Rick Roth
Republican | Florida
Candidate Profile*
Conservative
*Additional information appears below for educational purposes; however, only data received prior to the candidate deadline was considered during Panel Evaluation.
BIOGRAPHY
Name
Rick Roth
Party
Republican
Election Year
2020
Election
General
Race
State Rep., Dist 85
Incumbent
Yes
Links
EDUCATION
Emory University, Atlanta, Ga, B.S Math, 1976
WORK & MILITARY
(Candidate did not provide)
AFFILIATIONS
Top Gun Ministry,Christ Fellowship Royal PalmBeach, Team leader, Farmers Feeding Florida Committee
Advisory Committee Member, Palm Beach Farm PAC, Chairman
POLITICAL OFFICES HELD
FL State Rep. #85, 4
POLITICAL OFFICES SOUGHT
(Candidate did not provide)
Race
Previous Races
SCORECARDS
CONSERVATIVE ORGANIZATIONS
2017-18
A+
2019
95% (cum.)†
2017
90%, 90% (cum.)†
2017-18
|A+
2019
|95% (cum.)†
2017
|90%, 90% (cum.)†
LIBERAL ORGANIZATIONS
2017-18
|F
ENDORSEMENTS*
*These endorsements were received after the deadline and were not considered in the Panel Evaluations and are for additional educational purposes only.
CONSERVATIVE (1)
*Florida Family Action
LIBERAL (1)
*Palm Beach County Police Benevolent Association
OTHER (3)
Associated Industries of Florida PAC
Florida Chamber of Commerce
Florida Police Benevolent Association
REPORTED BY CANDIDATE (3)
Palm Beach Co. PBA
Palm Beach Co Professional Firefighters
NorthPAC
SELECTED CONTRIBUTIONS
CONSERVATIVE
GIVEN BY CANDIDATE (4)
Adam Putnam (2018)
Ashley Moody (2018)
MaryLynn Magar (2018)
State Republican Party Organizations (2017)
RECEIVED BY CANDIDATE (18)
21st Century Public Servant (2019)
Conservative and Principled Leadership for Florida (Cabin Hill Road) (2019)
Conservative Florida (2019)
Conservative Principles for Florida (2020)
Conservatives For Effective Government (2018)
LIBERAL
GIVEN BY CANDIDATE (3)
Alcee Hastings (2015)
Bill Nelson (2013)
Mike McIntyre (2008)
RECEIVED BY CANDIDATE (1)
International Association of Firefighters (includes national, state & local affiliates) (2019)
OTHER INFORMATION
QUESTIONNAIRE
RIGHT TO LIFE
Human life begins at conception and deserves legal protection at every stage until natural death.
Strongly Agree
Abortion providers, including Planned Parenthood, should not receive taxpayer funds or grants from federal, state, or local governments.
Strongly Agree
I support the Born Alive Abortion Survivors Protection Act, which requires health care providers to provide life-saving treatment for infants who survive an attempted abortion.
Strongly Agree
Under what circumstances should abortion be allowed?
Abortion is the law of the land. I support restricting the right to abortion to 13 weeks after conception.
ECONOMY
It is the government’s responsibility to ensure everyone has a livable income.
Strongly Disagree
Free enterprise and the right to private property are essential elements of a productive economic system.
Strongly Agree
What government spending would you reduce in order to balance the budget?
The Florida Legislature is required by the Florida Constitution to pass a balance budget every year. In fact, there are too many wasteful federal programs to list them all. 1. Reduce grants to foreign countries. 2. Reduce funding of the UN and WHO. 3. Eliminate programs started to create jobs. 4. Inventory all federal buildings owned in the USA. Sale unoccupied building to private companies to reduce the debt. 5. Increase the leasing of federal lands for energy and minerals exploration.
RELIGIOUS LIBERTY
Governments should not discriminate against individuals, organizations or small businesses because of their belief that marriage is only a union of one man and one woman.
Strongly Agree
Governments should define marriage as between one man and one woman; no other definition of marriage should be legalized or supported with taxpayer or public funds.
Strongly Agree
Religious liberty is at risk in the United States and deserves the highest level of protection in the law.
Strongly Agree
I promise to protect the freedom of Christians to share the Gospel and to practice Biblical principles.
Yes
What does "separation of church and state" mean to you?
It is not in the Constitution. In a letter to the Danbury Baptist Association, he explained that the Legislature should make no law respecting an establishment of religion, thus there is a wall of 'separation between Church & State. The Church of England was partially funded by the English government. In Virginia, Jefferson's home state, the state government funded the Anglican Church. I agree with Jefferson that government should not fund Churches. This protects Churches and Americans' exercise of their faith from influence by our government. I believe it is wrongly quoted by some to mean that 'people of faith or pastors' have no right to influence government policy. All Americans have that right under the 1st Amendment.
HEALTHCARE
It is the government’s responsibility to ensure everyone has health insurance.
Strongly Disagree
How would you promote healthcare coverage that is adequate, affordable and accessible for all?
I support Medicaid as currently funded in the State of Florida. The Legislature passed legislation to increase competition in healthcare services in Florida in 2019, doing away with "Certificate of Need" regulations by the Agency for Health Care Administration. The Florida Legislature passed a law to allow Floridians to purchase pharmaceuticals from foreign companies, increasing competition and lowering the costs. In July 2020, President Trump signed an executive order to "finalize a rule allowing states to develop safe importation plans for certain prescription drugs."
NATIONAL SECURITY
The best way to maintain peace is through a strong military.
Strongly Agree
IMMIGRATION
I am in favor of construction of a wall and other necessary infrastructure on our border that gives complete control over entering and exiting the United States.
Strongly Agree
State and federal funds should be denied to any public or private entity, including but not limited to sanctuary cities, that are not in compliance with immigration laws.
Agree
Who should be allowed to immigrate to the U.S. and under what circumstances?
America needs at least 1 million immigrants per year, due to lower birth rates and abortion. The federal government has a constitutional right to limit legal immigration, and to stop illegal immigration. Legal immigrants should be selected using a merit-based system. I support a system that allows legal immigrants from all countries that provide thorough background information. No violent criminals should be allowed. As a farmer, we prefer allowing immigrants with certain job skills that are in demand.
EDUCATION
Taxpayer-funded public education should be guaranteed through college.
Strongly Disagree
VALUES
Judeo-Christian values established a framework of morality which is necessary for our system of limited government.
Strongly Agree
I support adding sexual orientation, gender identity and gender expression as protected classes in non-discrimination laws.
Strongly Disagree
Briefly describe your spiritual beliefs and values.
I believe in the God who created the universe and every living creature, plant, and animal. Man alone has a divine spark, a conscience, and he knows that certain acts are morally wrong. I believe the Bible is the divinely inspired inerrant word of God, 66 books written by 35 different people over a period of 1300 years. I believe the Bible, which states that Jesus was crucified on the cross for the forgiveness of our sins, now and forever, and was resurrected from the dead, confirming he is the Son of God. And, any person who accepts Jesus as savior is born again spiritually. He will perish physically, but spiritually he will live eternally in the presence of God. Respect and reverence for God helps me serve with others in authority with purpose and patience.
ABOUT YOU
When you consider your views on a wide range of issues from economic and social matters to foreign policy and immigration, which of the following best describes you overall?
Very Conservative
Please provide publicly available information validating your answer to the previous question.
I have served four years as a State Representative. The first three years, I filed the same bill, to ask the voters to raise the % to pass an amendment to the Florida Constitution from the current 60% to 66.66%. The bill never passed. In 2020, I passed a bill to change the Florida Constitution to benefit homeowners in Florida. Amendment 4: Limitation on Homestead Assessments. Proposing an amendment to the State Constitution, effective date 1/1/2021, to increase, from two to three years, the period of time during which accrued Save-Our-Homes benefits may be transferred from a prior homestead to a new homestead. I am a constitutional conservative. The Florida Constitution and the U.S. Constitution defines how our governments work, and protects all citizens by defining governments powers. In 2020, I also passed a bill to add Florida veterans to state employees and school teachers who can receive up to $10,000 for adopting a child out of Florida's foster care system.
What education or experience qualifies you to hold the office for which you seek election?
I have a BS degree in Mathematics from Emory U in Atlanta, and 34 years experience as a business owner and farmer in Palm Beach County. This combination of practical hands-on problem solving, coupled with the ability to theoretically come up with the ideal solution allows me to come up with practical 'outside the box' solutions. Business owners must juggle being a leader, a boss, and a friend to all their employees. The success of any company is directly linked to the quality and determination of each employee to do his/her job to the best of their ability.
Have you ever been convicted of a felony or been penalized for sexual misconduct? If so, please explain.
No to both questions.
Is there anything else you would like voters to know about you?
This is one of the greatest honors of my life to serve in the Legislature. Floridians need to learn more about how state and federal government functions. Our goal in the legislature is for government to treat citizens as customers. Governments job is to help its citizens participate in our republic and obey our laws, so that we all have more opportunities to fulfill our American dream.
JUDICIAL PHILOSOPHY
I support the use of Sharia law as a basis for legislation and judicial decisions in the United States.
Strongly Disagree
CRIMINAL JUSTICE & PUBLIC SAFETY
Mandatory minimum sentencing should be required and enforced for violent crimes.
Strongly Agree
2ND AMENDMENT
Should teachers be allowed to carry guns at school?
Yes
What restrictions on gun ownership are needed to protect public safety?
I support the 2nd amendment to our US Constitution. The right to bear arms is essential. Law-abiding citizens with concealed weapons permits provide an additional layer of protection when criminals decide to take the law into their own hands. I support the current system of background checks to prevent a citizen with a criminal record from purchasing a firearm. I am against the effort by certain entities to discourage law enforcement from arresting 'bad actors' for violent crimes.
OTHER IMPORTANT ISSUES
People should be able to vote without photo identification.
Strongly Disagree
I support the legalization of recreational marijuana.
Strongly Disagree
The Electoral College should be abolished.
Strongly Disagree
In priority order, what three areas of legislation do you propose to author or sponsor if elected?
1. Adoption - I will continue to file legislation to encourage people to adopt children, and encourage single pregnant women to put their newborn child up for adoption. Adoption is the better option. 2. Land and Water Conservation - People are moving to Florida, and the current pandemic, protests, and violent riots are encouraging people to move. Now is the time to fund the Rural and Family Lands Protection Program at levels similar to 2003 to 2009, at over $100 million per year. Floridans want smart growth, not urban sprawl. We can protect our water and land resources, by restricting development by buying development rights and limited land acquisition to protect pristine water resources. 3. Affordable Housing - Palm Beach County is growing, and the demand for housing is driving up prices. I will file legislation to codify how the legislature will incentivize counties and municipalities to implement measures to build and own 'affordable housing' for our working class.
Is racism a threat to domestic security in the United States? Why or why not?
America is a country of immigrants, and native Americans.America is a melting pot of immigrants from over 150 countries. Immigrants looking for their American dream is what makes America different. Many of the early immigrants came for religious freedom. People are naturally prejudice. We don't trust people we don't know or understand. Teaching children in public schools and our universities that America is racist is a false narrative. It creates hatred,fear, envy, and division.Every person is a victim of circumstances, including sicknes, death and unjust treatment. Fanning the flames of racism is threatening domestic security. Police are not able to do their jobs, for fear of being labeled racist. Cities not enforcing laws to protect public safety and private property hurts everyone, but it can destroy the poor. BLM is a marxist organization that wants to destroy the nuclear family, and divide people by their ethnicity. We must appeal to the 'better angels' in all of us.
