Velvet Dowdy

Abortions should be allowed up until the fetus is viable, somewhere around 24 to 26 weeks. However, abortions should be allowed at any point after viability if the life of the mother is in danger or the child is no longer viable.

Agree

Taxpayer money should be used to provide all the other services provided by Planned Parenthood except abortions that are the choice of the woman. Any other treatment that protects the life of the mother or the child should be funded.

No

As a Catholic, I have never chosen abortion, but I never had to. My faith guides my choices in reproduction, but not in all cases, I am not opposed to birth control, but the Catholic church is. However, my faith is a very personal entity, and it only guides my choices--not anyone else's. Nor should it.

Neutral

I honestly do not know how I feel about this issue. I am certain I need to do some research here.

First, it is ridiculous that the poorest people in the state are paying the same tax rate as the wealthiest people in the state. We need to fix that. Secondly, the notion of doing away with state tax and relying solely on sales taxes to make up the difference. Republicans like to tout states like Tennessee that only have sales taxes, but here is what they never consider. Tennessee is a major draw for tourism, so if you have a high sales tax rate for hotel stays, restaurants, and consumer goods, you benefit from that tourism. That will not be the case in Kentucky. Tourists to Kentucky won't bear the brunt of sales taxes, Kentuckians will.

I don't think Kentucky can cut much out of the budget. I think Kentucky should be thinking about increasing revenue. A couple of things come to mind--legalize sports betting and medical marijuana.

Agree

I would like to see us fund Pre-K education through the first 2 years of post secondary. This would allow Kentucky to support students in technical education and give all university students a boost to continue their education without incurring overwhelming debt.

Neutral

The Supreme Court has already ruled on this for businesses. However, the Government cannot discriminate.

According to the courts, there are no circumstances. I disagree with this based on public health concerns, but the courts disagreed.

I would love to see our country pursue option A because it works in all other countries, but I would settle for option B.

Again, because the court ruled that employers can do what they want (almost always), then they have every right to require vaccinations for their employees who want to continue to work there. In addition, the military has a long history of requiring its members to get multiple vaccinations. Schools require vaccinations for students and only exempt them based on religious grounds. There is no issue with any of these policies in their current state.

The only thing the US can tackle is to keep Islamic terrorism out of the US by the use of intelligence work. We should not use our power to interfere in the affairs of another country except through diplomacy. Islamic nations see our efforts to help as an invasion of their sovereignty, and we would feel the same. I don't think we will eradicate Islamic terrorism from the earth for many generations. We can work diplomatically, but the current mistrust between Islamic states and the US will be difficult to overcome, so our focus must still remain to be using our resources to keep it out of our country.

Neutral

I would love to see Israel and Palestine come to an agreement that would allow both groups to live in harmony in that region. In this struggle, Israel is the country with more power, so I believe using our diplomacy to have Israel extend the olive branch first would be a step in the right direction. However, there have been years of strife, with both countries responsible for the unrest in the region. It will take decades of positive change to alter the situation.

Disagree

Putting up a fence on the southern border of the US will not stem the tide of immigrants trying to escape the poverty, corruption, and violence of their homelands. Physical barriers can be breached. The only thing that will change our immigration situation is for the US to work with Central American nations to make positive changes for their citizens, like improving their economy, eliminating drug cartels, and rooting out corruption.

We can't tout the US as the land of opportunity and expect that citizens of other countries with few opportunities would not want to come to this country. Honestly, anyone who wants to make a better life for themselves and their family should be allowed to come to the United States. Opportunities for work, education, safety, and a better life should be available to all who want it.

Disagree

Public dollars should fund public schools. Private dollars should fund private schools.

Disagree

This statement assumes that everyone in this country practices a religion based on Judeo Christian theology. That is not true. Freedom of religion also means freedom from religion.

Agree

The gender identity of an individual is solely the purview of that individual. Others should not use that as a basis of discrimination.

Agree

I'm sad that I must agree with this statement, but I must. Many of the country's institutions were designed to benefit the white race. We need to change that if we truly believe that every individual is endowed with the unalienable rights of life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness.

I am a Catholic, but like most people, I do not believe everything the Roman Catholic Church ascribes. Here is what I believe. Jesus answered the question of which commandment was the most important and he answered, "You should love the Lord thy God with all your heart, soul, and mind, and secondly, you should love your neighbor as yourself. Jesus went on to explain who your neighbor is, and it includes everyone. These are my values. Everyone deserves my love, consideration, respect, and help. Jesus did not say to exclude anyone based on their sex, gender identity, religion, skin color, or sexual orientation. I try to keep these in mind every day as I navigate life. Like most people, I often fail. But God is merciful to me and forgives my failings, and I am also called to forgive others just as God forgives me.

Disagree

Jesus never defined marriage, and the use of Old Testament teachings to make homosexuality an abomination is based on a common misinterpretation. The abomination is pedophilia, not homosexuality. Jesus never talked about homosexuality, even though it was very common in the Roman Empire of his day. Jesus knew the teachings of the Old Testament and knew what the words really meant.

Agree

Not every citizen has a photo ID (driver's license) or the means to get one. If we have years of signatures of a voter on the roles, and their signature matches what we currently have, or one of the poll workers recognizes them, they should be allowed to vote without photo ID

I think we should allow universal voting by mail. Several states already do this and report few issues of fraud. I do like that we allow early voting several days prior to voting day, but I think our current fear of voting by mail is unfounded.

Yes. White supremacist and white nationalist groups are at the top of the FBI's terror lists through the country. Radicalization of young white men, and the domestic terrorist attacks perpetrated by these radicals is a larger threat to ordinary citizens of the US than threats from other countries. We have to be proactive in addressing these threats and the radicalization of an entire generation.

Agree

For years, the people of this country made and broke promises to blacks and indigenous people. Generations of US citizens have been guilty of causing harm in multiple ways. It's time to make things right in the only way we can.

Absolutely B. Here's what is true. Environmental laws don't just protect wildlife or their habitats, they also protect us. If we allow ourselves to completely destroy our own environment, where will we live?

Strongly Disagree

Fracking is the use of high pressure water and other materials to recover shale oil and natural gas. The biggest issue with this method is it pollutes ground water sources. Ground water that has seeped through the ground to make it into underground aquifers has been "cleaned" by seeping through layers of soil, silt, clay, and other materials that remove particulate matter. Drinking water that comes from these sources is considered to be safe, but not near fracking operations.

The government should improve the lives and safety of its citizens and remove barriers to ensure that opportunity is distributed equitably throughout each state and the entire country. It has a duty to its citizens to act in ways the protect the rights of individual citizens and well as the general welfare. The citizens have the duty to elect representatives to promote their best interests at local, state, and national levels, and the elected officials have a duty to their citizens to act in their best interests in these representative capacities.

Liberal

I am very liberal in social issues, but probably less so in terms of economics. I want the government to spend taxpayer money wisely, and to prioritize spending on the things that will help the most powerless first. I also believe the first to sacrifice should be the wealthiest individuals and corporations.

My guest appearance on My Old Kentucky Podcast https://www.podbean.com/ew/pb-ke35e-1272554

No

I am the mother of two grown children, Grammy to my 1st grandchild, and dog mom to Sadie. I have a close group of friends who meet once a week to play trivia, and travel often together. I am an amateur woodworker and an avid reader. I am the oldest of two siblings, and lost both my parents within 3 months of each other before the pandemic. I'm still trying to get used to their absence from my life and wish daily I could talk to them. My legislative priorities are to improve public education. That has to start with honoring our current teachers as the professionals they are. Secondly, I want to open up markets for our family farmers by attracting businesses to Kentucky that use our agricultural products. Next, we have to increase the minimum wage in Kentucky. People have to make a living wage and work safely. This is why I am a strong union supporter. Unions make communities stronger. And finally, we have to improve healthcare options for Kentuckians. Too many Kentucky families pay for insurance that has deductibles and copays that are incredibly high, so using these policies is only affordable in the case of a catastrophic injury or illness.

Agree

The problems that plague our society with policing is that policies governing their behavior is too "loose" and the ability to punish officers who engage in misconduct is too "loose". We have to engage with officers and community members to define policies that protect the safety of the officers while protecting the safety of the community members they police. And, we should impose mandatory reporting of misconduct and intervention of bystanding officers as part of policy.

Agree

Police officers are trained to deal with individuals who are violators of the law, but are often asked to intervene in situations that may require a social worker or a mental health professional. Officers are not trained for these encounters, but are often the only resource available. Police departments could benefit from partnerships with social workers and health care professionals who could be dispatched to deal with these incidents. It would leave officers available for stronger policing.

We need to restrict access to assault-style weapons or create a total ban on these weapons. We also need Red Flag laws that would allow police departments to petition the courts to remove weapons from those who pose a danger to themselves or others. Finally, we need laws that make gun owners responsible for what happens with their weapon. If it is not secured from children and others in the home, the owner should be held criminally and civilly liable for that weapon. I have no problem with gun ownership, but owners can not act recklessly with these weapons.

Agree

Absolutely. Gun manufacturers are partially responsible for the proliferation of assault-style weapons that have become commonplace in our society. Their profits should not be protected from their liability in their proliferation.

Yes

I support sports gambling in the state, and casino gambling legislation.

Disagree

1. The LGBTQ+ agenda is the "boogie man" all conservatives fear and is a myth. The only agenda LGBTQ+ people have is to be allowed to live their truth without hiding it from the world. 2. Transgender issues are the purview of the parents of these children. As far as biological males competing against girls, KHSAA does not allow any male who has not undergone sex reassignment via hormone therapy or surgery to compete. 5. Restroom issues can and should be handled at the school level.