Keith Jones

Republican | South Carolina

Candidate Profile

Conservative (Conditional)

BIOGRAPHY

Name

Keith Jones


Party

Republican


Election Year

2022


Election

Primary


Race

State Rep., Dist. 18


Incumbent

No


Links

Keith Jones websitesKeith Jones phones Keith Jones email

EDUCATION

Clemson University, Clemson, MS in In Ed, 1976

Clemson University, Clemson, BS in In Ed, 1970

WORK & MILITARY

SC Army National Guard, Staff Sergeant, 6

AFFILIATIONS

The Lutheran Church of the Good Sheperd, Trustee, Thrivent Financial for Lutherans Greenville, SC Chapter

POLITICAL OFFICES HELD

none

POLITICAL OFFICES SOUGHT

SC House District 18 Special Election, 2022

Race

OTHER INFORMATION

QUESTIONNAIRE

RIGHT TO LIFE

Under what circumstances should abortion be allowed?

Only when the mother's life is at extreme danger as determined by a licensed doctor.

Abortion providers, including Planned Parenthood, should not receive funds from federal, state, or local governments (including Title X grants).

Strongly Agree

I support 'aid in dying' laws which legalize assisted suicide and euthanasia.

Choose not to answer

It's God's plan as to when we leave this world but I can understand how someone with a immediate terminal illness can desire to end the pain and suffering.


ECONOMY

What changes, if any, should be made to the tax code?

The fair tax would be the most equitable tax (provided congress and legislatures don't fill it with amendments that defeat its original intent)

What government spending would you reduce in order to balance the budget?

Foreign aid(not disaster relief), Dept. of Education and many of our so called security agencies which are not authorized by the constitution.

Taxpayer-funded public education should be guaranteed through college.

Strongly Disagree

K-12 education is an important function of our society. School Choice should be a part of this function in order for parents to have a role in determining the best education for their children. I strongly disagree with taxpayer-funded post secondary education (I think the student loan program has been one of the main reason s for the spiraling cost of post secondary education).


RELIGIOUS LIBERTY

Individuals and businesses should be required to provide services even if it would violate their moral and/or religious beliefs.

Strongly Disagree

Is this not one of the founding principles of this country? This is not one of the things that our current bureaucracies should control!

Under what circumstances can government close churches?

The problem is the government controlling what is defined as a church. If a group of people is worshipping something other than God, should it be defined as a church? Should satanic worship and the like be defined as a church? Doesn't our money(?) have on it "In God We Trust"? A church is not a building or an address, it's the people of God gathering together to worship Him. The government shouldn't be allowed to close a church building, but even if they do, that won't end the gathering of God's people.


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.

Medicare is healthcare that many of us have been forced to contribute to for many years. We, as a group, feel this coverage is "entitled" to us as we payed in advance and the government guaranteed this when it was started. Medicaid was started for the underprivileged which has now been expanded to cover many other things. The government shouldn't be further involved in the healthcare industry. Their involvement is probably the main reason for the spirally healthcare cost.

Under what circumstances (if any) should a government, school, or employer be allowed to require vaccinations?

We have had required vaccinations for many years, but they were tested for many years before their being released on the public. There were always exemptions for medical or religious reasons. Vaccinations using experimental substances that have not been thoroughly evaluated, SHOULD NOT be required at any level.


NATIONAL SECURITY

What should the United States do to help eradicate the threat of Islamic terrorism?

The Constitution and Islam cannot co-exist. We have to go back to the principles of the Constitution. Any severe punishment given a terrorist will cause him to be martyred by the Islamic belief. This has been a conflict with the Christian faith since the times of Muhammed, the founder of Islam.

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.

Disagree

This basically goes back to the Jewish/Muslim conflict that has gone on for centuries. Jewish and Islamic doctrine are in direct conflict with each other and the BDS movement is not going to solve these differences.


IMMIGRATION

The U.S. should do more to physically secure the southern border.

Strongly Agree

We cannot be a sovereign nation without secure borders. Whatever it takes to secure our borders (a wall, military deployment, etc.) enforcing current immigration laws would be a great start. The correct interpretation of Birthright Citizenship should be enforced in that illegal immigrates or visitors being granted citizenship does not follow the 14th amendment.

Who should be allowed to immigrate to the U.S. and under what circumstances?

Immigration should follow the lawful process. This is the only way immigration should be allowed. Chain immigrates should enter the immigration procee just as any other person - it should not be automatic. Refugees should also have to go through the process.


EDUCATION

I support school choice, including voucher programs, tax credits, charter schools, private schools, and home schools.

Strongly Agree

I was on the founding board for Greer Middle College Charter High School. School choice gives the parents much more ownership in their child's education and allows them to do what they think is best for their child


VALUES

Judeo-Christian values established a framework of morality which is necessary for our system of limited government.

Strongly Agree

Judeo-Christian values are the basis for our governmental system which definitely includes morality.

I support adding gender identity as a specially protected class in non-discrimination laws.

Strongly Disagree

God only created 2 genders. You're either male or female.

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

God's law should prevail, not what us humans are trying to make a mess of.

I agree with Critical Race Theory (CRT) which asserts that the institutions in the United States are fundamentally racist.

Strongly Disagree

People have a choice as to how to approach life: either get off your duff and try to make something of your life or sit back and feel sorry for yourself and expect society or the government to provide for you. Without trying, what do you expect to accomplish in life?

Briefly describe your spiritual beliefs and values.

I believe in God and I believe he gave me free choice to make my own choices as long as I follow his commandments and try to live by His Holy Word. I know that I'm not perfect and I will make mistakes, but I believe in His grace and forgiveness to get me through this life.


ELECTIONS AND VOTING

People should be able to vote without photo identification.

Strongly Disagree

You have to have a photo ID for most things in this world, so why would voting be any different?

What laws would you propose to change present voting practices?

The present laws worked fine as long as they were strictly followed - until the "woke culture" and some "woke" federal judges messed up things.


EQUALITY

Is racism a threat to domestic security in the United States? Why or why not?

The new racism in this country is BLM and Antifa. They are fostering racism and descent among the races The media is adding to this conflict. As long as the government fails to hold all groups, including white supremist groups, to the same standard of laws as those required of individuals, racism will continue to grow as a threat to domestic security

Reparations should be given to people on the basis of race.

Strongly Disagree

Reparations on the basis of race will do more to divide this country. That's the exact opposite of what is needed in this country. There are people of all colors that work hard and make something of their lives. They don't sit around and become a problem for society. They want a better world and they do what they can to accomplish that goal (Thanks be to God).


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.

We are probably the most environmentally conscience country in the world. Our level of pollution is some of the least of any country. We buy cheap stuff from around the world where the environment is of minimal concern. That's why so many of our companies have moved overseas; to avoid overly strict regulations and to get cheap labor. We need to balance our stricter environmental laws with their cost to the economy.

I support the use of hydraulic fracking to extract oil and natural gas resources.

Agree

It is my understanding that the liquid used to perform hydraulic fracking becomes a hazardous waste in the process. As we get better in dealing with some of this waste, the technology involved in fracking will improve.


ABOUT YOU

What do you think is the general purpose of government?

To provide for our common defense and to provide the basic needs of our society - infrastructure, education, etc. Government was never intended to be everything to everybody

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?

Conservative

Our country has to learn to live within its means. We cannot continue to pile on massive debt to the economy and expect to survive. Individually we have to live within our means, but our elected officials have ignored that basic economic principle. They want to continue to "kick the can down the road" without caring what that does to us, our children, and our grandchildren.

Please provide publicly available information, including interviews and media reports, validating your answer to the previous question (other than your website).

My website contains some of this information. There is a photo of my palm card which has been widely distributed, a video interview with a young high school journalist, pictures of my appearances at political forums and debates, and a statement of my reasons for running in this election, as well as an entire page of detailed intentions (highlighted in red font) for specific legislative action I intend to pursue on each one of my stated positions. I also was interviewed by Dr. Tony Beam on his morning talk show, "Christian Worldview," on radio station 91.9 FM. Additionally I was interviewed by Joey Hudson on his "The Morning Answer" radio talk show on 94.5 FM. These interviews are available on the podcasts of these radio personalities.

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?

Introduce legislation to nullify illegal federal overreach and also study and follow our SC Constitution. Introduce legislation allowing Constitutional Carry. Introduce a bill that would honor life from the moment of conception. This would negate the existence of "Planned Parenthood" which is, by the way, an oxymoron. Introduce a bill to protect our state and communities from the invasion of illegal immigrants while strengthening our law enforcement infrastructure to prepare for those already here and the ones on the way. Introduce a bill to hold our attorney general accountable if he will not investigate the misappropriation of funds within the SCDOT. Introduce a bill to get the federal government out of education and place the responsibility for raising our kids back into the hands of the family and local community. Introduce a bill that would ban all mandates to include vaccines, masks, etc.


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

Our police put their lives on the line everyday the put on their uniform. They have to make split second decisions everyday that effect our lives and theirs. They are human just like the rest of us so we need their extensive training and quick judgements. Sure, accidents do happen but they are minimal. The people that follow departmental policy are the ones you never hear about, just the ones that don't.

I support redirecting funds from police departments to mental health and community programs.

Strongly Disagree

Mental health and community programs don't provide the safety that we have come to expect. These programs have a place in society but not at the expense of men and women of our police departments. How many of us would be willing to go through their training, abuse and ridicule that our police face daily for their meager salary. NOT MANY!!!


2ND AMENDMENT

What restrictions on gun ownership are needed to protect public safety?

Constitutional carry would be a good starting point. Legal gun owners have proven to be some of the safest people around. Thugs that posses gun are the main cause of the "gun problem" because the don't follow the law, both man's and God's. The thugs are given light sentences for illegal possession and offenses which leads them to be embolden and also set a bad example for people around them.

Victims of gun violence should be able to sue firearms dealers and manufacturers.

Strongly Disagree

A weapon is an inanimate object. It does not choose to shoot someone or something. It only does what its operator commands it do. Should we sue auto makers because someone drives recklessly and kills someone in a wreck (I know they call that an accident, but didn't the operator make the decision to recklessly operate that vehicle?). It's the same principle.

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