Deborah Flowers' Issue Positions (Political Courage Test)
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Deborah Flowers has provided voters with clear stances on key issues by responding to the 2024 Political Courage Test.
Kentucky 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? | ||
| I believe in Medical Freedom for every person of sound mind who is making an informed decision and willing to accept the consequences of the actions they take. The government has no business in healthcare other than making sure that everyone has equal access to high quality care. I also believe in bodily autonomy for every person. In the same way that the government can't force someone to donate their kidney to another just because they're a match, even if it would save that person's life, the government has no business denying healthcare of any type to those who seek it. These extremely personal decisions can only be made by the individual whose body is affected in coordination with whomever they choose to seek advice from. This also applies to vaccinating children. If parents opt not to vaccinate their children, they do so knowing that their children will not be able to attend public schools (and most private schools. They then accept the consequences that the responsibility and expense for educating their children at home is theirs. | |||
| No | a) In order to balance the budget, do you support limiting state government spending on social programs (e.g. SNAP, TANF)? | ||
| Yes | 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 | 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? | ||
| Yes | f) Do you support the legalization of marijuana for recreational use? | ||
| It would take more than 500 words to expand on each of these, however, I'd like to discuss the legalization of marijuana across the board. As a nurse for 36 years and a licensed medical massage therapist for 21 years, I have seen first-hand the benefits of marijuana for everything from chronic pain to ADHD support without the overwhelming and deadly side effects from the regular use and abuse of prescribed medications. In the first year of legalization, Colorado built 20 new public schools and saw a dramatic increase in their budget surplus. Kentucky is 30 years behind on this issue. There are numerous misbeliefs including: if people use marijuana, then the bourbon industry will suffer, marijuana is a gateway drug, crime will be increase. Across the board, all have been debunked over the years, yet the supermajority in our legislature has a stranglehold on this issue to the detriment of our people as well as our state government. | |||
| 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 Kentucky? | ||
| Yes | d) Do you support government spending on affordable housing projects in Kentucky? | ||
| In NKY, we have an affordable housing crisis. This is the number one issue in my platform. We have an exorbitant amount of 3+ bedroom homes that only a limited number of people can afford sitting empty while we have no 1 and 2 bedroom housing available for those who need it. One way to tackle multiple issues at once is to allow builders and landlords to take advantage of programs that are beneficial to the environment - like solar roofing, energy efficient windows and PCVP pipes, energy efficient heating and colling elements, and so on. Currently, only home owners who live in the home can utilize the programs incentivizing the use of these materials. Many abandoned and aging buildings, as well as new dwellings, could be modernized with access. Further, we need incentives for builders and property owners to offer smaller, affordable housing. | |||
| Yes | a) Do you support adopting federal education standards (e.g. Common Core) in Kentucky? | ||
| No | b) Do you support state funding for charter schools? | ||
| Yes | c) Do you support increasing teacher salaries AND/OR benefits in Kentucky? | ||
| Yes | d) Should immigrants in the United States who graduate from Kentucky high schools be eligible for in-state tuition at public universities, regardless of immigration status? | ||
| During Steve Beshear's tenure as our governor, public education rose to #10 in the country. One of the most significant steps he took was adopting the Next Generation Standards. In fact, we were the first state in the country to adopt the Next Generation Science Standards. Then, Matt Bevin was elected and wiped it all away along with the majority Republican legislature that was ushered in a year after his election. Kentucky's public education system has suffered immeasurably since. We dropped as low as 47th in public education in just one term for Bevin. With multiple bites at the apple, the Republican supermajority has tried to bring in charter schools as well as a voucher system with no plan in place for how to implement it or what it looks like other then stripping already underfunded schools of more money. Further, ALL professional research and results related to state finances across the country of those who have adopted these measures have proven just how severe the consequences are for students, public schools, and state governments alike. Kentucky can't afford to sink any lower after working so hard to dig out of the mess with gains that have never reached the level of where we were. The perpetuation of fear surrounding immigrants and their children needs to stop across the board regardless of issue. All children benefit from a strong foundational education which improves society as a whole. | |||
| 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? | ||
| 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? | ||
| No | 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 Kentucky? | ||
| 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? | ||
| No | c) Do you support the right to concealed carry in Kentucky? | ||
| Gun Violence Protection laws are long overdue. Gun violence is now the #1 cause of death in children in the United States, not accidents, not cancer. ONLY in the US is this the case. It is almost entirely preventable and proactive measures need to be taken. The data and evidence couldn't be more clear. | |||
| 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? | ||
| No | g) Do you support banning gender affirming care for transgender youth in Kentucky? | ||
| Yes | a) Do you support inclusion of sexual orientation in Kentucky's anti-discrimination laws? | ||
| Yes | b) Do you support the inclusion of gender identity in Kentucky's anti-discrimination laws? | ||
| Yes | c) Do you support greater efforts by Kentucky's state government in closing gender, racial, and other wage gaps? | ||
| I already expanded on affordable housing and what measures could and should be taken. But, there's more. We should include incentives for builders, landowners, and property (building) owners to help develop affordable housing in areas where it is most needed. These incentives should be included for every business seeking to bring facilities to Kentucky which I would call a Good Corporate Citizen clause or set of rules. This would include things like a percentage of profits being used to help improve the community they are based in in some way. For example, businesses could donate to help rebuild a school playground to meet today's safe and environmental standards. All developers, builders, property owners, etc. should be required to maintain a certain amount of green space, energy-efficient supplies in building or restoration, and renewable & clean energy options for energy consumption. KYNECT, the healthcare portal for Kentucky, needs to be expanded and improved, not shut down. All laws stripping individuals of their right to make their own healthcare decisions need to be rescinded. I have over 40 bills either completed or partially written for Day 1 in my tenure as a state legislator. The legalization of marijuana in totality will provide economic opportunities for individuals from all walks of life as well as our state government. We need to fund our public schools to 2025 standards and not allow folks to pat themselves on the back for spending more on public education than ever before when they are referencing 2018 levels. |
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