2017 School Board Survey

SEX EDUCATION
The Washington State Legislature passed ESSB 5297 in 2007 requiring school districts to teach scientifically accurate, comprehensive sex education, if they teach sex ed at all.  While the law states specifically that "abstinence may not be taught to the exclusion of other materials and instruction on contraceptives and disease prevention," school districts are still free to choose from the many programs available to use, such as these federally reviewed.  See also the 2012 Congressional report: A Better Approach To Teenage Pregnancy Prevention: Sexual Risk Avoidance for important insights on effectiveness.  Will you as a school board member do all within your power and authority to promote age appropriate, life-respecting sex education curricula?

In December of 2015, the Washington State Human Rights Commission adopted an administrative rule (WAC 162-32-060) that directs all pubic accommodations, including those in schools, to allow students to use gender-segregated facilities such as bathrooms, gym locker rooms and showers, and overnight trip accommodations according to the user's gender identification, not their biological sex.  The result of this policy will be experiences for children that are not developmentally appropriate.  See Transgenderism: A Pathogenic Meme.   More information here.  What is your position on school facilitation of transgenderism?

SCHOOL CLINICS
Should school board policy allow the on-site dispensing of birth control drugs or devices, give abortion counseling, or provide referrals to off-site abortion facilities?  See the 2010 incident that received widespread news coverage involving a Seattle area in-school clinic that set up an abortion for a 15-year-old high school student with neither her parents’ knowledge nor consent. 

SCHOOL CHOICE

The Supreme Court in Zelman v. Simmons-Harris (2002), held that Ohio's school voucher law did not violate the First Amendment's establishment clause.  It states, "the Ohio program is entirely neutral with respect to religion. It provides benefits directly to a wide spectrum of individuals, defined only by financial need and residence in a particular school district. It permits such individuals to exercise genuine choice among options public and private, secular and religious. The program is therefore a program of true private choice" and "the program does not offend the Establishment Clause."   In addition, State Rep. Liz Pike of the 18th District has introduced HB 2063 to allow scholarship tax credits.   HB 2063 would allow lower-income families to send their children to an approved private school of their choice.  Twelve other states currently have similar laws enacted.   See the current SCOTUS case Trinity Lutheran Church of Columbia, Inc. v. Comer here on whether excluding religious options from public-aid programs violates the First Amendment’s free-exercise clause and the Fourteenth Amendment’s equal-protection clause.  Regarding Washington State's Blaine Amendment prohibiting state funds from going to religious institutions, see here, here, and here.  What is your position regarding the use of school vouchers, tax credits or other methods of increasing school choice in Washington State? 

ABORTION
Even dedicated proponents of abortion acknowledge that life begins at conception.  What do you believe?  Does a unique human life begins at conception? 

The 14th Amendment states "nor shall any state deprive any person of life, liberty or property without due process of law; nor deny to any person within its jurisdiction the equal protection of the laws." The Supreme Court in Roe v. Wade, 1973, stated that "if this suggestion of personhood is established, the appellant's case, of course, collapses, for the fetus' right to life would then be guaranteed specifically by the [14th] Amendment."  The Court regrettably concluded though that "we need not resolve the difficult question of when life begins. When those trained in the respective disciplines of medicine, philosophy, and theology are unable to arrive at any consensus, the judiciary, at this point in the development of man's knowledge, is not in a position to speculate as to the answer."  Do you believe that the right to life of the unborn child is guaranteed by the 14th Amendment?

Is taking the life of a pre-born child through abortion ever morally permissible?  Check all that apply:

Do you support parental notification and/or consent before a minor (under 18 years of age) could have an abortion?  A judicial bypass of parents would be allowed when necessary.  A 2013 poll commissioned by Human Life WA, found Washington State voters are widely supportive of laws requiring "parental involvement" in abortion decisions for girls under the age of 18 (62-29% with just under 10% undecided).  Read a summary of the results here.  Do you support:

Notification?

Consent?
 

PLANNED PARENTHOOD
The nation's biggest abortion provider, Planned Parenthood, in the 2015-2016 fiscal year received $555 million in tax payer funding and aborted 328,348 babies.  Planned Parenthood is active in Oregon school districts, where their representatives have been allowed to regularly address students in both Portland and Salem.  Opposition has been firm and articulate (segment begins at 12:44).  Should Planned Parenthood be allowed to make presentations to students or provide literature, birth control chemicals or devices, or abortion services?

RECREATIONAL MARIJUANA
Recreational marijuana was legalized in Washington State in 2012 by Initiative 502.  The drug though is still banned federally, and considered dangerous by many, including the FDA, the AMA, and The American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry.  The White House Office of National Drug Policy opposes the legalization of the drug for public health reasons.  Citizens against Marijuana Legalization (CALM) states "The normalization, expanded use, and increased availability of marijuana in our communities are detrimental to our youth, to public health, and to the safety of our society."  The Alaska Association of Police Chief describe some of the negative aspects of legalizing the drug here.   For additional dangers see here.  For an extensive report by the National Academy of Sciences (Jan 2017) see here.  What is your position on the legal production, processing and sale of recreational marijuana in Washington State?

QUALIFICATIONS

Please state your professional experience, community involvement, education, family successes and other qualifications for a school board position.

POLICY POSITIONS
You may state here any policy positions you have in relation to the office you are seeking:
 

May Life PAC post your returned survey on our website?  Your response is only posted with your permission. 

Please give your campaign web address if you have one: