Issue Position: Responsive Government Comments and Issues

Issue Position

Elected officials must provide access for their constituents. The objective being continuous open and productive dialog]

As issues begin the legislative process the citizens' priorities will be the primary consideration. Elected officials need to keep an open door. Examples of the current high priority concerns are as follows.

1. The voice of the people in referendums. When state wide issues achieve approval by the voters the referendum must be supported. Attempts to weaken enforcement or reduce scope of the proposal through legislative action are not acceptable. Elected official must stand upon their moral and ethical commitments. One must recognize the voice and vote of the citizen.

Some future referendums examples are as follows.

A. Limits for the title and pay check loans at a maximum of 36 percent.
B. Proposed changes to the nomination committee for appointment of state judges.

If these and other items achieve state wide voter approval, I will support them. The citizens will know my position on these and similar items as they evolve in the initiative and referendum process.

2. Support of education. As the elementary and secondary education foundation formulae are developed during the state budget process we must maintain a priority for education we will be a looser in future competitions. Support higher standards in education requirements from teacher qualifications, and performance, to higher academic requirements from students. Education policy and economic development success for our state are strongly related.

3. Circuit breaker for senior citizens. No senior citizen on fixed income should be at risk of losing their home. Current proposals should include a homestead exemption for those senior adults on fixed income. The exemption will apply to the assessed evaluation. The exemption will also be available to deployed military or military reserve.

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