David Pilon's Issue Positions (Political Courage Test)
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David Pilon has provided voters with clear stances on key issues by responding to the 2018 Political Courage Test.
Oklahoma State Legislative Election 2018 Political Courage Test
| Pro-choice | a) Do you generally support pro-choice or pro-life legislation? | ||
| Yes | b) Should abortion be legal when the pregnancy resulted from incest or rape? | ||
| Yes | c) Do you support the prohibition of public funds for organizations that perform abortions? | ||
| I'm personally morally opposed to abortion, but I'm also mostly pro-choice, primarily because I don't trust our government to regulate on this issue, and I believe that it should be between a woman and her doctor. That's all aside from that Roe v. Wade still stands, and attempts to ban abortion are a waste of time and money because they're always struck down. However, it's illegal and unethical for public funding to go to pay for abortive services. | |||
1) Budget Stabilization:Indicate which proposals you support (if any) for balancing Oklahoma's budget.
| Yes | a) Reducing state employee salaries AND/OR pensions? | ||
| No | b) Instituting mandatory furloughs AND/OR layoffs for state employees? | ||
| No | c) Reducing benefits for Medicaid recipients? | ||
| Yes | d) An income tax increase on any tax bracket? | ||
| No | e) Selling the Grand River Dam Authority? | ||
| We need to balance our budget without massive tax increases or bankrupting the economy. The way to do that is to figure out where funding is most available and where it is most needed. We have to cut taxes and spending in some areas in order to increase them in others. Too often in Oklahoma, that has meant hurting the common man to help big business and government, and we have to reverse that dynamic. | |||
| Yes | a) Do you support any limits on campaign contributions to state candidates? | ||
| Yes | b) Do you support the regulation of indirect campaign contributions from corporations and unions? | ||
| Yes | c) Do you support the use of an independent AND/OR bipartisan commission for redistricting? | ||
| No | d) Do you support requiring a government-issued photo identification in order to vote at the polls? | ||
| We need campaign finance reform. From a pro-liberty standpoint, I believe that individual contributors should be able to give as much money as they want to whomever they want, as long as it's public and open. But our laws, while regulating against that, have allowed worse. Money ends up getting funneled from government and business to special interest groups to lobbies and PACs who will support candidates who support them. That's corrupt and needs stopped. I'm also big on Democracy. | |||
| No | a) Do you support capital punishment for certain crimes? | ||
| Yes | b) Do you support the legalization of marijuana for recreational purposes? | ||
| No | c) Should a minor accused of a violent crime be prosecuted as an adult? | ||
| Yes | d) Do you support the enforcement of federal immigration laws by state and local police? | ||
| I oppose the death penalty. I don't trust our government to decide who lives or dies. I also support mass decriminalization. No victim, no crime. On federal laws, I support cooperation with federal authorities, as long as there is not an ethical or Constitutional violation. I believe in states' rights, and that we should be able to take care of ourselves in any situation where the federal government fails to do so. | |||
| Yes | a) Do you support state government spending as a means of promoting economic growth? | ||
| Yes | b) Do you support lowering state taxes as a means of promoting economic growth? | ||
| Yes | c) Do you support reducing state government regulations on the private sector? | ||
| No | d) Do you support expanding access to unemployment benefits? | ||
| No | e) Do you support requiring welfare applicants to pass a drug test in order to receive benefits? | ||
| No | f) Do you support an increase of the minimum wage of Oklahoma? | ||
| I don't support taxing and spending more, but taxing and spending more efficiently. I've been told that we cannot both decrease tax burden and increase revenue, but I believe that we can by fixing our broken laws. For example, lowering the tax burden on those with lower incomes will motivate them to invest more, which will drive the economy. Also, instead of increasing the minimum wage, it might be better to increase corporate tax on big companies, but offer more tax relief for those that increase their wages and number of local employees, etc. | |||
| No | a) Do you support adopting federal education standards in Oklahoma? | ||
| Yes | b) Do you support state funding for charter schools? | ||
| No | c) Should immigrants unlawfully present in the United States who graduate from Oklahoma high schools be eligible for in-state tuition at public universities? | ||
| Yes | d) Do you support increasing funding for the state education budget? | ||
| Oklahoma needs to create its own standards that are better than those of the federal government, and we also need to be well-funded enough that we aren't dependent on federal government funding, so we don't have to follow their rules. Bad laws help hold schools back from success. We also need to allow all forms of education to exist, and guardians to be able to choose how their dependents will be educated, but anyone receiving public funds must meet the same guidelines. | |||
| No | a) Do you support state funding for the development of renewable energy (e.g. solar, wind, thermal)? | ||
| Yes | b) Do you support state government regulations of greenhouse gas emissions? | ||
| Yes | c) Do you support increasing state funding for clean drinking water initiatives? | ||
| Yes | d) Do you support increased regulations on the hydraulic fracturing ("fracking") industry? | ||
| We absolutely must protect our environment and invest in our future. Part of being able to do that is developing energy independence, but I believe one of the best ways to do that is to support an even playing field to allow for different energy companies to invest in development. We should also allow local municipalities to decide their own regulations, and we should offer tax breaks to households or companies who use alternative energy, recycle, etc. | |||
| No | a) Do you generally support gun-control legislation? | ||
| Yes | b) Should background checks be required on gun sales between private citizens at gun shows? | ||
| Yes | c) Should teachers be allowed to bring guns into the classroom? | ||
| No | d) Should a license be required for gun ownership? | ||
| I'm very pro-Second Amendment. I do believe that we can have reasonable gun control laws, and gun rights at the same time, but Oklahoma already has that, and so we shouldn't push too far in one direction or the other. Also, "Arming Teachers" is already the law here. | |||
| Yes | a) Should the state government increase funding for treatment facilities to combat opioid abuse? | ||
| Yes | b) Do you support Medicaid expansion through Oklahoma's health care programs? | ||
| No | c) Do you support requiring individuals to purchase health care insurance? | ||
| No | d) Do you support legislation that grants citizens the right to choose to die through euthanasia? | ||
| No | e) Do you support eliminating religious exemptions for vaccinations? | ||
| We've needed healthcare reform for a long time, but the Affordable Care Act was not it. We can do better as a nation and a state, and we have to, with Oklahoma ranking as having some of the poorest health, worst mental healthcare, and lower life expectancies compared to many other states. Part of the way to fix that is to deregulate. On vaccines, I don't want to be labeled an "anti-vaxxer," but I do believe that it should be a choice. | |||
| Yes | a) Do you support the inclusion of sexual orientation in Oklahoma's anti-discrimination laws? | ||
| Yes | b) Do you support the inclusion of gender identity in Oklahoma's anti-discrimination laws? | ||
| No | c) Do you support greater efforts by Oklahoma state government in closing the pay gap between men and women? | ||
| I'm a big supporter of equality, but equality of access and not of outcomes. The best way to achieve that goal is through increasing individual liberty for all and fighting against collectivism. People should be awarded based on merit, not their identity. | |||
| My goals are straightforward. We have to fully fund our core services while also balancing the budget and keeping average tax burden and the cost of living low. The way to do that is through a combination of reforming how we tax and spend plus legal and criminal justice reform. To this end, I've developed my own tax package, and I have a list of laws that I want amended or repealed. |
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