George Kemper

I believe that abortion should be allowed in specific cases involving rape, incest, and when the mother's life is in danger. I also believe that we must find common ground on divisive issues such as abortion. With that said, I believe a compromise can be found between banning abortion completely, and allowing it up until birth.

Strongly Agree

I do not believe that tax-payer dollars should be used towards abortion providers. This is due to the division on the issue and also my belief that the less government intervention the better. Individuals who are opposed to abortion should not have their taxes go towards the very thing they oppose. Imagine the outrage from those who support "gun control" if the government provided funding to gun stores so that those who can't afford a firearm could be given one from tax-payer dollars.

Agree

Like taking one off of life-support, I view "aid in dying" laws in a similar sense. After a thorough mental health evaluation, and a waiting period to confirm that they are confident in their decision, I believe that individuals who are suffering from a terminal illness should be allowed to pass with dignity and on their own terms.

Overall, I believe that the government on all levels should reduce taxes on American citizens. I also believe that organizations like the IRS need to be severely reduced in size and power.

In order to balance the budget, I would reduce all government spending and institute accountability procedures. Illinois has a track record of irresponsible spending by elected officials that only harms the constituents that they are meant to represent.

Strongly Disagree

I do not believe that taxpayer-funded public education should be guaranteed through college. Earning a degree, in order to pursue a chosen career, is a personal decision that comes with personal responsibility. Whether one chooses to take out a student loan, earns a full scholarship, or attends a trade school, that action, and the result, is strictly on the individual and should not be funded by taxpayers.

Disagree

Individuals should not be forced to break their religious beliefs. Just as we respect one's dietary restrictions, due to personal or religious reasons, we should also respect all other life choices that are influenced by the religion they follow.

I cannot think of any circumstances in which the government should be able to close churches. American citizens have the freedom of religion and with that, the freedom to practice their faith as they see fit. History has shown that it is a slippery slope when governments are allowed to dictate when and how individuals may practice their faith.

C) Medicaid and Medicare should remain available, but no other taxpayer-funded programs are necessary.

I do not support vaccination requirements being forced by a government as I believe each individual should be allowed to make a free and educated decision in regard to their personal health. With that said, I do respect, but disagree, the decision made my private institutions when all other options have been exhausted.

In order to eradicate the threat of Islamic terrorism the United States must cooperate with both its allies and the nations directly affected by terrorism. We must act decisively to eliminate immediate threats while doing everything we can to not be an occupying force.

Disagree

I support whatever path will bring sustainable peace to the region. If a compromise can be found involving the withdrawal of territories, the full equality for Arab-Palestinian citizens in Israel, and promote the rights of Palestinian refugees, I would support it. With that said, I believe that the solution to these issues is not as simple as one movement. It is a complex issue that needs to be tackled from multiple angles in order to prevent any more unnecessary bloodshed within the region.

Strongly Agree

As President Ronald Reagan said, "“A nation that cannot control its borders is not a nation.” In this train of thought, we must work towards eliminating threats towards our border for the security of our nation.

I believe that the U.S. needs to streamline its immigration process so that individuals will feel less of a need to illegally cross our border. In an ideal world, anyone who is seeking a better life, willing to work hard, and become a patriotic American, would be welcomed with open arms to become a U.S. citizen.

Strongly Agree

Like all aspects of life, competition is a valuable asset that promotes growth. On that note, I support parents' right to choose what is best for their children. School choice offers both parents and students the best opportunities available to them while also challenging local schools to compete and grow with each other.

Agree

While not all of our Founding Fathers were practicing Christians, many of the fundamental values that influenced our Constitution came from Judeo-Christian values. With that said, these values can be found in other religions across the globe. The core values of respect, responsibility, and freedom are not exclusive to one religion, as they are Natural Rights, and should be celebrated and respected for a society to prosper regardless of which faith, if any, one follows.

Disagree

With "race, religion, sex, age, and disability" already protected classes within nondiscrimination law, and possibly "sexual orientation" being added, I do not see how adding "gender identity" would be relevant. "Sex" protects both male and females from being discriminated against, and "sexual orientation" would protect males and females from being discriminated against regardless of their sexual orientation.

Disagree

I believe that the union of two people is primarily between those two individuals. It is not up to a religious institution, or a government organization, to get involved with that union. I believe that any outside interference in regard to marriage can be spun to either gain political/social power, and/or for economic gain.

Strongly Disagree

Students should be taught history in its purest form. This comes from providing the facts about events and letting individuals come to their own conclusions. From there, individuals can debate the intentions of past figures, policies, and laws, and why they led to their respective historical events. We must learn and be honest about the flaws of our nation's past while not using a broad scope and damning those who came before us and fought to build this great nation.

My spiritual beliefs and values are not incredibly complicated. I was raised Roman Catholic, and while I do not see eye-to-eye with the Catholic Church on every issue, I do respect and appreciate the fundamental values that I learned from it. From this upbringing, I think that the Ten Commandments provide a good draft to build one's morals, regardless of their religion, or lack thereof. Teaching that murder, theft, and greed are wrong, while promoting respect, honor, and decency are all characteristics that build a strong community. Overall, I believe that we must focus on an individual's character rather than niche aspects of their life. I do not believe that their needs to be division between religions, just as I do not believe that their needs to be division between political ideologies. I am a strong supporter of Natural Rights and do not support restricting peaceful individuals from living their life as they see fit, regardless of whether I agree with their choices or not. A massive problem within our country is that many people would rather vote to restrict the lives of those who they disagree with, rather than vote to support true freedom for all Americans.

Strongly Disagree

Just as we require photo identification to exercise our 2nd Amendment right and purchase a firearm, I believe that we should also require photo identification to vote. It is logically inconsistent to require photo identification to exercise one right, while not requiring it for another. We should either eliminate photo identification for all rights, or require them for all rights. It should be the consistent across the board.

I would purpose that we make Election Day a national holiday. This would make voting more accessible for all Americans and also incentivize them to participate in politics at all levels.

Like any form of extremism, I do believe that racism can pose a threat to domestic security in the United States. With that said, I do not believe that it is a major threat at the moment. The reason for this is because I do not think that racism is as prevalent within our nation as some would lead us to believe. Yes, there are bad actors who conduct terrible acts. And yes, they should be punished to the full extent of the law. But I do not believe that the handful of evil individuals accurately represent the majority of Americans. During my time in the Army I served alongside men and women from every corner of life, all of us with vast differences in our backgrounds. Within our unit, we never experienced any issues that involved an individual's race. We judged each other on character and actions. I believe that most Americans act this way too, by judging people off of who they are as a human being, and not what that person looks like.

Strongly Disagree

Just as we do not deserve credit for the actions of those who came before us, we should not be judged either. If we are to have any hope of building a united nation, we must move beyond our past. Just as we use the "High School Glory Days" cliché, and the old QB who never achieved more than a state championship, to send the message that we must always strive to do more; we should also realize that we do not hold on to grudges towards a high school bully. We need to look forward and grow.

A) Stricter environmental laws and regulations cost too many jobs and hurt the economy. With that said, this is an extremally narrow option of answers for an extremally broad issue. There is a middle ground where private institutions can promote and incentivize people to move towards cleaner energy by providing products that perform as well, or better, as their "dirtier" competitors. As a general rule of thumb, I do not support stricter laws and more regulations on the American people.

Agree

I support any action that will help give the United States energy independence. While we should not settle with oil and natural gas as our power supply, we should utilize it to the best of our abilities as we work towards cleaner and more efficient energy.

I think that the general purpose of government is to provide basic security and stability to the individuals who make up a community/society.

Lean Conservative

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No.

I am passionate about returning freedom to the individual citizen and as a state representative, which will be my primary goal. I will do this by upholding the Constitution, demanding accountability, and ignoring any temptation of personal gain. During my time in the military, I worked with men and women of all backgrounds in order to achieve a shared mission. I will use these skills and passions to better the community that I live in, while continuing to serve the country that I love. I will hold elected officials responsible for wasteful spending. Unfortunately, Illinois has a long history of flawed budgets and I believe that accountability is the only solution. I will also donate all stipends/per diems back to an organization within my district in order to help better our community. I will fight for the natural rights of all Americans. Rather than focusing on ways to restrict the rights of individuals, I believe that we must focus on keeping citizens free by allowing them to make educated personal decisions. I will fight for the right to self-defense. Chicago has gained a reputation for having some of the worst gun violence in the country. Rather than continuing to restrict law abiding citizens' right to self-defense, I will push for legislation that will no longer keep their hands tied.

Disagree

If we are to have any hope of eliminating poor conduct within law enforcement agencies, we must eliminate qualified immunity. Seeing that police officers interact with American citizens, with the goal of protecting their community, and not acting as an occupying force within a warzone, they should be vigilant of their actions at all times.

Agree

Rather than "defunding the police", I believe that we should "demilitarize the police". As previously stated, police officers are not soldiers occupying enemy territory, they are guardians of the communities that they live in. Because of this, I would support legislation that takes away funding for militarized equipment and would redirect that funding towards training. I think that this change of course would improve relations between police officers and the population that they interact with.

I do not believe that the answer to public safety comes from restricting gun ownership on peaceful citizens. We must address the mental health crisis, and help build up communities that suffer from violence, if we are to see any change in the root causes of gun violence. I am a firm believer that restricting the rights of citizens is never the answer and only serves as a "band-aid" for the true issues that we face as a nation.

Strongly Disagree

Just as automobile dealers and manufactures are not held accountable for the actions of drunk drivers, or how knife and baseball bat dealers and manufactures are not held accountable for stabbings/beatings, neither should firearm dealers and manufactures be held accountable for the actions of evil individuals.