Julie Hussey's Issue Positions (Political Courage Test)
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Julie Hussey has provided voters with clear stances on key issues by responding to the 2024 Political Courage Test.
South Carolina 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? | ||
| Abortion is a medical decision between a woman and her healthcare provider. I value the lives of all South Carolinians and support Roe v Wade's access to abortion care prior to viability outside of the womb. | |||
| 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? | ||
| No | c) Do you support a wealth tax in order to pay for public programs in your state? | ||
| While I believe the difference between our homestead (4%) tax and our 6% tax on other real estate is out of wack and needs to be updated because the 4% does not include operational expenditures for our public schools, I recognize that is a structural issue which will be really difficult to address. With so much of its income coming from sales tax, this state is currently experiencing higher revenue than expenses. Rather than imposing more taxes or rebating excess funds, we need to seriously consider how to utilize the taxes we are receiving and whether our continued rise in income is because of growth which we need to spend money to support with improved pubic infrastructure (roads, bridges, transit, storm water, sewer, schools, natural resources, etc.). | |||
| 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? | ||
| Yes | c) Do you support the enforcement of federal immigration laws by state and local police? | ||
| Yes | d) Do you support the use of private prisons? | ||
| No | e) Do you support mandatory minimum sentences for nonviolent drug offenders? | ||
| a) While I trust jury decisions and judges -as long as they have all of the facts and have not demonstrated any discrimination or bias, I do not consider "an eye for an eye" as an equitable way to hold another person accountable for a crime. b) Just because a crime by a young person is violent does not always mean it was an adult crime. I believe children reflect the world in which they were raised and adults often bear a responsibility for the child's actions until that child's brain development is able to mature in a healthy manner. c) I believe laws should be enforced when they are broken, but I do not believe individuals should be detained based on the assumption of guilt just because they appear to be an immigrant. d) We have private prisons in South Carolina so I will acknowledge and support their work. However, I am concerned about incentivizing emprisonment and how these contracts are written to protect both the public's investment and all of the citizens of the state- including those held inside and working for the prison. e) Non-violent drug use and possession charges should be seen as signs of addiction and not criminalization. Selling illegal drugs especially if they are laced with even more toxic ingredients should be considered a crime with a minimum sentence. | |||
| 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 South Carolina? | ||
| Yes | d) Do you support government spending on affordable housing projects in South Carolina? | ||
| b) I would rather see incentives to encourage innovation in the private sector than regulations. However, the coast of SC is experiencing the consequences of reduced environmental regulations from years ago. I am concerned about the recent Supreme Court of the United State's relaxation on wetland regulations which I believe our state needs to protect for the quality of our water, our fisheries, our water retention, our storm management, and our economy. c) We have a labor trafficking problem in our state due to our large hospitality and construction sectors and I believe an increase in our minimum wage would help to address this issue. d) The lack of affordable housing is seriously impacting the traffic and ability to find workers along the coast of SC. | |||
| a) Do you support adopting federal education standards (e.g. Common Core) in South Carolina? | |||
| Yes | b) Do you support state funding for charter schools? | ||
| Yes | c) Do you support increasing teacher salaries AND/OR benefits in South Carolina? | ||
| d) Should immigrants in the United States who graduate from South Carolina high schools be eligible for in-state tuition at public universities, regardless of immigration status? | |||
| a) We have a lot of military as well as national/international corporate families in our state and they deserve to know their children are receiving an education which is similar to or better than other states in this country. I am not committed to how prescriptive these standards should be and am concerned the measurement of how well these standards are met results in too much teaching to the test and less follow the child. b) My children were educated from 2nd to 8th grade in a Charter School and I was on the founding board of another Charter School. I prefer Charter Schools which are parent/community driven rather than for profit or corporate driven. Charter schools must be open to all and should have access to public transportation/school bus routes wherever possible. Chartering organizations must be held accountable for the quality and standards of the schools they have chartered. c) As long as immigrant children are legally in this country and they have met the other in-state eligibility standards, I don't see why they shouldn't be considered in-state residents for college tuition. | |||
| Yes | a) Do you support state funding for the development of renewable energy (e.g. solar, wind, geo-thermal)? | ||
| 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) It is hot in the south and getting hotter. We need power to run air conditioning units. We have also experienced a lot of growth, including the development of several data centers which are big energy users. A diversity of renewable energy sources seems to be our best bet to address these needs. b) I do not know enough about this issue because I do not think there is any reason to drill on public lands in SC. c) No water, no life. Protecting our drinking water is protecting our waterways, beaches, fisheries, and aquifers. | |||
| 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 South Carolina? | ||
| Yes | f) Should it be mandatory for any potential voter to be verified as a U.S. citizen before registering to vote or casting a ballot? | ||
| a) When campaign spending for an election is almost higher than the median budget for our country's hundred largest cities ($800m), it is out of control. Voters electing a candidate to manage tax dollars should consider how they manage campaign funds. b) Partisan gerrymandering protects incumbents, skews results, prioritizes primaries, and makes for less responsive representatives. c) Government issued photo identification is required in SC. d) Sure. The ability to vote should be easier than paying taxes. e) Ranked choice voting could reduce the costs of run off elections, especially in non-partisan races. f) Voters attest to their citizenship status on their applications and voter registration offices should be able to verify that status. Automatic voter registration could address this issue rather than assuming voters are not US citizens until they prove their citizenship. | |||
| 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 South Carolina? | ||
| a) Red flag laws have been proven to be effective and we should close the Charleston Loophole. b) Why not? c) As of March 19, 2024, everyone in SC over the age of 18 who is legally allowed to own a gun can carry it openly or conceal it in public. I would prefer that the right to concealed carry was limited to those with training and those over 21 unless they need to carry for a job or military service. I am not clear how SC will be monitoring the effectiveness or harm of this law and fear more people will loose their life and limbs than will be protected. | |||
| a) Should the state government increase funding for treatment facilities to combat opioid abuse? | |||
| 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)? | ||
| f) Should the government be able to regulate the cost of prescription drugs? | |||
| Yes | g) Do you support gender-affirming care for transgender minors in South Carolina? | ||
| a) SC has an Opioid Recovery Fund which provides funds for treatment. I would like to know how these funds are currently being used before increasing funding. b) I support expansion of the affordable care act. c) SC currently can revoke the license of any healthcare provider who provides suicide assistance, but I do not know how the state can control a person's right to die. d) Requiring vaccines is a reasonable public safety measure by public health agencies, school, or employers as long as exceptions to those vaccinations are offered and clearly outlined. e) Bonding time with family and caregivers is an important element to social, emotional, and mental development for newborns. If there is a sincere desire to increase SC's birth rates and infant health, providing paid medical leave demonstrates a serious commitment to families and babies at a critical time in their lives. f) Government should be able to negotiate the costs of prescription drugs. g) I believe non-surgical, gender-affirming care for transgender minors is a private healthcare decision between families and their healthcare providers. | |||
| Yes | a) Do you support inclusion of sexual orientation in South Carolina's anti-discrimination laws? | ||
| Yes | b) Do you support the inclusion of gender identity in South Carolina's anti-discrimination laws? | ||
| Yes | c) Do you support greater efforts by South Carolina's state government in closing gender, racial, and other wage gaps? | ||
| After the Emmanuel murders in Charleston and the anti-transgender legislation of this past year, it is time for SC to join 48 other states in passing anti-hate crime legislation. | |||
| 1. Women?s Healthcare: I would love to repeal SC's abortion ban, or at least put it out to voters. If I don?t have the votes to do that, I will do everything I can to protect the health of women experiencing miscarriages who need clearer guidelines for medical assistance; families using genetic counseling to avoid passing along deadly genes which need to be trusted; and women for whom emotional and mental concerns drive their need to be trusted and given healthcare options. 2. Manage Growth: I would acknowledge that SC Senate District 43 is one of the most historic sections of the Gullah Geechee Corridor and I would look to those who have been here the longest to help us grow responsibly in the future. This means looking to cultural overlay districts, collecting stories from residents about their experience in our region, promoting local businesses, and protecting our wetlands and waterways with nature based solutions. I believe there could be more federal funding available for doing this work. 3. Invest in our future: I see taxes not as a bill that comes due, but our contributions to our agreed upon shared values. This does not mean I want to raise taxes; it does mean I want to make certain our taxes are invested to measurably improve our quality of life both now and into the future. Examples of this could be: recognizing the value of early childhood education expenditures; prioritizing risks on small businesses over gifts to large manufacturers; and making certain contracts with private entities are written to protect our public expenses. Our state budget's have run at a surplus for years because of increased revenue in sales taxes and fees. |
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