Paul Hassink

None; other safer procedures are best implemented when the mother’s life is endangered. The surgery to save the mother may take the life of the child, but only as a consequence. The objective should be to save both lives.

Strongly Agree

Women are vulnerable both physically and emotionally when pregnant. Without the full disclosure of risks, they may be led into a decision that will be damaging to their health and that they will regret for the rest of their life.

Strongly Agree

Taxpayers should not be forced to contribute to the death of innocent human lives.

Strongly Disagree

The taking of innocent human life violates the Hippocratic Oath, a standard that stood for millennia. Those who deny the wisdom of the past and Judeo-Christian ethics need to understand that the consequences could damage the fiber of civilization.

Churches have a right to licit assembly and the government should not have the authority to close them. Churches have a responsibility for the health and safety of their members and not the state.

Strongly Disagree

If the state is allowed to impose an ideology upon private businesses and organizations, then the state has imposed a pseudo-religion upon citizens in direct violation of our 1st Amendment right.

Strongly Agree

Having visited with two generations of Chinese citizens, I found a stark difference in their perception of the Chinese Communist Party (CCP). The older escaped from China after the Tiananmen Square crackdown and could see that the CCP would stop at nothing to control the world. The younger called our relationship with China a competition. They both came to the same conclusion; the CCP will not stop undermining the US, unless we stand up to them.

Israel is a sovereign nation and the only reliable US ally in the region. As long as Hamas continues to execute terrorist attacks, Israel has the responsibility to take measures to protect itself from terrorism. Israel has a right to determine what measures are needed to maintain its security. The US must stand with Israel against Islamic extremists.

C - The state should be the provider of health care for those who are unable to provide for themselves, for instance, the disabled. Government guaranteed and funded healthcare eliminates personal responsibility. As a result, healthcare costs could be rationed or costs could become prohibitive.

Mandates should be limited to time-tested vaccines that have a proven record to save lives without serious side effects. Even then, exceptions should be allowed for health and moral reasons.

Strongly Agree

Property rights are foundational to individual liberty. They bestow dignity upon citizens by giving them a shared responsibility in the course of our nation. It is this ownership in our nation that is the basis of the economic engine that has made the US a world leader.

For entry-level jobs that are stepping stones to skilled work, the minimum wage must be left low enough to enable businesses to accept unskilled labor and still treat them fairly. Thereafter, free enterprise will determine the value of labor.

No

While governmental entities should consider many issues when making investments, the ESG rating distorts investment decisions. It drives companies to ignore their fiduciary responsibility in lieu of political agendas. Stewardship of the environment is inherent in the decision-making of a well-run business.

Strongly Agree

Yes, the first measure of a strong US defense is stopping terrorists from entering the US, especially across our southern border. Unless the border is secured, there will continue to be a market for the abuse of desperate people from other nations. The current open border policies cause immigrants to be treated like cattle by forcing them to walk across a river at great risk to enter the US.

Strongly Agree

Our school systems should enable every student to flourish. There is no “one size fits all” solution and public systems cannot meet every student’s need. Therefore, there should be options for students whose needs are not being met by public schools, whether it is due to a lack of resources or failure to deliver. The school choice program approved by the legislature has opened the door for many families to seek the form of education that works best for their children.

Strongly Disagree

If anything, additional funding should be directed to police departments, since they are not able to address many smaller crimes, resulting in criminals that are getting away with small crimes and moving on to more serious offenses.

No restrictions beyond those already imposed in Oklahoma. That said, gun safety training should be readily available and free of charge.

Yes

In speaking to teachers about their expectations, it was clear that training is necessary to handle a firearm in stressful conditions with children present. To make high-quality training the norm, it may be appropriate to add a fee upon purchase of a firearm, for the specific purpose of lowering the hurdle to training.

No

No

Government must maintain a military for a common defense against foreign adversaries, protect the innocent from those who would do harm, provide limited services for those who cannot take care of themselves, support education to enable an informed citizenry, establish monetary policies that enable free enterprise, and build and maintain common infrastructure needs.

Conservative

Where possible, government should be limited so that citizens are able to provide services efficiently. Bureaucracy is inherently inefficient because consumer feedback is indirect and muted by those in power. I applaud the Supreme Court decision that affirmed that establishment clause applies to the state and not citizens, or even the public square. Only through economic and military strength can our nation hold back tyranny.

Strongly Agree

We can remember what it was like to be in junior high school and how easily we were swayed by the latest thing; even more so if the influencer is an authority. Full transparency into our schools, teams, and every other group that influences our children must be required. Society must protect children from those who would use them to their own ends. Anyone damaging a child’s body with gender transition surgery should be held accountable.

Strongly Agree

The only authority over children should be their parents, unless they have forfeited that right through abuse. Ideally, every child should have a father and a mother to love and protect them. Even when that is not possible, no governmental agency or authority should usurp a parent’s right and obligation to care for their child.

Strongly Disagree

As stated in the first question, gender transition services are unacceptable for minors. If adults choose to mutilate their bodies, taxpayers should not pay for it.

Strongly Agree

Marriage is a sacred and legal union of one man and one woman. It has been practiced by societies for millennia as a means to support children. Children deserve a father and mother, and while circumstances may not always fulfill this goal, intentionally denying children of a father and mother deprives children of a natural and inalienable right. Society should strive for the ideal, although that may not always be possible.

I am a cradle Catholic born of Dutch immigrants who followed my uncle, a priest, to Louisiana. I flourished in a Christian culture that has a profound respect for every individual as created in the image and likeness of God. Fulfillment comes from accepting reality, seeking truth, and appreciating God's grace that flows from living a virtuous and selfless life.

Strongly Disagree

Voter verification is fundamental to ensuring the trust of the voters in the outcomes of elections and should be mandatory. It is disingenuous to suggest that there are citizens who are incapable of obtaining photo identification.

Strongly Disagree

In their wisdom, our Founding Fathers recognized that there must be a balance of power among the states. The Electoral College achieves that end by ensuring states with the smallest population have a meaningful say in the outcome of presidential elections. We are not a Constitutional Republic, if a simple majority is allowed to impose its will on the nation unconstrained.

No, the United States has learned from the mistakes of the past and the remnants of racism are not systemic. United States security is threatened by the increasing power of authoritarian regimes, and in particular, the CCP, as they build economic leverage across the world which will likely become a major security threat. The influx of non-citizens entering the country unchecked is our greatest threat to domestic security.

Strongly Disagree

The institutions in the United States are not fundamentally racist. When I was preschool age living in Louisiana, I clearly recall asking my mother why some people were sitting at the back of the bus. Much later, I drove through Alabama and passed the sign, “Home of Governor George Wallace”. The road narrowed and I remembered when Wallace (a Democrat) blocked the entrance of a college. Sadly, today what remains is bigotry toward persons in the womb, especially the unborn of minorities.

Strongly Agree

Women should not be forced to give up their privacy by allowing biological males in women’s spaces. In addition to the risk it poses, it strips women of their dignity. Title IX was a difficult fight that finally brought parity between men’s and women’s sports. Taking away a woman's right to participate in a fair competition is the very injustice that Title IX resolved.

A&C – In light of my experience in the utility industry, environmental regulations have come at a very high cost and in some cases have resulted in security issues of much greater consequence. Inefficiencies occur when government favors an industry through regulation, resulting in jobs that are unnecessarily sacrificed.

Coal is stored on site and these reserves provide a reliable source of power during extreme weather conditions. Byproducts of coal generation can be collected and refined, providing both economic and environmental benefits.