41 Action News wants to help you make an informed decision during the 2020 Primary Election on August 4. We reached out to the campaigns for the U.S. House of Representative candidates in Kansas' District 3. Here's where the Republicans stand on the issues.
Note: We did not receive a response from Amanda Adkins, Mike Beehler, and Sara Hart Weir.
Question: Gov. Laura Kelly recently announced a requirement for people to wear masks in public. Do you believe wearing masks should be a requirement, recommendation or neither?
Question: What role should local and state health officials play in the response to the COVID-19 pandemic?
Question: Should locally-owned small businesses receive a higher priority for CARES Act funding than publicly traded or multinational corporations?
Both candidates surveyed answered "Yes."
Question: As part of the CARES Act, the current unemployment insurance program provides an additional $600 weekly benefit on top of the state’s benefit. It is set to expire on July 31. Do you believe Congress should extend the additional $600 benefit?
Both candidates surveyed answered "No."
Question: Should the state direct a higher allocation of CARES Act funding to women or minority-owned businesses?
Both candidates surveyed answered "No."
Question: Do you believe Americans should receive a second $1,200 Economic Impact Payment, otherwise known as a stimulus check?
Both candidates surveyed answered "No."
Question: Considering the pandemic, do you believe K-12 classrooms should reopen in the fall?
Both candidates surveyed answered "Yes."
Question: Should parents be given the option of virtual classes for their children?
Both candidates surveyed answered "Yes."
Question: If students return to the classroom in fall 2020, do you believe they should be required to wear masks?
“I believe as with any virus it’s critical to quarantine the sick and protect the vulnerable. New York, New Jersey and some other states did the opposite resulting in 1,000’s of deaths. Children according to research are better off in school unless they are vulnerable. I’m concerned about the health of older vulnerable teachers particularly during the first or second month of school. Antibody tests, might reveal 'herd immunity'. So masks in the classroom may no longer be necessary after the first couple of months of school.”
“First and foremost, our country was founded on the principals of limited government, individual rights, and freedom. The biggest issue we face with a mandate on masks is not the current situation but the slippery slope of precedence that is created when we allow government mandates or any infringement on personal choice. That is why I am opposed to a mask mandate. With that said, with individual rights comes responsibility. Whether masks are effective or not, is not for me to say - I’m not a doctor. But I do know that they make some people feel safer. And in a world filled with hate, I choose to be kind. This is why I choose to wear a mask when I know I’ll be in close proximity to people.”
Question: Do you support the repeal of the Affordable Care Act?
“In an age of job mobility, technology and innovation Americans require health insurance that is affordable, portable, and highly personalized. We do not have a healthcare problem, we have health care COST. The Affordable Care Act is NOT affordable. Most of it has been gutted and now it needs to be replaced.”
“I believe the 6 to 7 million people with preexisting conditions should be placed in a pool that private insurance companies draw from.”
Question: Mark the mandates you support. Any mandate left unmarked will indicate you do not support it unless you check "Prefer not to answer."
| Tom Love | Adrienne Foster | |
| Must be performed by licensed physician | ||
| Must be performed in a hospital after a specified point in pregnancy | ||
| Gestational limits | ||
| State funding for abortions when the woman's life is in danger | ||
| State funding for abortions when the pregnancy is the result of rape or incest | ||
| Coverage by private insurance | ||
| Individual health care providers can refuse to participate | ||
| Public institutions can refuse to perform abortions | ||
| Private or religious institutions can refuse to perform abortions | ||
| State-mandated counseling before an abortion | ||
| Waiting period between counseling and the procedure | ||
| Ban all abortions | ✅ | |
| Prefer not to answer | ✅ |
Additional comments:
“Here’s 4 things I think are consistent with the Supreme Court rulings. 1. I believe a woman has a right to protect her life. 2. I also believe if a woman has been raped she should not be forced to have a baby. 3. American taxpayers should not be paying $600 million a year to Planned Parenthood. 4. Late term abortions and infanticide should be illegal.”
“First of all, I can not stress enough that in all cases one should always show sympathy to the mother. In regards to the baby: all life is precious and, by that, I mean it has an intrinsic value and dignity that should not and can not be determined by circumstance--even the most tragic. In the case of incest or rape, so much depends on the mother. There should be outrage at the violence of such acts and punishment to suit the crime but the answer should not be to answer the violence of rape with the violence of abortion. The woman's well-being (mental, physical, emotional, etc) is in a state of intensity that should be met with equal if not more intense love and understanding. The important thing is not to treat the resulting life as a curse or burden. There are many instances of people born from violent circumstances who lead edifying and succesful lives because they were given the chance. Mother's by nature make incredible sacrifices for their children. It may be that adoption is the course worth considering but the right thing will always be to nurture both lives.”
Question: Some cities are now discussing the process of defunding the police. The result would mean reallocating some funding to other forms of public safety and community support, including social services, housing, education and health care. Do you support defunding the police?
Both candidates surveyed answered "No."
Question: The Justice in Policing Act of 2020 would implement the following ways to reform policing and hold police officers accountable. Mark the mandates you support. Any mandate left unmarked will indicate you do not support it unless you check "Prefer not to answer."
| Tom Love | Adrienne Foster | |
| Ban racial & religious profiling | ||
| Ban no-knock warrants | ||
| Ban chokeholds | ||
| Mandate data collection on police encounters | ||
| Require body cameras | ||
| Limit military equipment used by police departments | ||
| Streamline federal law to prosecute excessive force | ||
| Establish independent prosecutors for police investigations | ||
| Prefer not to answer | ✅ | ✅ |
Additional comments:
“I support state and local control over police departments. Not the Federal government.”
“I support Senator Tim Scott's police reform bill. There are over 800,000 law enforcement officers in the United States. They make more than 10 million arrests a year, many of them under very difficult circumstances. Today, if one of those arrests goes wrong, the media and the Democrats are quick to not just blame the officer in question, but to smear his 800,000 brothers and sisters across the country. I know not all cops are good. I know that many police techniques are in need of reform, but I also know that the great majority of cops risk their lives on a daily basis to protect ours. We can't afford to lose them.”
Question: Do you believe the 1964 Civil Rights Act should protect gay, lesbian and transgender employees from discrimination based on sex?
Question: Should federal law protect LGBTQ people from discrimination when it comes to health care and health insurance?
“I agree with the Supreme Court who has made it clear that discrimination is illegal, and has also ruled in favor of protecting freedom of religion.”
“My answer to [these questions] is ‘No’ because none of the three options are satisfying. All people are protected from discrimination right now. These are very complicated issues.”
Question: The U.S. Supreme Court recently ruled in favor of the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals, or DACA. Do you agree or disagree with the U.S. Supreme Court’s decision?
Question: Mark the mandates you support. Any mandate left unmarked will indicate you do not support it unless you check "Prefer not to answer."
| Tom Love | Adrienne Foster | |
| Repealing criminal penalties for people apprehended while crossing the border | ||
| Banning sanctuary cities | ||
| Extending the wall along the U.S.-Mexico border | ||
| Increasing funding for the U.S.-Mexico border | ||
| Eliminating the Visa lottery | ||
| Implementing a merit-based entry system | ||
| Creating a path to citizenship for the current undocumented immigrants in the U.S. | ||
| Eliminating family detention for asylum-seekers while their claims are being processed | ||
| Limiting family detention for asylum-seekers while their claims are being processed | ||
| Prefer not to answer | ✅ | ✅ |
Question: Should undocumented immigrants be covered under a government-run health plan?
“The US Supreme Court on its recent DACA decision stated that President Trump did not have the legal standing to end DACA. The Supreme Court did not hold up the legality of the DACA program. It is now in Congress' hands. It is an honor and privilege to be a US citizen. We do not give this up for free. The rule of law has been ignored for far too many years in the United States. Securing our borders and protecting our country from foreign enemies is one of our primary responsibilities in Congress.”
“We need a comprehensive immigration and border security plan. A merit based system would help improve our economy. We obviously need to secure our border with a wall and other means along with laws consistent with that purpose. And at the same time we need to allow particularly DACA children, who have attended our schools, a path to citizenship. There are honest hard working people who haven’t broken the law and have been here for decades. I would like to see them at the top of the list when the border is secure.”
Question: What is the most important issue of this election?
“Honestly? Campaign Finance Reform. Candidates should only be allowed to accept contributions from registered voters within their district. That will drain the ‘swamp’!”
“The economy.”
