Brett Robinson's Issue Positions (Political Courage Test)
On The Ballot: Running, Democratic for State House (TX) - District 130
Key
Official Position: Candidate addressed this issue directly by taking the Political Courage Test.
Inferred Position: Candidate refused to address this issue, but Vote Smart inferred this issue based on the candidate's public record, including statements, voting record, and special interest group endorsements.
Unknown Position: Candidate refused to address this issue, or we could not infer an answer for this candidate despite exhaustive research of their public record.
Additional Information: Click on this icon to reveal more information about this candidate's position, from their answers or Vote Smart's research.
Other or Expanded Principles & Legislative Priorities are entered exactly as candidates submit them. Vote Smart does not edit for misspelled words, punctuation or grammar.
This candidate has responded to a Political Courage Test in a previous election. As a continued effort to provide the American public with factual information on candidates running for public office, these archived responses are made available here.
Texas 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? | ||
| Reproductive freedom was why I got into the race. My opponent went unchallenged in 2022 and was one of the co-authors behind the abortion ban in Texas. I ran to give my community a choice and highlight his extreme law. | |||
| 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? | ||
| Texas voters recently passed a constitutional amendment prohibiting the implementation of a wealth tax, which is fiscally irresponsible. We should not have a problem with asking the most fortunate members of society to pitch in a bit more. | |||
| No | 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? | ||
| No | 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? | ||
| Yes | f) Do you support the legalization of marijuana for recreational use? | ||
| In general, I am opposed to the death penalty, but there are some crimes so heinous where it may be warranted. Still, Texas kills far too many innocent people. | |||
| Yes | a) Do you support state government spending as a means of promoting economic growth (e.g. grants, tax incentives)? | ||
| No | 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 Texas? | ||
| Yes | d) Do you support government spending on affordable housing projects in Texas? | ||
| I believe in the power of unions in building up the middle class. Texas is a "right to work" state, which limits union strength and membership. We need to change that. | |||
| Yes | a) Do you support adopting federal education standards (e.g. Common Core) in Texas? | ||
| No | b) Do you support state funding for charter schools? | ||
| Yes | c) Do you support increasing teacher salaries AND/OR benefits in Texas? | ||
| Yes | d) Should immigrants in the United States who graduate from Texas high schools be eligible for in-state tuition at public universities, regardless of immigration status? | ||
| No | e) Do you support removing diversity, equity and inclusion offices on public college and university campuses? | ||
| Recently, our Governor has been pushing vouchers, which I am strongly opposed to. They are already defunding our public schools, as evident by the kids in my district losing their bus service. Like we see in Arizona and other states, vouchers will gut public education long term. | |||
| Yes | a) Do you support state funding for the development of renewable energy (e.g. solar, wind, geo-thermal)? | ||
| No | 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? | ||
| I support incentivizing the development of renewable energy, but I am wary of subsidizing billion-dollar companies that can already invest in renewable technology themselves. | |||
| 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 Texas? | ||
| Right now, there are no campaign finance limits in Texas, which has led to dark money influence out of state. Gerrymandering is rampant nationwide and has made most districts electorally uncompetitive. Our system currently allows representatives to pick their voters, when our democracy demands the relationship to be the other way around. Additionally, we need to be making it easier to vote with reforms such as online and same day voter registration. | |||
| 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 Texas? | ||
| Texas currently has permit-less carry, which is reckless. I will work to revoke that law and pass reasonable gun reform. Just like how we require a license to drive, we must require licenses to carry that prove competence in the use, storage, and safety of firearms. | |||
| 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? | ||
| I am conflicted on the right to choose to die. I believe people should have dignity in death, but it is an uncomfortable topic. I once had a family member go through an excruciating medical procedure, and they begged for death. They are still alive and well today. | |||
| Yes | a) Do you support inclusion of sexual orientation in Texas' anti-discrimination laws? | ||
| Yes | b) Do you support the inclusion of gender identity in Texas' anti-discrimination laws? | ||
| Yes | c) Do you support greater efforts by Texas' state government in closing gender, racial, and other wage gaps? | ||
| My top two priorities are protecting public education and restoring reproductive freedom. As I have mentioned in the earlier section, these issues are dear to me. Our maternal mortality rate in Texas has skyrocketed. Women are dying, and doctors are afraid to provide life-saving care. I plan on having a family one day, and I want to live in a world where my spouse will be able to receive the care that they need if things go wrong. Roe v. Wade was a great compromise we had for fifty years, and I will work to restore it. As for public education, I grew up in public schools. They are the lifeblood of local communities, and they strive to make sure no child is left behind. I am fearful of the future of public schools when I hear reports that 70% of Texas teachers are considering quitting. We need to adequately fund our public schools and support our teachers. |
Vote Smart does not permit the use of its name or programs in any campaign activity, including advertising, debates, and speeches.