Russell "Russ" Wise
No Party Affiliation | Louisiana
Candidate Profile
Leans Liberal
BIOGRAPHY
Name
Russell "Russ" Wise
Party
No Party Affiliation
Election Year
2023
Election
Primary
Race
State Rep., Dist 57
Incumbent
No
Links
EDUCATION
Marshall University, Huntington WV, none
WORK & MILITARY
US Army, 1st Lieutenant, 1967-72
AFFILIATIONS
Gideons, member, Lions Club
member, Scouting, Cubmaster, Asst. Scoutmaster, Committee member
Friends of the Library, President
POLITICAL OFFICES HELD
School Board member, 1995-2018
POLITICAL OFFICES SOUGHT
Parish President, 2017
Race
SELECTED CONTRIBUTIONS
LIBERAL
GIVEN BY CANDIDATE (2)
John Bel Edwards (2019)
Mary Landrieu (2014)
RECEIVED BY CANDIDATE (0)
OTHER INFORMATION
QUESTIONNAIRE
RIGHT TO LIFE
Under what circumstances should abortion be allowed?
Protect the life of the mother, rape/incest
Abortion providers, including Planned Parenthood, should not receive funds from federal, state, or local governments (including Title X grants).
Agree
I support 'aid in dying' laws which legalize assisted suicide and euthanasia.
Neutral
Only in cases where prior permission has been granted as a part of a will or other legal document. I personally have Living Will which authorizes the removal of life-sustaining equipment when two physicians (including my son) agree there's little hope of recovery.
ECONOMY
What changes, if any, should be made to the tax code?
Louisiana's tax code must be given a top-to-bottom rewrite; it depends far too heavily on sales taxes to fund local and state government and offers too many tax breaks to the wealthy and corporations.
What government spending would you reduce in order to balance the budget?
I'm not familiar enough with the state budget to say precisely.
Taxpayer-funded public education should be guaranteed through college.
Agree
College (including post-high school trade and vocational training) has become so important that a high school diploma is no longer enough to help provide a secure future. So to give a good life to future generations, either the high school curriculum (unchanged since the 19th Century) should be revised to suit a 21st Century environment or much of post-high school education should be tax-funded.
RELIGIOUS LIBERTY
Individuals and businesses should be required to provide services even if it would violate their moral and/or religious beliefs.
Neutral
Some services but not all services.
Under what circumstances can government close churches?
None except when there is a declared state of emergency.
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
Under what circumstances (if any) should a government, school, or employer be allowed to require vaccinations?
When the CDC or state medical authority demands it.
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.
Neutral
Being a strong believer in the freedoms granted BY THE US Constitution, I generally disagree with segregation in any form. But I acknowledge Israel's unusual position. And as a member of the Louisiana Legislature I'd have little opportunity to influence foreign affairs.
IMMIGRATION
The U.S. should do more to physically secure the southern border.
Agree
Who should be allowed to immigrate to the U.S. and under what circumstances?
People whose background and experience would benefit the American economy, its academic standing, and its national security. And people who have worked for US interests in previous wars.
EDUCATION
I support school choice, including voucher programs, tax credits, charter schools, private schools, and home schools.
Agree
Louisiana's public education system is broken and MUST be repaired. But I acknowledge that in the interim parents should have the opportunity for choice.
VALUES
Judeo-Christian values established a framework of morality which is necessary for our system of limited government.
Strongly Agree
I support adding gender identity as a specially protected class in non-discrimination laws.
Neutral
I'd need more factual information before taking a firm position.
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
Both laws and the courts have already ruled on this topic. Some laws (and courts) have gone too far.
I agree with Critical Race Theory (CRT) which asserts that the institutions in the United States are fundamentally racist.
Disagree
Briefly describe your spiritual beliefs and values.
I believe in God and my values reflect my bgeliefs.
ELECTIONS AND VOTING
People should be able to vote without photo identification.
Agree
What laws would you propose to change present voting practices?
I think current laws are adequate with the exception of the authorized pay for poll workers. The current $200 per worker limit for up to a 16-hour day is too little to attract enough people to safely run our voting places.
EQUALITY
Is racism a threat to domestic security in the United States? Why or why not?
YES. It (and its alleged effect on nearly all our institutions) has distorted our worldview and affected our actions.
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.
B. Job loses and economic disruptions in the short term (as has happened repreatedly in the past) are unfortunate but sometimes the long-term economic and enviornmental effects are worth it. My father-in-law worked in the West Virginia coal mines until economics and environmental factors ended his job. Some of sons and daughters left the state for other professions in other locations.
I support the use of hydraulic fracking to extract oil and natural gas resources.
Agree
I own stock in oil companies which currently remove oil (and other product) that way.
ABOUT YOU
What do you think is the general purpose of government?
To provide public services.
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?
Lean Conservative
Please provide publicly available information, including interviews and media reports, validating your answer to the previous question (other than your website).
Feel free to review my Facebook page and past issues of the New Orleans Times-Picayune for my letters to the editor and stories of my School Board history
Have you ever been convicted of a felony or been penalized in either civil or criminal court for sexual misconduct? If so, please explain.
Absolutely not.
What else would you like voters to know about you, including your legislative priorities?
. My top priority is to improve Louisiana's educational outcomes - which are vitally important in the future success of the state. It"s an essentioal (but overlooked) element of economic development. Businesses need trained workers and managers need confidence that their own children can be well educated if they come to Louisiana. Secondly I believe that the entire tax structure need to be revamped so that both business and personal incomes are treated fairly and vital services - police, fire, schools, libraries, can be adequately funded. I believe that virtually any problem can be solved - or at least improved upon - through compromise, and compromise is essential in the workings of 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
I support redirecting funds from police departments to mental health and community programs.
Neutral
The qestion is too broad. Redirecting funds to police-related services depends upon two factors: where and how much.
2ND AMENDMENT
What restrictions on gun ownership are needed to protect public safety?
This one of the most entrenched problems in America today. Finding common ground - compromise - is the only answer.
Victims of gun violence should be able to sue firearms dealers and manufacturers.
Neutral
This is a question for Congress, not a state legislature.
OTHER IMPORTANT ISSUES
Gambling should be limited to existing forms and should not be de-regulated or expanded.
Disagree
The current status of gambling has gone far too far. We need new restrictions - especially on sports books, off-track betting and slot-machine pseudo-casinos at truck stops and other business locations.
Children should be protected from sexualization on the internet, in public schools, and in the public libraries
Agree
Library exposure has been vastly overrated in an effort to influence outcomes. I have great faith in professional librarians' discretion.
