Courtney Gilbert
Republican | Kentucky
Candidate Profile
Conservative (Conditional)
BIOGRAPHY
Name
Courtney Gilbert
Party
Republican
Election Year
2022
Election
Primary
Race
State Rep., Dist. 24
Incumbent
No
Links
EDUCATION
Louisiana Baptist University, Shreveport, Bachelor of Arts in Music, 2009
Louisiana Baptist University, Shreveport, Bachelor of Arts in Communications, 2009
WORK & MILITARY
Candidate did not provide
AFFILIATIONS
LaRue County Republican Party, Youth Chair, 2008–2017, TeenPact Leadership Schools
Staff, Kentucky State Class 2009, Nelson County Baptist Church, Missions Coordinator, 2017–2020
POLITICAL OFFICES HELD
Candidate did not provide
POLITICAL OFFICES SOUGHT
Candidate did not provide
Race
Previous Races
ENDORSEMENTS
CONSERVATIVE (1)
Republican Liberty Caucus of Kentucky
REPORTED BY CANDIDATE (1)
Take Back Kentucky
OTHER INFORMATION
QUESTIONNAIRE
RIGHT TO LIFE
Under what circumstances should abortion be allowed?
If we held men and women personally responsible for their actions, focused more on healthy alternatives to abortions, and stopped indoctrinating our children with pro-abortion sex ed in our schools, I believe the conversation would become less about the rare case when an abortion may be needed and more about the big changes we can make to protect life for all, born and unborn.
Abortion providers, including Planned Parenthood, should not receive funds from federal, state, or local governments (including Title X grants).
Strongly Agree
I am not in favor of sending taxpayer’s money to the abortion industry, when many taxpayers have a moral and political objection to such an industry.
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 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?
I am open to the idea of a flat tax. I do not like the idea of picking and choosing which services get taxes versus which do not. I would prefer no service taxes.
What government spending would you reduce in order to balance the budget?
I think we need to take a hard look at the inner workings of government spending. What is appropriated to one branch or group may not be divided evenly or proportionally within that branch or group. Education is one example, and would be one good place to reduce the overall spending. The teachers are certainly not getting rich from their salaries, yet more and more money is dumped into education. Who is getting their hand in the pot first? There are a lot of areas of government spending that could afford trimming down.
Taxpayer-funded public education should be guaranteed through college.
Strongly Disagree
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?
None, that I can think of biblically and constitutionally. Certainly not for health concerns.
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.
Constitutionally, I believe D is the closest answer. When government takes control of healthcare, freedom in choice is greatly restricted. Certain types of treatment or care are not even recognized, other providers get pathetic coverage from insurance, the cost of some medications is outrageous—all these things come as a result of regulations, middleman agencies and centralization of healthcare in the government.
Under what circumstances (if any) should a government, school, or employer be allowed to require vaccinations?
None.
NATIONAL SECURITY
What should the United States do to help eradicate the threat of Islamic terrorism?
Not giving weapons to terrorist leaders in Afghanistan might have been a good place to start.
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
This is not really a state-level issue, but my support is for true Israelis.
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?
Temporary refuge is one thing, but permanent residency is another. Anyone who wishes to stay in the United States can go through the process of earning residency or citizenship.
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.
Strongly Agree
VALUES
Judeo-Christian values established a framework of morality which is necessary for our system of limited government.
Strongly Agree
John Adams said, “Our Constitution was made only for a moral and religious people. It is wholly inadequate to the government of any other.”
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 born-again, Bible believing Christian. The Word of God is the final authority for my faith and life.
Marriage is a God-ordained, sacred and legal union of one man and one woman. No government has the authority to alter this definition
Strongly Agree
Technically, marriage was instituted long before any civil governments, and was not originally a legal union. Making government the entity that sanctions marriages is a relatively new concept in human history and introduces some jurisdictional problems. However, marriage is indeed God ordained, and it is a union of a man and a woman. Government did not create marriage, and therefore it does not have the power to define it in any other way than how the Creator defines it.
ELECTIONS AND VOTING
People should be able to vote without photo identification.
Agree
Only recently in Kentucky was a photo identification ubiquitously used to validate every voter. When voting happens at the precinct level, many voters are personally known to the poll workers. Verifying a person’s credibility to vote by a photo ID is not really a safeguard, as many non-resident aliens get driver’s licenses (and many have been offered to register to vote when they get their driver’s license in Kentucky).
What laws would you propose to change present voting practices?
1. Zero internet connection to voter machines, or better yet, voting by paper ballot and hand counting ballots without voting machines at all. 2. Voting within each precinct, not centralization of voting in the counties. These things truly would make it “easier to vote, and harder to cheat,” as the current KY Secretary of State purports.
EQUALITY
Is racism a threat to domestic security in the United States? Why or why not?
Racism itself is not a major threat to domestic security. What is a threat to domestic security is lawless people creating havoc, destroying property, and injuring people.
Reparations should be given to people on the basis of race.
Strongly Disagree
Each person should, and can only, be held accountable for his or her own actions.
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.
A
I support the use of hydraulic fracking to extract oil and natural gas resources.
Agree
ABOUT YOU
What do you think is the general purpose of government?
The purpose of government, as defined in the Declaration of Independence, is to secure the Creator-endowed unalienable rights of its people, such as life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness.
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).
Did not answer
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?
These are my priorities: Save Our Children (Effective pro-life legislation, Quality education, Anti-trafficking); Protect Our Rights (First and Second Amendment protection, Economic freedom, No health mandates); Restore Integrity (Honest voting systems, Government transparency, Medical accountability)
CRIMINAL JUSTICE & PUBLIC SAFETY
Police officers should be personally immune from prosecution for conduct consistent with departmental policy (qualified immunity) while on duty.
Neutral
Police should not be held liable for doing their job properly and performing their duty under the Constitution, but departmental policy needs to respect people’s Constitutional rights.
I support redirecting funds from police departments to mental health and community programs.
Disagree
2ND AMENDMENT
What restrictions on gun ownership are needed to protect public safety?
I stand in favor of Constitutional Carry, which we have in Kentucky. According to the Second Amendment, the right to keep and bear arms shall not be infringed.
Victims of gun violence should be able to sue firearms dealers and manufacturers.
Disagree
They can sue if they like, but the lawsuit should not be decided in their favor.
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
