Brad Hutchison
Republican | Minnesota
Candidate Profile
Leans Conservative
BIOGRAPHY
Name
Brad Hutchison
Party
Republican
Election Year
2022
Election
Primary & CD1 Special General
Race
State Senator, Dist. 21
Incumbent
No
Links
EDUCATION
Mankato State University, Mankato, MN, BS - Mathematics, 1986
WORK & MILITARY
Candidate did not provide
AFFILIATIONS
Our Saviors Lutheran Church, Youth Director, Compassion International
Contributor, Lutheran, Baptist, Missionary Alliance Churches, Member, various leadership roles
Comfrey Public School (and others), Substitute Teacher, Teacher, Bus Driver, Republican Party
POLITICAL OFFICES HELD
Candidate did not provide
POLITICAL OFFICES SOUGHT
Candidate did not provide
Race
OTHER INFORMATION
QUESTIONNAIRE
RIGHT TO LIFE
Under what circumstances should abortion be allowed?
While in principle I oppose all abortions, I am sure that there are many circumstances that I couldn't imagine where abortion becomes a painful, yet best solution. Certainly when a woman's life is at risk, this should be a decision that she makes with the counsel of her doctor and any friends or family members that she goes to for guidance. Rather than trying to determine under what circumstances abortion should be allowed, I believe we need to discuss the parameters under which any abortion should be performed. I believe that medicine should always be practiced in a way that avoids harm, and our current scientific knowledge informs us that in an abortion procedure there are at least two lives to be considered – those being the mother and the child. Because of this, doctors themselves should be taught and expected to treat abortion as something to be avoided. If a woman is seeking an abortion, doctors should always make sure that the woman is fully informed about what that entails. No woman should be put through the pain of learning after the fact that abortion ends a human life. After counseling the mother about the medical facts, if the doctor and the mother agree that under the circumstances presented abortion is the best way to avoid harm, then I see no reason why the law would not allow it. However, I would add that if the doctor and mother disagree at that point, then the doctor who is seeking to avoid harm should not be compelled to perform the abortion.
Abortion providers, including Planned Parenthood, should not receive funds from federal, state, or local governments (including Title X grants).
Strongly Agree
I believe that all of our health care issues should be personal decisions that we as individuals make under the advice of our doctor and the insurance that we freely choose. Any government funding (and regulation) should be limited to temporary help given to those who cannot afford care. That funding should go through the individual, not to any health care or abortion providers.
I support 'aid in dying' laws which legalize assisted suicide and euthanasia.
Neutral
This is not an issue that I have seriously thought through at this time. However, I would lean towards leaving that choice to the individual and their doctor (once again, who avoids harm) rather than the government.
ECONOMY
What changes, if any, should be made to the tax code?
There are numerous ways that our tax code could be improved. The most significant way to do this would be to greatly simplify our tax code. We should eliminate giving incentives and tax breaks for some things while increasing the tax burden on others. It should not be the role of government to determine economic winners and losers. This should instead come from the free choices that people make. The current income tax code is so large and complicated, most individuals must resort to hiring professionals or using computer software to have even a chance at getting it right. Businesses must hire teams of accountants. When we add in sales taxes and all of the other taxes that we pay it is nearly impossible to know what our real tax burden is. It shouldn’t be that way, and the current system only benefits the politicians looking to hand out favors. Anything that simplifies taxes and makes it more obvious what we actually pay would be an improvement. Some examples that I could support: An income tax form that for most everyone consisted of three lines. Total income, tax withheld, and tax due. A national sales tax that eliminated income taxes altogether. Eliminate business/corporate taxes. These are simply expenses that are ultimately paid by the consumer.
What government spending would you reduce in order to balance the budget?
The list of items here is way too long for me to begin. Similar to what I wrote regarding taxes, our government should be much more limited, not using our money to control or influence individuals and businesses. And while government spending needs addressing, government regulation might be even worse. Government regulation is ruining our oil industry, making us once again dependent on OPEC and other unfriendly nations for our energy needs.
Taxpayer-funded public education should be guaranteed through college.
Strongly Disagree
If a college education is deemed valuable to a student and his or her family, then they should be willing to pay for it. Somehow, even though we already greatly subsidize education, it is one of the things whose costs have gone up more than most others. Rather than more taxpayer funding, our colleges need to learn how to control costs.
RELIGIOUS LIBERTY
Individuals and businesses should be required to provide services even if it would violate their moral and/or religious beliefs.
Strongly Disagree
Discrimination against individuals or groups should not be allowed. At the same time, no individual or group should be able to require that another individual or business perform a specific task.
Under what circumstances can government close churches?
If any other businesses or assemblies are allowed to operate, then government should not be able to close churches. Churches should be the last affected. In addition, executive emergency powers need to be curtailed. Executive actions like this should be used only for an immediate response to a threat, and be limited in time to one week at the most. Anything beyond that period of time should require approval from our legislators.
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.
C) I don’t believe that government should be regulating and mandating our health care options. However, because Medicaid and Medicare have been depended on for so long, and they have a somewhat limited scope, they should be continued but not expanded. Other insurance options, including what we want covered and to what extent we want insurance to cover our health care needs, should be left to the consumer and the business offering policies.
Under what circumstances (if any) should a government, school, or employer be allowed to require vaccinations?
I can’t give a definitive answer on this, but I would much rather rely on the expertise of the medical profession and my personal doctor than that of a governmental body. At a minimum, a required vaccination should have a nearly unanimous support from doctors, and it should be extensively tested. No experimental or emergency vaccine should ever be required.
NATIONAL SECURITY
What should the United States do to help eradicate the threat of Islamic terrorism?
This is way beyond what I am qualified to answer, however some basic rules should apply for any threat of terrorism. First of all, no US citizen should be treated as a terrorist by compromising their constitutional rights. Second, citizens who have been convicted of a violent offense should be fairly but fully prosecuted. Third, non-citizens in this country should not be given the same rights. They are here as guests, and law enforcement should not be limited in how they might look for threats.
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
Israel has every right to defend their country and their citizens.
IMMIGRATION
The U.S. should do more to physically secure the southern border.
Strongly Agree
We are a nation of immigrants, and we should remain so. At the same time, our immigration laws should be enforced.
Who should be allowed to immigrate to the U.S. and under what circumstances?
Immigration should be limited to anybody whom our current laws allow. If we want to allow more, then new laws must be agreed to by a majority of our elected leaders.
EDUCATION
I support school choice, including voucher programs, tax credits, charter schools, private schools, and home schools.
Strongly Agree
I believe that most of our Public Schools deserve great credit and support for the education that they provide. However, we have far too many examples of where schools have failed to educate and have failed to protect our children. Because of these failures, government should allow for options in education. Government should set standards, but parents should be free to choose how and where they will do so. Government funding for education should be tied to the child, not any particular school.
VALUES
Judeo-Christian values established a framework of morality which is necessary for our system of limited government.
Strongly Agree
Judeo-Christian values were certainly incorporated into our founding documents and our country has benefited as a result.
I support adding gender identity as a specially protected class in non-discrimination laws.
Disagree
I would support removing all “classes” and simply state that no one should discriminated against for any reason.
Marriage is a God-ordained, sacred and legal union of one man and one woman. No government has the authority to alter this definition
Disagree
As a Christian, I believe that marriage was designed for one man and one woman. However, our government should be neutral and not dictate our relationships.
I agree with Critical Race Theory (CRT) which asserts that the institutions in the United States are fundamentally racist.
Strongly Agree
Our nation has been the leader in guaranteeing freedom to all.
Briefly describe your spiritual beliefs and values.
I am a follower of Jesus Christ and live my life in a way that I hope honors him and honors my neighbor.
ELECTIONS AND VOTING
People should be able to vote without photo identification.
Disagree
Photo identification should not be a hardship for any citizen in the United States. Voters without ID should be allowed to vote - but their ballot should then be preserved and available for verification.
What laws would you propose to change present voting practices?
I support any voting method as long as those votes can be verified and confirmed.
EQUALITY
Is racism a threat to domestic security in the United States? Why or why not?
Yes. Even if a threat might be mistaken, any perceived threat is a problem. The solution, however, is not to highlight racism. Any form of discrimination is a threat. Discrimination by those empowered by government is our biggest threat, and this must be eliminated.
Reparations should be given to people on the basis of race.
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.
A) Our current environmental laws simply move more of the environmental damage overseas. Our country depends on coal, minerals, and fossil fuels. Until and unless that changes, our country and the world benefits if we source those materials ourselves.
I support the use of hydraulic fracking to extract oil and natural gas resources.
Agree
Safer and cleaner to do this here then to depend on Russia, OPEC, and other third-world countries.
ABOUT YOU
What do you think is the general purpose of government?
The essential role of government is to protect our nation, to preserve our individual freedom, and to protect from harm.
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
I hold very conservative views, but I believe first in freedom. In most things, you and I should both be free to act as we see fit, so long as we harm nobody else.
Please provide publicly available information, including interviews and media reports, validating your answer to the previous question (other than your website).
In the last couple of years, I have opposed the expansion of wind and solar because of the harm it does to people and the environment. Much of that harm takes place overseas through poor environmental practices and the usage of slave labor and forced labor in concentration camps. These documents are available online at the Minnesota Public Utilities Commission under Docket number 19-619.
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 is always for a smaller, less intrusive government.
CRIMINAL JUSTICE & PUBLIC SAFETY
Police officers should be personally immune from prosecution for conduct consistent with departmental policy (qualified immunity) while on duty.
Agree
Police place themselves in harms way to protect us and deserve protection.
I support redirecting funds from police departments to mental health and community programs.
Disagree
We need to deal with mental health issues, but that should not come at the expense of police protection and staffing.
2ND AMENDMENT
What restrictions on gun ownership are needed to protect public safety?
Violent criminals and those who are mentally unstable should not be allowed to own or handle guns.
Victims of gun violence should be able to sue firearms dealers and manufacturers.
Disagree
There is no such thing as "gun violence." Violent people, whether using guns, knives, or automobiles, should be severely prosecuted.
