On the Issues: Candidates for Texas Lt. Governor

I’ll just make a quick info sheet, I said. It’ll be easy, I said.

16 blissful hours later, I am finally able to provide you with the following information regarding where the candidates for Texas Lt. Governor stand on the issues.

What does the Lt. Governor even do, you ask? Lucky for you, there’s a handy little explanation right here.

If you just read that explanation of duties and thought to yourself, “Holy cannoli! That’s a lot of power!” then you now understand just how important this particular race is.  Use your brilliant mind, your unsurpassed wisdom, and this information to make the best decision for you.

Without further ado, I present the candidates for Lt. Governor of the state of Texas.

 

Leticia Van de Putte (Democrat)

**The following information comes from Leticia Van de Putte’s issue statements, 1998 issue positions on Project Vote Smart, and her voting record.**

Economy and Jobs

“I’ve always fought for and promoted the local businesses that create jobs and make our communities vibrant. In the most recent legislative session, I helped overhaul the Texas Alcoholic Beverage Code, removing unnecessary regulations that were hampering the success of Texas’ brewers and distillers. I’ll listen to small business owners from all industries, allowing their ventures to grow and create jobs.”

Leticia Van de Putte supports providing low interest loans and tax credits for starting, expanding, or relocating businesses, as well as reducing state government regulations on the private sector in order to encourage investment and economic expansion. Leticia Van de Putte supports increasing funding for state job-training programs that re-train displaced workers or teach skills needed in today’s job market.

Military & Veterans

“As the Chair of the Senate Veteran Affairs and Military Installations Committee, I’ve worked to make Texas the Number One state in the nation for active duty military, veterans, and their families. Honoring those who served is at the forefront of everything I do at the Capitol. I’ve protected the Hazlewood Legacy benefits for veterans so they and their families can achieve their educational dreams. I’ve pushed for greater awareness of PTSD and other mental health concerns of our returning heroes. This past session, I authored new laws granting property tax exemptions for spouses of those killed in action and for certain disabled veterans.”

In the last legislative session, Leticia Van de Putte authored or sponsored several pieces of legislation that benefit veterans in the following ways:

• Getting veterans added to the list of those who qualify for low-interest home loans.
• Requires universities to provide disabled veterans with access to parking spaces reserved for those with physical disabilities, even if the veteran does not have a university parking permit.
• Requires electricity companies to provide a discount program for military veterans who have received burns in combat and thus have decreased ability to regulate body temperature.
• Providing exemptions to property taxes for the surviving widow of a deceased 100% disabled veteran or of a member of the armed service member who is killed in action.
• Allowing certain military voters on active duty overseas to cast votes electronically.
• Establishing the provision of the Mental Health Program for Veterans, which includes requiring access to licensed mental health professionals.

Education

“I believe that education is the key to success — for our students and our State. That is why I have consistently worked to ensure that all Texas students have access to a high quality public education. As a Senator, I fought against damaging cuts to our public schools and promoted instructional rigor while appropriately limiting an overreliance on standardized testing.”

Leticia Van de Putte supports increasing state funds for professional development of teachers and administrators, for school construction and facility maintenance, and for hiring additional teachers. She favors emphasizing local control of education as long as the school district meets state health and safety standards, and she is a proponent of bilingual education.

Leticia Van de Putte supports providing tax credits for businesses that provide child care for their employees, and she also supports increasing state funds to provide child care to children in low-income working families. She is in favor of increasing state funding for Head Start in order to serve additional children and/or to increase services from half- to full-day. She would like to increase state funding for community centers and social agencies that work with at-risk youth, and she supports funding guaranteed college loans and job training programs for at-risk youth as well.

Health Care

“I fought against staggering cuts to the Women’s Health Program and protected women’s access to care.”

Leticia Van de Putte wants to ensure that citizens have access to basic health care through managed care, insurance reforms, or state funded care where necessary. She supports the Texas Healthy Kids Corporation, a private non-profit organization that provides low-cost health insurance for uninsured children. She favors using state funds to continue some Medicaid coverage for legal immigrants.

Immigration

Leticia Van de Putte does not support requiring proof of US citizenship at the time a person registers to vote. She voted against Texas ignoring federal prohibitions and allowing law enforcement to enforce immigration policies in ways that the federal government has prohibited.

Equal Rights

“I supported Texas’ version of the Lilly Ledbetter Act, ensuring equal pay for equal work, and I’ll keep pushing it until it finally gets signed into law.”

In 2013, Leticia Van de Putte authored a bill that would have prohibited employment discrimination on the basis of sexual orientation or gender identity or expression.

Infrastructure

I will prioritize investments in our infrastructure, protecting our water supplies and building quality roads. Water shortages threaten our both our health and wealth; gravel roads are not the path to prosperity. I’ll make the tough decisions to secure funding for these basic building blocks for Texas’ economy.

Gun Rights

Leticia Van de Putte voted in favor of authorizing firearms in vehicles on college campuses, though she voted against allowing concealed handguns on campus. In addition, she voted for establishing tax exemptions for firearms manufacturers. She also voted in favor of allowing schools to designate an employee as an armed School Marshal.

Crime

“I’ve been the Senate’s leader in combatting the vile crime of human trafficking. I co-chaired a committee to study trafficking in Texas. In 2009, I authored a landmark law giving prosecutors greater tools to crack down on those who enslave others. In 2013, I passed more laws providing survivors with a path out of forced prostitution and drug addiction, and giving them the means to sue those who victimized them.”

Leticia Van de Putte supports strengthening penalties and sentences for sex offenders and believes in informing communities when a convicted sex offender moves into the community.

To visit Leticia Van de Putte’s website, click here. 

Dan Patrick (Republican)

**The following comes from Dan Patrick’s campaign website, his voting record, Wikipedia, and news articles.**

Economy and Jobs

Dan Patrick voted to extend tax exemptions to certain businesses that create jobs. He voted against a bill that would require those taking out complex loans to receive counseling regarding the advisability of taking out such a complex loan as well as possible alternatives.

 

Military & Veterans

Dan Patrick is in favor of transferring the property tax exemption of a 100% disabled veteran to his/her spouse upon the death of that 100% disabled veteran. The legislation that he supports was sponsored by Leticia Van de Putte.

 

Education

Dan Patrick wants to make Texas the leader in the nation for school choice, and he strongly supports home schooling. He also supports allowing parents to choose to close a failing school and change new school leadership, and he favors increasing the number of charter schools in the state. Dan Patrick has proposed cutting Texas education funding by 20%, and he has said that anything but engineering and medical research is “research nobody cares about” and that he would “get rid of” it (The Dan Patrick Show, Jan. 28, 2011).

Dan Patrick believes that creationism should be part of Texas’s education curriculum (Waco, TX debate, 2013).

 

Health Care

Dan Patrick believes that life begins at conception, and he has sponsored legislation to get his belief entered into law. He has authored, sponsored, and voted in favor of myriad bills that restrict women’s access to safe and legal abortions.

 

Immigration

“It is time we use Texas taxpayers’ resources to protect our borders instead of providing services to those that entered this state illegally.”

Dan Patrick supports ending in-state tuition for undocumented immigrants, he proposed a bill that would make undocumented immigration a state crime as well as a bill that would have created a new offense for transporting undocumented immigrants.

 

Equal Rights

Dan Patrick voted against equal pay legislation, and he voted against extending the time limits for gender-based discrimination lawsuits.

Dan Patrick intends to fight the federal court ruling that the Texas ban on same-sex marriage was unconstitutional. He also said this about the San Antonio non-discrimination ordinance: “The proposed San Antonio ordinance runs counter to the Holy Bible…I am proud to stand with the faith community leaders of San Antonio City Council against this ordinance.”

 

Infrastructure

Dan Patrick voted against allowing counties to raising funds for transportation projects.

 

Gun Rights

Dan Patrick supports open carry laws. If elected, he will work towards nullifying any federal gun control laws in the state of Texas.  Dan Patrick co-authored the bill that sought to allow the carrying of concealed handguns on college campuses, and he co-sponsored legislation that eliminated the need for continuing education courses in handgun proficiencies for Concealed Handgun License renewal and required that people can now get their CHL license renewed over the internet.

 

Crime

Dan Patrick co-authored the legislation that extended Texan’s rights to use deadly force for means of self-defense, without retreat, in their home, vehicle or workplace. He also co-sponsored legislation that requires drug screening for individuals who claim unemployment benefits. He voted against authorizing needle exchange programs and for treatment for drug possession offenders. He also voted against the prohibition of texting while driving.

To visit Dan Patrick’s website, click here. 

On the Issues: Candidates for Texas Governor

Election day is November 4th, 2014, and early voting is from October 20th to October 31st, 2014.  Your last day to register to vote is October 6th.  You can even register to vote online at http://www.rockthevote.com!  Make sure the address on your registration matches the address on your Texas ID!

Without further ado, here are the candidates for Governor of Texas…

 

Wendy Davis (Democrat)

**The following information comes from Wendy Davis’s campaign website, as well as her voting record and Wikipedia.**

Economy and Jobs

“Texas is a place where people come to find their dreams. People come here, work hard, start a family and buy a home. Texas is a land of opportunity and advancement. But under the current leadership in Austin, these opportunities could fall out of reach for too many Texans.

“Wendy knows that we must put Texans first when we talk about jobs and economic growth in our state. We must strengthen our working Texas families in order to protect the Texas we love.

“On the Fort Worth City Council, Wendy took the lead on economic development. Working with community, political, and business leaders, Wendy’s efforts yielded $260 million in new investment, thousands of jobs, and revitalized communities.

As Governor, Wendy will…work to make sure Texas remains a leader in oil and natural gas, but also a leader in renewable energy like wind and solar.

“In the Senate, she authored a bill to put “Texas Jobs First” requiring the state government, when possible, to give Texas companies the first opportunity at contracts, and passed legislation requiring the Department of Transportation to grant preference to local contractors for certain Texas road projects.”

 

Military & Veterans

“Wendy has worked to make sure that veterans, service members, and their families are provided every opportunity for a quality education. This includes college tuition exemptions, more college counselors available to help veterans, and strong support for Hazlewood benefits.

“Our military offers some of the best job training in the world. In the Senate, Wendy helped change a law to require state agencies to provide credit towards occupational licenses for job-relevant training our veterans received in the military.

“Wendy Davis has pushed for and supported policies that would create jobs for our service men and women upon their re-entry into civilian life. In the 83rd Legislature, Senator Davis supported the establishment of the Veteran Entrepreneur Program, and wrote and co-sponsored laws to make it easier for service members to get their trucking, plumbing, and electrician licenses.

“As Governor, Wendy will continue to fight for those who fought for us. Whether it’s job training, mental health counseling, or funding for existing services, Wendy will continue to support programs for our veterans.”

 

Education

“Too many of our public schools and universities are overcrowded and underfunded. Far too many of our students never graduate from high school.

“In the Senate, Wendy has fought to improve public schools by reducing the number of standardized tests students are forced to take, and by negotiating the first cost-of-living increase for retired teachers in more than a decade. In 2011, Wendy filibustered a budget that cut over $5 billion from education funding and she has continued to fight tirelessly to restore that funding to education.”

“If elected governor, Davis said she would increase funding for public schools, colleges and universities, financial aid and support for early-college programs” (El Paso Times, 2013).

 

Health Care

In 2013, Wendy staged an 11-hour filibuster on a bill that severely limited women’s access to reproductive health care by increasing abortion facility requirements and prohibiting abortions after 20 weeks.

 

Immigration

Wendy Davis voted against increased voter identification requirements.

 

Equal Rights

Wendy Davis sponsored a bill in 2013 that required equal pay for women.

In 2000, Wendy voted for Fort Worth’s nondiscrimination ordinance based on sexual orientation, and in 2011 she authored the only LGBT-inclusive version of anti-bullying legislation and lobbied against an anti-transgender marriage bill. In 2013, she co-authored the Senate version of a statewide workplace nondiscrimination bill, co-authored inclusive insurance non-discrimination legislation, and she has expressed strong support for allowing same-sex marriage.

 

Gun Rights

Wendy Davis voted against campus carry legislation, though she expressed support for open carry laws in Texas that allow private property owners to determine whether weapons could be openly carried on their property. She voted in favor of tax exemptions for firearm manufacturers, and she voted for allowing university students to transport guns in locked motor vehicles on college campuses.

To visit Wendy Davis’s website, click here. 

Greg Abbott (Republican)

**The following comes from Greg Abbott’s campaign website, as well as from Wikipedia. Very little concrete information about Abbott’s positions could be found.**

 

Economy and Jobs

No info

 

Military & Veterans

No info

 

Education

Abbot has promised to “tie outcomes to funding” for pre-K programs if elected to governor. He claims that universal pre-K is a “waste,” and he instead wants to limit funding to only those programs who meet certain gold standards.

 

Health Care

“As Texas’ Attorney General, Greg Abbott has defended Texas’ laws protecting the unborn as well as represented Texas and other states before the United States Supreme Court in defending the Federal Partial Birth Abortion Ban Act and the New Hampshire parental notification law.”

“In 2009, General Abbott championed legislative efforts to help make affordable health insurance available to hundreds of thousands of children who are served by the child support system. The new law allows the Office of the Attorney General to work with private health plans to pool coverage for children whose families do not have access to employer-based coverage. The new program, ChildLINK, does not impose new financial obligations on parents. Rather, it simply shifts their duty from an obligation to pay cash medical support to an obligation to pay health insurance premiums. Unlike typical government insurance programs, ChildLINK offers a free-market solution to the problem. And it comes at no cost to the taxpayers because parents, not government, pay the monthly premiums.”

Greg Abbott was one of 13 Attorneys General who filed suit against the Affordable Care Act.

 

Immigration

Greg Abbott joined 8 other Attorneys General in filing an amicus brief in favor of Arizona’s Senate Bill 1070, the strictest and most controversial anti-immigration bill in the nation, after the US Department of Justice filed suit against Arizona regarding its constitutionality.

 

Equal Rights

“Texas law defines marriage as an institution between one man and one woman. Attorney General Abbott has fought efforts to undermine Texas’ law and the basic family structure in our state. He understands that traditional marriage is the cornerstone for a strong and stable family.”

 

Gun Rights

Greg Abbott continues to protect 2nd Amendment rights by preparing to challenge potential federal laws that limit gun rights.

 

To visit Greg Abbott’s website, click here. 

On the Issues: Texas Candidates for US Senate

Who in the world are these people? What in the world do they believe in?

I’m so happy you asked!  Read on, my darlings! Read on!

David Alameel (Democrat)

**The following information comes from David Alameel’s website. He has not yet held political office, so he has no voting record.**

 

Economy and Jobs

“The super-rich and mega-corporations have rigged the system in their favor.  They are pulling the strings of puppet politicians like John Cornyn and other Washington Republicans in favor of Wall Street – not hardworking Texas families.

“We need to stop sending politicians to Washington who care more about the bottom line of CEOs on Wall Street than working families in Texas.

“As Senator, David Alameel will advocate for:

• Forcing big corporations and Wall Street executives to pay their fair share in taxes.
• Creating good paying jobs in Texas that can’t be shipped overseas.
• Taking big banks to court when they ruin our economy, not giving them another bailout.
• Ending tax breaks for corporations that ship American jobs to places like China and India
• Raising the minimum wage so families can work with dignity, put food on the table and keep a roof over their heads.
• Extending unemployment insurance benefits to the long-term unemployed
• Ensuring tough enforcement of equal pay laws which helps all of our families”

 

Military & Defense

“David Alameel is a veteran and strong supporter of the United States military.

“However, after twelve years it’s time for us to leave Afghanistan, bring the troops home and use the hundreds of billions of dollars we are spending there to help rebuild America.

“We need to redirect those resources back here at home to:

• Create good paying jobs that can’t be shipped overseas
• Ensure a quality education for all Texas children, not just the privileged few
• Protect Social Security and Medicare”

 

Social Security & Medicare

“Social Security and Medicare are promises to the seniors who worked hard, paid into the system all their lives and made our country what it is today.

“In the Senate, David Alameel will always honor that promise because he understands that our seniors have earned a dignified retirement.

“He vows to NEVER cut Social Security and Medicare and will fight any attempt by Washington politicians like John Cornyn to turn these programs over to Wall Street and privatize them.”

 

Education

“As a father, David Alameel believes that the best investment we can make is in a quality education for ALL children, not just the privileged few.

“That is why he has been part of numerous non-profits that provide scholarships to young Texans who work hard in school.

“As a Senator, David Alameel will continue to fight for education funding to make sure that our children get the world class education they deserve in order to compete in the increasingly global economy.”

 

Health Care

“David Alameel believes in a woman’s right to choose and that politicians or the government should not interfere in these deeply personal decisions that should be made by a woman, with her family, her doctor and her God.”

 

Immigration

“David Alameel supports the DREAM Act and comprehensive immigration reform that is both humane and respectful of our laws.

We can’t let a problem become a tragedy, especially for the hundreds of thousands of children born or raised in America who live in a twilight zone of uncertainty for themselves and their families.

We need to create:

• A faster track toward a program of lawful work permits.
• A responsible roadmap to citizenship for law abiding and hardworking people who have no criminal record and are only asking for a fair opportunity.”

 

Equal Rights

“Dr. Alameel will always fight to protect Roe v. Wade, which the Supreme Court set as the law of the land decades ago, from Washington politicians who are seeking to undermine the basic rights and freedoms of millions of Texas women.

“Furthermore, in the United States Senate, Dr. Alameel will demand equal pay for equal work between men and women. In the 21st Century, there is no excuse for discrimination in the workplace or for U.S. Senators like John Cornyn who voted against the commonsense Lilly Ledbetter Act.  David Alameel would be a proud vote in favor of this important legislation.”

 

John Cornyn (Republican)

**The following comes from John Cornyn’s campaign website, press releases, and his voting record.

 

Economy and Jobs

“To jump start the economy, [John] Cornyn has introduced plans to live within our means by reforming our convoluted tax code, ease Washington regulations on Texas businesses, and tap into the abundant energy resources we have here at home.”

John Cornyn voted against the Paycheck Fairness Act, against the Minimum Wage Fairness Act, against the Employment Non-Discrimination Act of 2013, against the Bring Jobs Home Act, against the Lily Ledbetter Fair Pay Act of 2009, against the Equal Pay Bill of 2008, and against increasing the minimum wage.  He voted multiple times against extending unemployment benefits and he voted against low-income home energy assistance.

 

Military & Defense

“[John] Cornyn is committed to ensuring a strong military that has resources necessary to meet the challenges our nation faces and preserve our way of life for the next generation of Texans.”

John Cornyn voted against the GI Bill and Other Domestic Provisions, against establishing mandatory minimum rest periods between deployments for members of the regular and reserve components of the armed forces. He voted against increasing housing assistance to veterans, against additional funding for counseling, mental health & rehabilitation services for veterans, and against increasing funding for the Veterans Health Administration in order to account for inflation and changes in the number of veterans using the health services.

 

Social Security & Medicare

“The biggest driver of our unsustainable national debt is entitlement spending, and these programs will remain in jeopardy for future generations of Texans until necessary reform is enacted. [John] Cornyn supports and has voted for a responsible plan to preserve and protect these programs for Texas’ seniors and poor, ensuring solvency for Texans to come.”

 

Education

“[John] Cornyn believes Texas children are most likely to succeed when their parents and teachers are in control of their education, not Washington bureaucrats.”

 

Health Care

“[John] Cornyn believes that [the Affordable Care Act] must be repealed and replaced with patient-centered reforms that lower costs and increase access. Under the Affordable Care Act, Texans continue to face skyrocketing premiums, employers are abandoning plans to expand and laying off workers, and Washington politicians – not patients and their doctors – are making treatment decisions.”

Cornyn co-sponsored a bill prohibiting federally-funded abortion services as well as the Partial-Birth Abortion Ban. He “continues to fight against the use of any federal dollars to subsidize abortions and most recently helped to block an amendment to the Defense Authorization bill that would have allowed abortions at military hospitals” (Sen. Cornyn Statement on 2011 March for Life).

Cornyn voted against the State Children’s Health Insurance Program (CHIP) Reauthorization, against authorizing the importation of FDA-approved drugs from Canada, and he voted to allow pharmaceutical companies to delay the release of generic drugs.

 

Immigration

“Texas is uniquely situated in the debate over how to reform our nation’s immigration system. [John] Cornyn believes the first step in reforming our immigration system is securing our border with Mexico and respecting the rule of law. [John] Cornyn believes a biometric entry-exit system should be implemented, and Texas employers must have a rock-solid way of verifying the status of workers they hire. He believes we must expand the number of visas we provide to include both those with advanced degrees in STEM-related fields, as well as those working in labor-intensive industries like construction.”

John Cornyn voted to complete the fence along the US-Mexico border, and he voted against the DREAM Act. He voted to declare English as the national language of the USA, and he voted to redirect $198 million in funding away from the US Coast Guard to be used instead for increasing the number of beds in detention centers for undocumented immigrants.

 

Equal Rights

“[John] Cornyn believes in the fundamental, unbreakable Texas values that have strengthened our families and communities for generations. A lifelong believer in traditional marriage [i.e. marriage between one man and one woman], John Cornyn has fought to protect the institution of marriage first as a judge, then as Attorney General, and as Senator.”

John Cornyn voted against the Employment Non-Discrimination Act, against the reauthorization of the Violence Against Women Act, and he voted to prohibit individual states from recognizing marital status and/or legal benefits from any other unions other than that of a man and a woman.