William Lawrence
Republican | Kentucky
Candidate Profile*
Leans Conservative
*Additional information appears below for educational purposes; however, only data received prior to the candidate deadline was considered during Panel Evaluation.
BIOGRAPHY
Name
William Lawrence
Party
Republican
Election Year
2022
Election
General
Race
State Rep., Dist. 70
Incumbent
Yes
Links
EDUCATION
Candidate did not provide
WORK & MILITARY
Candidate did not provide
AFFILIATIONS
Candidate did not provide
POLITICAL OFFICES HELD
State Representative, 2
POLITICAL OFFICES SOUGHT
Candidate did not provide
Race
SCORECARDS
CONSERVATIVE ORGANIZATIONS
2021-2022
100%
2021
85%, 85% (cum.)†
2021-2022
76%
2021-2022
|100%
2021
|85%, 85% (cum.)†
2021-2022
|76%
LIBERAL ORGANIZATIONS
ENDORSEMENTS*
*These endorsements were received after the deadline and were not considered in the Panel Evaluations and are for additional educational purposes only.
CONSERVATIVE (5)
*National Rifle Association (NRA) PVF
*Kentucky Right to Life Association (KRLA)
*Freedoms Heritage Forum
Republican Liberty Caucus of Kentucky
Kentucky Student Rights Coalition
OTHER (2)
*Kentucky Fraternal Order of Police
*Kentucky Chamber PAC
OTHER INFORMATION
QUESTIONNAIRE
RIGHT TO LIFE
Under what circumstances should abortion be allowed?
Abortions should only be allowed when the mother's health is at risk.
Abortion providers, including Planned Parenthood, should not receive funds from federal, state, or local governments (including Title X grants).
Strongly Agree
Do you support the proposed Yes for Life amendment to the Kentucky Constitution, which makes clear that there is no state constitutional right to abortion?
Yes
I was a proud cosponsor of House Bill 91, which made this amendment possible.
I support 'aid in dying' laws which legalize assisted suicide and euthanasia.
Strongly Disagree
ECONOMY
What changes, if any, should be made to the tax code?
Our tax code should reward Kentuckians for our hard work, not penalize us for our hard work. Kentucky should move away from our traditional property and income-base tax models and focus more on consumption-based taxation.
What government spending would you reduce in order to balance the budget?
We should always be looking for areas to cut wasteful government spending. It should be a goal of all departments in our government to target areas where they can cut spending. Additionally, entitlement spending is crippling both our state and national budgets; we must cut entitlement spending to ensure financial solvency. Where government spending must exist, its goal should be to stimulate growth and incentivize productive contributions to society, not to maintain cycles of dependency.
Taxpayer-funded public education should be guaranteed through college.
Disagree
We must have a robustly funded public education system, but taxpayers should not be expected to foot the bill for college education. Rather, governments should look for way make traditional college education more affordable and provide opportunities for education in trades.
RELIGIOUS LIBERTY
Individuals and businesses should be required to provide services even if it would violate their moral and/or religious beliefs.
Strongly Disagree
Under what circumstances can government close churches?
There are no circumstances where it is permissible for governments to close churches. Our freedom to freely worship to guaranteed under the First Amendment of the U.S. Constitution, governments should never infringe on this liberty. I proudly cosponsored House Bill 43, which establishes churches as essential service providers and prohibits governments from preventing religious services during an emergency.
HEALTHCARE
What most closely matches your view on healthcare: A) Healthcare for all should be guaranteed and funded by the government with no private healthcare option. (includes "universal healthcare," "medicare for all," etc.) B) Healthcare insurance funded by the government should be available for all who want it, along with private healthcare options. C) Medicaid and Medicare should remain available, but no other taxpayer-funded programs are necessary. D)Tax-payer funded health care should be abolished in all forms, and Medicaid and Medicare should be de-funded.
Medicaid and Medicare should remain intact for those who truly need it; however, we have allowed the expenses for these programs to balloon to such a degree that they have become insolvent. We must look for ways to lessen the burden of these programs on taxpayers. Primarily, healthcare should be firmly in the realm of the free market, funded by private-pay models and private insurance.
Under what circumstances (if any) should a government, school, or employer be allowed to require vaccinations?
Thoroughly tested and unquestionably reliable vaccinations should be encouraged by governments, schools, and employers. However, exemptions, such as medical and religious, should be honored. Individuals are more than capable of making medical decisions that are best for themselves and their families without be coerced by outside entities.
NATIONAL SECURITY
What should the United States do to help eradicate the threat of Islamic terrorism?
The United States must be committed to eradicating Islamic terrorism and all terrorism that threatens our nation. We must have a strong military and robust intelligence systems to prepare, defend, and, if necessary, retaliate against potential terrorist attacks.
I support the Boycott, Divestment, Sanctions (BDS) movement to pressure Israel to withdraw from occupied territories, remove the separation barrier in the West Bank, allow full equality for Arab-Palestinian citizens of Israel, and promote the rights of Palestinian refugees.
Strongly Disagree
IMMIGRATION
The U.S. should do more to physically secure the southern border.
Strongly Agree
Who should be allowed to immigrate to the U.S. and under what circumstances?
We are a compassionate nation of immigrants. However, to maintain our national security, the United States must thoroughly vet those who enter our country. Our immigration system should encourage the best and brightest to be a part of us, those who can contribute to and enrich our society, and those who will respect our laws and unique American values of freedom, equality, individuality, hard work, and patriotism. We should not allow unchecked and unmitigated immigration into our country, as we are currently seeing.
EDUCATION
The state should fund education by allowing dollars to follow the child instead of the bureaucracy, through a program which allows parents the freedom to choose their child's school – public, private, or homeschool.
Agree
While we must have a robust public school system, we must also be mindful of the differing needs of individual children and families. Parents should be able to choose which educational institutions are best for their children. Education funding should always benefit our children, not institutions and bureaucrats.
VALUES
Judeo-Christian values established a framework of morality which is necessary for our system of limited government.
Strongly Agree
I support adding gender identity as a specially protected class in non-discrimination laws.
Strongly Disagree
I agree with Critical Race Theory (CRT) which asserts that the institutions in the United States are fundamentally racist.
Strongly Disagree
Briefly describe your spiritual beliefs and values.
I am a proud Christian who is guided by my faith every day. My spiritual relationship with God underpins who I am, and it informs how I raise my family, how I engage with my community, and how I approach governance as a legislator.
Marriage is a God-ordained, sacred and legal union of one man and one woman. No government has the authority to alter this definition
Agree
ELECTIONS AND VOTING
People should be able to vote without photo identification.
Strongly Disagree
What laws would you propose to change present voting practices?
While Kentucky's voting practices ensure election integrity in the Commonwealth, I want to ensure we expand on legislation that has allowed for this environment. I would also like to see Kentucky move faster toward universal paper ballots.
EQUALITY
Is racism a threat to domestic security in the United States? Why or why not?
Racism is not a threat to domestic security. While racism is an element of American history, and we should recognize that reality, we should also acknowledge and celebrate the great strides our nation has taken to become a more perfect union for all Americans. Rather, the disturbing, radical, racial lens many in the media and leftist view our society through is a threat to the fabric of our nation.
Reparations should be given to people on the basis of race.
Strongly Disagree
ENERGY & ENVIRONMENT
Which comes closest to your view? A) Stricter environmental laws and regulations cost too many jobs and hurt the economy. B) Stricter environmental laws and regulations are worth the cost.
While we should always strive to conserve our environment and be good stewards of the resources we've been blessed with, overly strict environmental laws are a hindrance to peoples' ability to conduct business, engage in free enterprise, and make better lives for themselves and their families. Strict environmental regulations should not come at the cost of having a healthy and productive economy for our citizens.
I support the use of hydraulic fracking to extract oil and natural gas resources.
Strongly Agree
ABOUT YOU
What do you think is the general purpose of government?
The general purpose of government is to ensure the protection of our God-given rights, and to defend the safety of its citizens.
When you consider your views on a wide range of issues from economic and social matters to foreign policy and religious liberty, which of the following best describes you overall?
Very Conservative
Please provide publicly available information, including interviews and media reports, validating your answer to the previous question (other than your website).
The following is a list of the bills I have sponsored in the House of Representatives: https://apps.legislature.ky.gov/record/IndividualSponsorPages/472.html
Have you ever been convicted of a felony or been penalized in either civil or criminal court for sexual misconduct? If so, please explain.
No.
What else would you like voters to know about you, including your legislative priorities?
My priority as a Representative is to build opportunities for the people that I represent in the 70th District, and throughout our Commonwealth - from day one of my first campaign seeking this office, that has been my pledge. I am proud of the work I have been able to accomplish thus far and look forward to working hard to expand on that promise.
CRIMINAL JUSTICE & PUBLIC SAFETY
Police officers should be personally immune from prosecution for conduct consistent with departmental policy (qualified immunity) while on duty.
Strongly Agree
I support redirecting funds from police departments to mental health and community programs.
Strongly Disagree
2ND AMENDMENT
What restrictions on gun ownership are needed to protect public safety?
No restrictions on gun ownership are permissible, as this is protected under the Second Amendment of the United States Constitution. Governments should ensure our Second Amendment remains intact, and that the freedom to bear arms is not infringed without due process of law.
Victims of gun violence should be able to sue firearms dealers and manufacturers.
Strongly Disagree
OTHER IMPORTANT ISSUES
Do you support the expansion of gambling in Kentucky?
No
The LGBTQ+ agenda’s advocacy for puberty blockers, biological males competing on girls’ sports teams, and allowing biological males into girls’ restrooms, locker rooms, and showers threatens the wellbeing of our children.
Strongly Agree
