- Do you support or oppose the Independent Redistricting Commission and Standards Act that Utah voters approved in 2018? Please explain your reasoning.
- I support it!
- I cannot understand why everyone would not be in favor of fairly cut districts. Partisan gerrymandering allows politicians to pick their constituents, and our system was designed to go the other way.
- There is literally no argument for gerrymandering that doesn't involve subverting democracy.
- Secondly, even if I completely disagreed, over 50% of Utah voters approved the act. Very simply, our legislature has overruled the will of the people (which goes without saying, I'm also opposed to).
- What should happen when the legislature disagrees with a map the commission produces, and what would you do in that situation?
- The legislature has no right to act on their disagreement. The people of Utah spoke, the legislature's job is to enact the will of the people.
- I would never vote to override the will of the voters.
- Do you support Utah's vote-by-mail system as it stands?
- YES! Well I liked it as it was before the rule about postmarks, I would love to see it go back to how it was before.
- What would you do to encourage more people to vote who currently don't vote?
- I do this at doors every day. I ask them if they're happy with how things are. Usually they say, "no but my vote doesn't matter." Then we have a huge discussion about how the powers that be want us all to think that so we stay home. Not voting is voting for the people currently in power.
- Utah voters can put questions on the ballot through citizen initiatives and referenda. Should the threshold for passing them be changed? Why or why not?
- Absolutely not. No candidate has to win by 60%, no bill passed through the house has to win by 60%, why should the additional burden be put on ballot initiatives brought by the people of Utah?
- What do you see as the relationship between transparency and corruption?
- They are the moon and the sun. When you can't see one you can see the other.
- Transparency doesn't only show us corruption, it prevents it.
- At work when we're digging on a really tough problem I always say, "sunlight is the best disinfectant." We have to be able to see what's going on so that we understand the issues, but also there are people who have to be watched or they'll do everything they think they can get away with.
- Does Utah's GRAMA support the public's right to know, or does it need strengthening? Or is it too stringent?
- I think the current structure of GRAMA is too strict. The fees are too high and the barriers for public requests are unreasonable.
- Again, this goes back to transparency and accountability. Our public officials have had too much "cover of night" and if we want to make sure that the public has a reasonable understanding of the, literally, life and death issues our state is facing we have to allow access to public records.
- Describe a specific action you would take in office to make sure every person in your district has equal access to government services and equal protection under the law, regardless of citizenship status.
- I don't think it's one specific action. If elected to office I will work to ensure that the policies enacted in this state benefit the citizens of Utah, not corporations, developers, or people in power.
- I dream of working to create a state government that puts our community at the center of all decisions, will that be perfect? No, there will always be competing priorities, but unfortunately right now, with the current structure of our State Government, I don't feel like the people of Utah are even on the list of priorities.
- Just winning my seat, and flipping it, chipping away at the supermajority is a step towards a more equitable Utah.
- Is there anything else you think is relevant that our questions did not reach?
- No, I just want to thank you for what you're doing. The more I learn about the organizations doing the work every day, behind the scenes, that regular people don't know about, the more in awe I am of your work.
- Thank you for the opportunity to fill out the questionnaire!
