and regulation that prohibits new businesses from either thriving or starting in the first place. Anytime you do have an environment that creates the atmosphere for new business growth and people to be successful … a lot of the peripheral stuff will work itself out because you’re creating this environment for your people’s success, to bring people in the state. It’s a building thing; the more we can have a conducive environment for successful small businesses — or even large businesses to come into our state — it will be better for everyone.
Individual rights. We’ve seen a lot of individual liberties being trampled on these last couple of years. We need to remember what country we live in and what makes America great. I’ve seen some of the things I’ve vowed to protect and fight for … trampled on by current events over the last two years.
» How do you plan to help your district specifically, and communicate with constituents about what is going on at the Statehouse?
I’ve made a promise to continue to be available for (these chamber of commerce) meetings. I also plan to have some legislative updates on my own a couple of times throughout the year. I’m very active in the community. I’ve made that promise to people that I will continue to talk to them. So if I get elected, I’m not going to just disappear.
New economic development for each of these areas is a huge issue. What we do now will obviously affect us later on. Hopefully, I can help guide that economic growth and development.
» How would you address, at the state level, the concerns of parents and teachers about what is being taught in classrooms?
Parents should always be involved in the school. Teachers need to be allowed to do their job, and I think we need to trust principals and superintendents to run their schools. But I also believe schools … should be apolitical. They should teach the basics … and allow children to express themselves and have different groups for expressing themselves. They should teach down the middle and allow creative thought from the children.
» This year, state lawmakers cut some of the state’s tax revenues due to a bigger-than-expected surplus. What are your thoughts on possibly cutting both business personal property and/or individual income taxes again next year?
To an extent, as a country, we are overtaxed, but that doesn’t mean ‘Get rid of all the taxes.’ There are a lot of double taxes. I’ve seen the (estate) tax destroy small family farms when somebody dies and they didn’t have the best estate planning. For (business) personal property tax to be able to only go down to 30% is just crazy. And that’s the tricky part, you have the towns that like the tax because that’s how they fund a lot of the town. But I also believe it’s not the job of businesses to continue to be penalized to fund government spending. I tend to see a lot of times, government entities — coming from the government myself — don’t run like a business, and I think they should because a lot of people say “If we need more money, we’ll add more tax. We’ll annex this,” instead of saying “Hey, is there a better way we can do this?” Maybe if we can bring in more business, incentivize them with abatements. That’s how you bring (in) people; by saying “Hey we’re not going to hurt your business through this tax.”
» Is there a bill that you disagreed with during the 2022 legislative session, and what would you have liked to see passed instead?
The House vaccine mandate bill. I’m for free market, but I’m also for the protection of employees’ individual liberties. We are an at-will state, so the company doesn’t really have to have a reason to fire somebody, but I think when you say to somebody … “You either get the shot or you don’t work here,” and the company says they had a choice, that’s not much of a choice. People need a job. They need to feed their families. It was disappointing because our job is to protect businesses and employees and not choose one or the other.
» Anything else you would like to say to the voters?
I’ve shown commitment. I’m humble enough to know I don’t know everything, so I will try to make sure I know what the community needs, what the opinions are of the community, and what the experts in whatever field that is say so I can have all the information to make the best decision. Things may not always go perfectly, but if I do make a mistake, I can admit that and try to figure out how we can do things better. As long as I’m in office, I will continue with that same philosophy, and when it’s time to go, I’ll get out.
THE HAGGARD FILE
Name: Craig Haggard
Residence: Mooresville
Family: Wife, Brooke; four children
Occupation: Small business owner
Educational background: Mooresville High School; Hanover College
Past political experience: None
