Candidate Profiles

The health of the mother should be protected as well as the life of the child. Under a physician's instructions, I would permit a procedure that would allow the mother's life to be saved.

There appears to be no medical evidence that supports the fact that an abortion should ever take place in order to save the life of the mother. I would promote a policy where the medical professional would be required to try and save the life of both. In so doing if the baby lost his life then the doctor would not be held liable.

Rape is a terrible act of violence. In those extremely rare instances when a child is conceived in rape, abortion would be choosing another violent act on top of the first one, punishing the child, in effect- with the death penalty, for the crimes of his or her biological father. The long term harm to the mother must also be considered- the suicide rate is higher for women who have had an abortion.

I believe the death penalty should be used in only rare circumstances. I would much rather see people put in prison for life without the possibility of parole.

I believe for some it does. However many murders are committed in times of passion and therefore I don't believe the death penalty would deter this violent act.

In those rare cases where a physician determines that medical marijuana is the only effective way to control nausea or pain, then it is an approved use of the drug for that purpose.

I believe that Medicaid needs to be reformed. In doing reform we must ensure that those who are receiving services should continue to receive such services. Because of this I would be in favor of possibly looking into providing some subsidized Health Insurance to low income individuals so that their prescription drugs may be more affordable.

I believe in order to make it fair to our retailers in the state that we must collect sales tax on Internet purchases.

I believe in local control and the best use of government is done at the local level. Elected officials should be held much more accountable the closer they are to the people. I don't believe in most cases where the Legislature should be allowed to tinker with what local government does. However, when it comes to property taxes I do believe we need to see reform in this area. I would be open to discussing ways to reform what we are currently doing.

People receiving these services should have some sort of accountability and ressponsibility and incentatives to be independent.

We must continue to make sure that the services provided to the needy are still being done. However, I do believe that much of this can be done without the assisance of government. Almost everywhere that this has been done it has been proven to be beneficial to the communities and the individuals served. HHS must be reformed and it must be done now. I believe if we use performance review audits we can help eliminate waste in HHS. We can also figure out the areas which HHS is serving that should be better left to the private sector and charities.

We should not have to continue to raise taxes to keep the services we already have but look at ways to expand our tax base.

I will do everything I can to reduce taxes. I will never vote for increases in property or income tax. The burden on Nebraskans is too great. If we, as legislators, feel the need to reduce services in order to reduce taxes then we must be assured that the services being rendered will be picked up by the private sector and, those being served will continue to receive like or better services. Government has already proven it cannot be the solution to most things.

I would have to explore this further. Someone who has a misdemeanor for a petty crime should be allowed to own a gun. I do believe that those who have committed a serious felony should be limited in owning a gun.

This depends on the circumstances of the district and enrollment.

I am a firm believer that our public school system is an investment in Nebraska's future. Yes, taxes pay for the expenses of our schools, but we must see it as an investment and not so much an expense. We are foturnate to have strong schools in Nebraska. We must guarantee that they remain this way. Our investment must be profitable and the only way we can ensure this is by providing our young people with the finest education.

I do support testing to measure school performance. With that being said I must say I am not a big fan of President Bush's No Child Left Behind. I believe in the intention, but I believe we can achieve the same goals at the local level and not mandated by the Federal government.

If this means holding a teacher who is having problems in classroom situations accountable, yes.

I believe we have some of the brightest teachers in our country. Because they are the first in the line of defense for our young people I would support testing to make sure they continue to excel in the classroom. I also believe we should encourage teachers to further their studies. I believe the best way to do this is by providing tax credits to help them pay their tuition. Teachers do not get large increases in pay to further their education. Thus there is very little incentive to do this if they have to pay for it. Providing the tax credit will help encourage them for further education.

How can you possibly accomplish this with such a disparity of school population we have today?

I believe the amount spent in each school district is best determined by those who live in that district. I would be in favor of equity in spending throughout the state, but this ultimately should be up to the citizens who live in each district.

Condoms do not prevent the spread of STD's. All evidence proves this. It offers a very false sense of security. They are also not very effective in preventing pregnancy. Condom use only promotes the spread of disease and teenage pregnancy. I would not be in favor to making condoms available.

Yes, if they are violent and abusive to themselves and others.

This depends on the demographics involved.

Consolidation should be considered after three considerations have been met. 1. The quality of education must be as good or better than before. 2. We must see a reduction in property taxes. 3. By far the most important, it must be supported by the local communities. I would never support forced consolidation at the state level. Local communities must make these decisions.

If adequate funding were available to larger school districts, this would not be an issue.

Yes because the Omaha situation is a good example of what can go wrong when the 3 principles I outlined above are not followed.

Are we meaning English or country of origin? If teaching English, yes.

I believe this is a nice to have item. It is not neccessary in our schools. Children who live in the United States should learn in the English language.

This should be decided locally.

My position parallels that of George Bush. Marriage always has been and should be between one man and one woman, but states should have the right to adopt secular procedures for relationships according to the will of the citizens of each state.

If it reduces the costs of insurance for everybody, it makes sense to adopt policies that are fiscally responsible, according to the will of the citizens of each state.

Yes! I am supportive of Economic Development. This includes recruiting of larger businesses into Nebraska. However, I think our emphasis should be more with small businesses being started in this state. True job creation happens in smaller new businesses. Moving a large company's plant from Kansas is not job creation it is job transfer. I would be happy to see that, but our future emphasis should be in the promotion of small Nebraska based businesses.

If they are proven to be financially viable, yes.

I would need to examine this question more closely. I would love to see more Health Insurance Companies not have pre-existing conditions. However I do not believe the state should legislate this into law.

I would need to study what is now provided for control.

This really is a Federal issue. In Nebraska we must be willing to enforce the current laws.

My father is originally from Cuba. He came to this country when he was 14. He learned how to speak and read English. I think if you want to vote in America you should be able to read the ballot in English.

How could you possibly collect from an indegent person?

I would support this for the Native Americans in Nebraska.