Stephanie Hunter Berault
Republican | Louisiana
Candidate Profile
Conservative
BIOGRAPHY
Name
Stephanie Hunter Berault
Party
Republican
Election Year
2023
Election
Primary
Race
State Rep., Dist 76
Incumbent
No
Links
EDUCATION
University of Southern Mississippi, Hattiesburg, BS, 1993
WORK & MILITARY
Candidate did not provide
AFFILIATIONS
Catholic Community Foundation - New Orleans, Northshore Chair, Northshore Community Foundation
Founding Board Member, United Way St. Tammany, Allocation Chair
Slidell Women's Health Alliance, Chair, Slidell Youth Soccer Club
Fundraising Chair, Slidell Friends of the Arts, Treasurer
St. Luke the Evangelist Church, Finance Council, St. Tammany Coalition of Republican Professionals
POLITICAL OFFICES HELD
Northshore Harbor Center - Board of Commissioners, 2015-2023
St. Tammany Republican Parish Executive Committee, 2004-2012
POLITICAL OFFICES SOUGHT
Candidate did not provide
Race
ENDORSEMENTS
CONSERVATIVE (1)
Louisiana Freedom Caucus PAC
OTHER (4)
SouthPAC/Louisiana Association of Business & Industry (LABI)
Louisiana Hospital Association PAC (HOSPPAC)
Americans For Prosperity - Louisiana
The Louisiana Shooting Association, Inc. (LSA)
REPORTED BY CANDIDATE (10)
Louisiana Association of Business and Industry
Alliance for Good Government
LAGOP - Republican Party of Louisiana
St. Tammany Republican Parish Executive Committee
Greater New Orleans Republicans PAC
SELECTED CONTRIBUTIONS
CONSERVATIVE
GIVEN BY CANDIDATE (2)
Mary DuBuisson (2018)
Mark Wright (2017)
RECEIVED BY CANDIDATE (1)
Hewitt PAC (2023)
OTHER INFORMATION
QUESTIONNAIRE
RIGHT TO LIFE
Under what circumstances should abortion be allowed?
Abortion should only be allowed to save the life of the mother, and even then all efforts should be made to preserve the life of the child.
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.
Disagree
ECONOMY
What changes, if any, should be made to the tax code?
We need to decrease the tax burden on business including eliminating the franchise tax. We should also work toward zero income tax for both businesses and individuals.
What government spending would you reduce in order to balance the budget?
I would like to revise the Louisiana constitution so that a greater percentage of our budget can be adjusted. Currently only 11% of our budget is discretionary leaving legislators with very little flexibility to reduce spending. Legislators should be able to review all spending to make sure that spending matches current priorities.
Taxpayer-funded public education should be guaranteed through college.
Disagree
RELIGIOUS LIBERTY
Individuals and businesses should be required to provide services even if it would violate their moral and/or religious beliefs.
Strongly Disagree
Under what circumstances can government close churches?
I can think of no time that a government should be allowed to close a church.
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.
Medicaid and Medicare should remain available but no other tax payer funded programs are necessary.
Under what circumstances (if any) should a government, school, or employer be allowed to require vaccinations?
Governments / schools /employers should only be allowed to require a vaccine in the case of highly communicable dangerous illnesses, and then only after a lengthly and extensive testing and review period to determine the efficacy and safety of the vaccine.
NATIONAL SECURITY
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
IMMIGRATION
The U.S. should do more to physically secure the southern border.
Strongly Agree
The lack of enforcement of our southern border is appalling. The flood of immigrants is overwhelming not just southern states, but cities and areas far away from the border as well. The number of people dying from the drugs coming across our open border, especially fentanyl, is at a crisis level. Vulnerable people, including women and children, are subject to evil predators who promise safe passage to the United States. The lack of enforcement of our border is immoral.
Who should be allowed to immigrate to the U.S. and under what circumstances?
The U.S. should have a fixed number of people allowed to immigrate to the U.S. each year with increased resources to speed up the process. Priority should always be given to those with jobs / skills needed in the U.S., those truly seeking political asylum, and the families of those already here. There should always be an extensive screening process.
EDUCATION
I support school choice, including voucher programs, tax credits, charter schools, private schools, and home schools.
Agree
Louisiana spends more per student that any other state in the Southeast. Despite that, we still rank among the worst in the U.S. Progress has been made, but much more needs to be done. Parents should have the option to move their children to the school that best fits the individual needs of each child.
VALUES
Judeo-Christian values established a framework of morality which is necessary for our system of limited government.
Agree
I support adding gender identity as a specially protected class in non-discrimination laws.
Disagree
Marriage is a God-ordained, sacred and legal union of one man and one woman. No government has the authority to alter this definition.
Neutral
Marriage in my faith is a sacrament created, defined, and blessed by God. The government does not have the right to dictate beliefs to my church. Civil marriage is a legal contract that has been defined by the United States Supreme Court.
I agree with Critical Race Theory (CRT) which asserts that the institutions in the United States are fundamentally racist.
Strongly Disagree
Briefly describe your spiritual beliefs and values.
I am a practicing Roman Catholic Christian. I believe we all sin and need the grace and mercy of our loving God. I believe Jesus is the son of God, loves us, and offers salvation through his death and resurrection. I believe God planned for the family to the building block of any society, and we should do all we can to encourage and strengthen families. I believe true fulfillment comes only through loving God and serving others.
ELECTIONS AND VOTING
People should be able to vote without photo identification.
Disagree
Election integrity is absolutely essential in any property functioning society. A photo ID is required to do almost anything. To imply that certain populations are unable to obtain a photo ID is demeaning, insulting and wrong.
What laws would you propose to change present voting practices?
I believe the Louisiana election system is one of the better ones in the US. It is one of the things we do well. I know we will be getting new voting machines that provide a way to audit votes. That is a needed improvement. Once the new system has been implemented we can do a complete review to determine if any additional changes are needed.
EQUALITY
Is racism a threat to domestic security in the United States? Why or why not?
I am deeply concerned about increased tensions over race relations. We live in a world where, more than ever before, people of different walks of life, customs, experiences, and races, gather to live, work and play together. Despite that, influential voices continue to encourage anger and distrust of the "other" team. Martin Luther King Jr. dreamt of a world where the sons of former slaves and the sons of former slave owners would sit down together at the table of brotherhood. In so many places, we are seeing his dream become a reality. However, instead of celebrating, the voices of anger have only become louder.
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.
I believe we need to maintain a very careful balance between environmental regulation and economic growth. Of course we should protect our citizens and the environment Louisiana has been so abundantly blessed with. However, regulations can go too far. Our economy continues to falter leaving Louisiana at the bottom in the Southeast in the number of good paying jobs. Over 800,000 people live in poverty in Louisiana, and we cannot improve the lives of our citizens without job growth. Growing our economy is not a luxury. It is a matter of survival for our state.
I support the use of hydraulic fracking to extract oil and natural gas resources.
Agree
Fracking has proven to be a safe and effective way to increase domestic oil production.
ABOUT YOU
What do you think is the general purpose of government?
I believe the founders had it correct when they stated in the Declaration of Independence that governments are instituted to secure the God-given rights of life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness.
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
Please provide publicly available information, including interviews and media reports, validating your answer to the previous question (other than your website).
This is my first run for public office. There are no public interviews or media reports validating my answer other than my lifetime of involvement in the Republican Party.
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?
I'm tired of watching our friends and family move out of Louisiana. We need to create an environment that will make it easier to do business in Louisiana. This involves tax, regulatory, and legal reform. We need to continue to shift our higher educational priorities to training workers for the jobs that need to be filled today and in the future. We need to address the crisis we have in home insurance rates - day one. Finally, we need to modernize the way we deliver safety net services using new technology to help our citizen transition off of government assistance.
CRIMINAL JUSTICE & PUBLIC SAFETY
Police officers should be personally immune from prosecution for conduct consistent with departmental policy (qualified immunity) while on duty.
Agree
I support redirecting funds from police departments to mental health and community programs.
Strongly Disagree
Our priority should be providing law enforcement with all the tools they need to keep us safe.
2ND AMENDMENT
What restrictions on gun ownership are needed to protect public safety?
The only people who should be restricted from purchasing or possessing a firearm are those convicted of a felony, those subject to court orders related to domestic violence, or anyone having a serious, clinically-diagnosed, mental condition.
Victims of gun violence should be able to sue firearms dealers and manufacturers.
Strongly Disagree
OTHER IMPORTANT ISSUES
Gambling should be limited to existing forms and should not be de-regulated or expanded.
Agree
Children should be protected from sexualization on the internet, in public schools, and in the public libraries
Strongly Agree
