Mike Selmer's Issue Positions (Political Courage Test)
Key
Official Position: Candidate addressed this issue directly by taking the Political Courage Test.
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Mike Selmer has provided voters with clear stances on key issues by responding to the 2024 Political Courage Test.
Wyoming State Legislative Election 2024 Political Courage Test
| Pro-choice | a) Do you generally support pro-choice or pro-life legislation? | ||
| Yes | b) Do you support legalizing abortion when the pregnancy resulted from incest or rape? | ||
| No | c) Do you support the prohibition of public funds (e.g. Medicaid) for organizations that perform abortions? | ||
| Choosing to have an abortion is not an easy decision, regardless of the reasons behind it. Whatever those reasons are, and whatever that decision is, should be between a woman and her doctor. The government should not be taking away the freedom of a woman to make her own reproductive choices. | |||
| No | a) In order to balance the budget, do you support limiting state government spending on social programs (e.g. SNAP, TANF)? | ||
| No | b) Do you support a decrease in income taxes in order to promote economic growth? | ||
| Yes | c) Do you support a wealth tax in order to pay for public programs in your state? | ||
| Yes | d) Do you support reforming Wyoming's tax law by creating a separate property class for residential property? | ||
| a) Making sure that all government programs are fair, effective, and free of fraud or misuse is important, but we should never turn our backs on people in need. b) I do support a decrease in income taxes for low/middle income earners. I also support increasing the income tax on the higher income brackets. Our country was more equitably prosperous when those most fortunate paid their fair share and when the pay for those running companies was closer to those doing the work/production. d) It will be important for a separate class for residential property be properly instituted, so that those most in need of relief receive it and so that our communities don't suffer from a loss in the revenue that provides for essential services. | |||
| Yes | a) Do you support capital punishment for violent crimes? | ||
| No | b) Should an individual under 18 accused of a violent crime be prosecuted as an adult? | ||
| Yes | c) Do you support the enforcement of federal immigration laws by state and local police? | ||
| No | d) Do you support the use of private prisons? | ||
| No | e) Do you support mandatory minimum sentences for nonviolent drug offenders? | ||
| No | f) Do you support the decriminalization of medical marijuana for personal use AND/OR possession? | ||
| a) I struggle with this issue for the personal reason that a younger brother was executed by a drug dealer when my brother was only 16. Philosophically, I don't believe in an eye for an eye. I believe that use of the death sentence should be extremely rare. c) Local and state resources should only be used in cooperation with federal immigration officials. | |||
| Yes | a) Do you support state government spending as a means of promoting economic growth (e.g. grants, tax incentives)? | ||
| Yes | b) Do you support reducing state government regulations on the private sector (e.g. for business or the environment)? | ||
| Yes | c) Do you support an increase of the minimum wage in Wyoming? | ||
| Yes | d) Do you support government spending on affordable housing projects in Wyoming? | ||
| For a) and d) Yes, with the caveat that oversight must be thorough so as to avoid fraud and corruption. Government spending on housing should not be direct aid, but support for building the necessary infrastructure. b) Streamlining and simplifying the regulations in Wyoming and making them more easily understood and followed, could stimulate growth, but should not be done at the expense of our environment. | |||
| Yes | a) Do you support adopting federal education standards (e.g. Common Core) in Wyoming? | ||
| No | b) Do you support state funding for charter schools? | ||
| Yes | c) Do you support increasing teacher salaries AND/OR benefits in Wyoming? | ||
| Yes | d) Should immigrants in the United States who graduate from Wyoming schools be eligible for in-state tuition at public universities, regardless of immigration status? | ||
| a) This has already been done. The misinformation that has been spread about common core across the country is a disservice to our children. b) If funding for charter schools can be done without decreasing funding for public schools, I would support that so long as charter schools meet the same standards and requirements of public schools. In general, I believe that initiatives or innovations that are successful in improving a child's education should be used in public schools, eliminating the drive for charter schools. d) I child in Wyoming, who will one day become a citizen, should not be denied the opportunity to become the most productive citizen possible. | |||
| No | a) Do you support state funding for the development of renewable energy (e.g. solar, wind, geo-thermal)? | ||
| Yes | b) Do you support state governments allowing permits for drilling on public lands? | ||
| Yes | c) Do you support increasing state funding for clean drinking water initiatives? | ||
| a) Economic factors are driving the demand for renewables and will continue to do so. So long as the state government does not continue to throw up roadblocks, we can become a leader in renewables and prosper as a result. b) To a limited extent and with very comprehensive environmental studies. Protecting our water sources is especially important. c) The future health and resiliency of our communities relies on protecting and maintaining access to water. | |||
| Yes | a)Do you support limiting campaign contributions from corporations, unions, and individuals? | ||
| Yes | b) Do you support the use of an independent or bipartisan commission for redistricting? | ||
| Yes | c) Do you support requiring a government-issued photo identification in order to vote at the polls? | ||
| Yes | d) Do you support automatic voter registration? | ||
| Yes | e) Do you support the implementation of ranked choice voting in Wyoming? | ||
| c) As long as they are easily attainable/affordable. d) Anyone who gets a driver's license should automatically be registered to vote unless they choose to opt out. | |||
| Yes | a) Do you generally support gun-control legislation (e.g. red flag laws, closing the boyfriend loophole)? | ||
| Yes | b) Should background checks be required on gun sales between private citizens at gun shows? | ||
| Yes | c) Do you support the right to concealed carry in Wyoming? | ||
| a) For the examples listed, as long as due process is followed, it is important that people facing a mental or emotional crisis are protected from themselves. b) Not requiring this creates a large loophole. Technology has reached a point where this can be achieved without inconveniencing anyone. c) I do believe that communities should be allowed to have gun-free zones. This has unneccessarily become a divisive issue. The result has paralyzed our country and made it impossible to address the very realand serious problem of gun violence that continues to take the lives of innocents. We need to be able to come together and find a solution that is supported by everyone. | |||
| Yes | a) Should the state government increase funding for treatment facilities to combat opioid abuse? | ||
| Yes | b) Do you support a government-run (e.g. single-payer) healthcare program such as Medicare-for-All? | ||
| Yes | c) Should an individual have the right to choose to die (e.g. those with a terminal illness) through euthanasia? | ||
| Yes | d) Do you support mandating vaccinations (e.g. for school or employment)? | ||
| Yes | e) Do you support expanding paid family AND/OR medical leave benefits (e.g. maternity leave)? | ||
| Yes | f) Should the government be able to regulate the cost of prescription drugs? | ||
| Many, if not most, corporations in the healthcare industry, including insurance companies, put profits first. People suffer as a result. We, the government of the people, should be able to provide for the common good, and that means quality, affordable healthcare for all. | |||
| Yes | a) Do you support inclusion of sexual orientation in Wyoming's anti-discrimination laws? | ||
| Yes | b) Do you support the inclusion of gender identity in Wyoming's anti-discrimination laws? | ||
| Yes | c) Do you support greater efforts by Wyoming's state government in closing gender, racial, and other wage gaps? | ||
| The rising cost of early childhood education, preschool, and daycare is harming working families and hurts our communities. A Hathaway-style program should be established that would not add to our tax burden. I would work to see such a program started. Quickly and effectively solving the problem of rising property taxes is another priority. This must be done in a way that doesn't result in a cut to services such as schools, fire and police, infrastructure maintenance, etc. upon which our communities rely. Restoring civility and cooperation to our state government is also an urgent priority. The legislature should not be a place for scoring political points with unnecessary bills that sate ideological cravings. We must work together for improving the lives of everyone in Wyoming. |
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