- Do you support or oppose the Independent Redistricting Commission and Standards Act that Utah voters approved in 2018? Please explain your reasoning.
- 100% support. The Utah constitution states that citizens have the supreme power in the state. Prop 4 was passed by the voice of the people who wanted independant redistricting. That is all that needs to be said.
- What should happen when the legislature disagrees with a map the commission produces, and what would you do in that situation?
- Refer back to the Utah constitution and look at the proposition the people passed and follow those guidlines. And if the legislators don't respect the voice of the people then sue and make sure that those legislators are voted out of office.
- Do you support Utah's vote-by-mail system as it stands?
- Absolutely-Vote be mail is a safe way to vote. It gives all people in Utah an equal opportunity to cast their ballots, whether they have easy access to a polling location or not. Women in the state are far more able and willing to vote with mail in ballots. Having young children at home makes it harder for them to vote. It gives people time to research candidates and consider their vote without time limits or distractions.
- What would you do to encourage more people to vote who currently don't vote?
- Talk to them. Explain that elections often come down to a small number of voters and in mid-term elections where fewer people vote, their voice carries more weight. And also it is their responsilbilty to vote and if they are not being responsible with their duties of citizenship then they shouldn't condem their elected leaders for neglecting their responsibilites as elected officals.
- 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?
- No-I believe in majority rule and if the majority speaks it should be listened to. Raising the bar creates barriors to passing citizens initatives. If the people have to follow a higher thershold than all bills passed in the State House should have to follow that same thershold. They are representatives of the people so their voices should carry the same weight as the people's.
- What do you see as the relationship between transparency and corruption?
- Corruption is dependant on people
- doing things in the dark. It will not exist when secrecy and backroom deals are exposed. Elected officials are the servants of the people and as such should have less power than the people they represent. When they are not transparent they are disrespecting the people and are no longer representatives but authoritarians.
- Does Utah's GRAMA support the public's right to know, or does it need strengthening? Or is it too stringent?
- It does support the public's right to right to know. While the public shouldn't have access to everything some protections of an indivduals right to privacy should be protected. EVERYTHING that the government does should be discoverable through a GRAMA request. In reality, it should all be public without having to ask for one. There is nothing that the government of the people should be prevented from knowing especially at the state and local levels.
- 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.
- Reveiw existing departments and policies to make sure that they do provide equal access and work with departments and legislators to correct any policies that restrict access. Most importantly, I would use my position to inform citizens and ask for their voices in ending these injustices.
- Is there anything else you think is relevant that our questions did not reach?
- I feel that the disconnect between many elected officials and the people they serve is detrimental to Utahns. The gerrymandering of districts on the state level is as harmful as that on the national level. People have a right to be represented by someone who shares their concerns and values. In a state where different communities have different concerns and values for example rural v urban, forest management v water resources or agriculture v development, each disrict should represent those voices when districts are drawn to dilute those voices it harms all of us.
