Karen Gertz's Issue Positions (Political Courage Test)
On The Ballot: Running, Democratic for State House (TN) - District 20
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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.
Tennessee 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? | ||
| Bodily autonomy is a fundamental human right, including the right to abortion, IVF, and birth control. We have already seen the consequences of abortion restrictions in Tennessee, forcing women to cross state lines to prevent serious injury and even death in the face of pregnancy complications. IVF and birth control are also on the line, with precedents being set in other states that could also extend to Tennessee if nothing is done to stop it. I support the full restoration of reproductive rights. | |||
| 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? | ||
| I believe the first priority of the state government is to benefit and serve the people; therefore, I am against limiting state government spending on social programs in order to balance the budget. By decreasing income taxes (thereby promoting economic growth) and supporting a wealth tax to pay for public programs, I believe we can balance the budget while still taking care of our citizens. | |||
| 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? | ||
| I do not support capital punishment for violent crimes; a lifetime sentence may be necessary, but killing someone in retribution is no more justified than the crime itself. Individuals under 18 accused of a violent crime should be prosecuted as juveniles. Federal immigration laws enacted in the recent past have resulted in immigrants being treated inhumanely and families being split up; I am against this inhumane treatment at any level. I don't support the use of private prisons, as I consider them a modern-day version of slavery; prisoners are paid little to nothing for their work, while private prisons benefit from their labor. I do not support mandatory minimum sentences for nonviolent drug offenders; in particular, I do not support mandatory minimum sentences for marijuana use or possession. | |||
| 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 of Tennessee? | ||
| Yes | d) Do you support government spending on affordable housing projects in Tennessee? | ||
| I believe that state government regulations on the private sector, including large corporations and the environment, need to be strengthened. Large corporations often have the clout and the funds to flout regulations, which can result in unsafe working conditions, environmental damage, and not paying their fair share of taxes; corporations need to be held accountable. Environmental regulations need to be strengthened to protect our natural resources. I support an increase in the minimum wage of Tennessee to be a living wage; no one should be forced to choose between paying their mortgage/rent, putting food on the table, or refilling their prescriptions. I support government spending on affordable housing so that people can afford to live safely and comfortably while not needing to allocate an unsustainable portion of their income toward housing. | |||
| a) Do you support adopting federal education standards (e.g. Common Core) in Tennessee? | |||
| No | b) Do you support state funding for charter schools? | ||
| Yes | c) Do you support increasing teacher salaries AND/OR benefits in Tennessee? | ||
| Yes | d) Should immigrants in the United States who graduate from Tennessee high schools be eligible for in-state tuition at public universities, regardless of immigration status? | ||
| No | e) Do you support the practice of restricting access to certain books and the challenge of their presence in educational and public institutions (e.g. book bans, book challenges)? | ||
| I am 100% against state funding for charter schools; I believe that state funds should solely be used for public schools. I support increasing teacher salaries and benefits, as they perform a critical job in the education of students and deserve to be compensated accordingly. Immigrants who graduate from Tennessee high schools should be eligible for in-state tuition at public universities, as 25 other states have implemented via DACA. I absolutely reject book bans; we should not be limiting the materials that students are permitted to read. | |||
| 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 state funding for renewable energy projects; we need to seriously mitigate the effects of climate change, and scientific data shows that we need to make changes now. I do not support allowing permits for drilling on public lands; we need to fund alternative energy sources, such as solar, wind, and geo-thermal, rather than relying on traditional energy sources that severely damage the environment. I support increasing state funding for clean drinking water initiatives, as I believe we all have the right to clean water to support our health. | |||
| 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? | ||
| 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? | ||
| No | e) Do you support the implementation of ranked choice voting in Tennessee? | ||
| Yes | f) Do you favor restoring voting rights to individuals who were previously convicted of particular serious crimes, provided they have completed their entire sentence? | ||
| I believe that excessive campaign contributions result in an unbalanced election process; candidates that receive only small, grassroots contributions have much more difficulty promoting their name and policy positions to the public compared to candidates with large contributions. I support the use of a bipartisan commission for redistricting to prevent gerrymandering. I support automatic voter registration to streamline the voting process, as new potential voters are often unaware of voter registration deadlines and are consequently prevented from voting. I support the current system of Tennessee legislators being chosen by popular vote, not by ranked choice. | |||
| 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 Tennessee? | ||
| I support requirements for carry permits, background checks, and safety training. I also support reg flag laws. Background checks should absolutely be required on gun sales between private citizens at gun shows. I want to be clear that I am not against the 2nd Amendment, and I have many friends who own and use guns; I support their responsible use and storage of guns. I do not, however, believe that private citizens should have access to assault weapons. Also, I am against the recent Tennessee law arming teachers; teachers should be in schools to teach, not to be responsible for repelling active shooters. | |||
| 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 a proponent of the expansion of Medicaid; if the Tennessee Legislature accepted Medicaid expansion, a portion of those funds could be allocated to funding treatment facilities to combat opioid abuse. I support a single-payer healthcare system, as private companies inflate healthcare costs; as far as I'm concerned, healthcare should be a human right, not dependent upon whether you can afford or even obtain insurance. I support mandatory vaccinations in the interest of public health and to prevent unnecessary illness and death, such as in the case of COVID. I fully support expanding paid family and medical leave benefits so that workers can take care of themselves, their children, or sick family members; workers should not be forced to choose between the pressing health needs of themselves or their families and their jobs. The government should be able to regulate the cost of prescription drugs; no one should have to go without their necessary medications because they cannot afford them. | |||
| Yes | a) Do you support inclusion of sexual orientation in Tennessee's anti-discrimination laws? | ||
| Yes | b) Do you support the inclusion of gender identity in Tennessee's anti-discrimination laws? | ||
| Yes | c) Do you support greater efforts by Tennessee's state government in closing gender, racial, and other wage gaps? | ||
| I support the inclusion of both sexual orientation and gender identity in Tennessee's anti-discrimination laws, as I support the individuality and uniqueness of each person; I am vehemently opposed to people being discriminated against for being true to who they are. I believe the Tennessee Legislature has a duty to promote greater efforts to close gender, racial, and other wage gaps; each person doing the same job should be paid the same wage, period. | |||
| My first priority would be the protection of equal rights, including women's rights and LGBTQIA+ rights. Bodily autonomy is a fundamental human right, including the right to abortion, IVF, and birth control. Equal treatment under the law is a fundamental right, and the rights of Tennesseans should not be restricted based on orientation or who a person chooses to love. My next priority would be the education and safety of Tennessee children. Public schools need to be fully funded; public funds should not be diverted to any voucher program. We need common sense gun safety legislation to protect our children. |
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