Tamara Grove's Issue Positions (Political Courage Test)
Office:
- State Senate (SD) - District 26, Republican
On The Ballot: Running, Republican for State Senate (SD) - District 26
Key
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This candidate has responded to a Political Courage Test in a previous election. As a continued effort to provide the American public with factual information on candidates running for public office, these archived responses are made available here.
South Dakota State Legislative Election 2024 Political Courage Test
| Pro-life | a) Do you generally support pro-choice or pro-life legislation? | ||
| No | b) Do you support legalizing abortion when the pregnancy resulted from incest or rape? | ||
| Yes | c) Do you support the prohibition of public funds (e.g. Medicaid) for organizations that perform abortions? | ||
| b If a mother's life is in jeopardy, then abortion is a necessary option that should be discussed with her family and doctor. In the case of incest or rape (which is less than 1% of abortions), the life of the mother and the baby should be considered. As a person who was conceived through rape, I believe that there are more options than abortion. I have entered No because I think that laws need to define what is acceptable (trimester, the health of mother, age of mother, etc). The more extensive conversation needs to be: how do we, as a community, walk with the person who has been assaulted? How do we (the community) enter into this crisis and lovingly assist the victims in recovery? Having an abortion isn't the end of the healing, in fact, it could cause more harm. | |||
| Yes | a) In order to balance the budget, do you support limiting state government spending on social programs (e.g. SNAP, TANF)? | ||
| Yes | b) Do you support a decrease in income taxes in order to promote economic growth? | ||
| No | c) Do you support a wealth tax in order to pay for public programs in your state? | ||
| Yes | a) Do you support capital punishment for violent crimes? | ||
| Yes | b) Should an individual under 18 accused of a violent crime be prosecuted as an adult? | ||
| Yes | c) Do you support the enforcement of federal immigration laws by state and local police? | ||
| No | d) Do you support the use of private prisons? | ||
| No | e) Do you support mandatory minimum sentences for nonviolent drug offenders? | ||
| No | f) Should South Dakota legalize cannabis use, possession and distribution for those 21 and older, with some restrictions? | ||
| f) currently, we cannot afford the negative impacts of legalizing cannabis for recreational use. Bad actors have proven themselves to be solely governed by personal financial gain. Products sold on shelves marketed as candy and chips containing THC levels far above the legal limit was a marketing strategy focused on children. These things happened only because of the loophole in the 2018 Farm Bill and our unprepared governing systems. The only way a real recreational cannabis conversation should occur is under a very heavily regulated market, and even then, I am concerned. For every $1 earned, $4.50 is spent on policing, medical, etc. I supported medicinal marijuana, but I believe we were betrayed. Our current system of regulating and policing is very weak. It needs to be strengthened through good legislation that protects those prescribed the drug and the SD farmers who diligently grow the crops. | |||
| Yes | a) Do you support state government spending as a means of promoting economic growth (e.g. grants, tax incentives)? | ||
| Yes | b) Do you support reducing state government regulations on the private sector (e.g. for business or the environment)? | ||
| No | c) Do you support an increase of the minimum wage of South Dakota? | ||
| Yes | d) Do you support government spending on affordable housing projects in South Dakota? | ||
| c) minimum wage negatively impacts the poorest among us. When small businesses cannot afford to pay their employees, who are considered low-skill, they are the first to lose employment. This may cause reduced hours. When small business owners cannot afford to pay the wages, they may keep an employee but cut their hours, thus negatively impacting their overall income. It also leads to price increases on goods and services that ultimately impact the poorest in the community. | |||
| No | a) Do you support adopting federal education standards (e.g. Common Core) in South Dakota? | ||
| Yes | b) Do you support state funding for charter schools? | ||
| Yes | c) Do you support increasing teacher salaries AND/OR benefits in South Dakota? | ||
| No | d) Should immigrants in the United States who graduate from South Dakota high schools be eligible for in-state tuition at public universities, regardless of immigration status? | ||
| Yes | a) Do you support state funding for the development of renewable energy (e.g. solar, wind, geo-thermal)? | ||
| Yes | b) Do you support state governments allowing permits for drilling on public lands? | ||
| Yes | c) Do you support increasing state funding for clean drinking water initiatives? | ||
| No | d) Do you support the transfer of zoning for pipelines from county commissioners to the Public Utilities Commission? | ||
| b) Yes, if the landowner agrees, if it impacts South Dakotans directly, if South Dakotans have an affordable remediation process. Eminent Domain should be applied very rarely and must serve a public purpose. | |||
| Yes | a)Do you support limiting campaign contributions from corporations, unions, and individuals? | ||
| Yes | b) Do you support the use of an independent or bipartisan commission for redistricting? | ||
| Yes | c) Do you support requiring a government-issued photo identification in order to vote at the polls? | ||
| No | d) Do you support automatic voter registration? | ||
| No | e) Do you support the implementation of ranked choice voting in South Dakota? | ||
| No | a) Do you generally support gun-control legislation (e.g. red flag laws, closing the boyfriend loophole)? | ||
| No | b) Should background checks be required on gun sales between private citizens at gun shows? | ||
| Yes | c) Do you support the right to concealed carry in South Dakota? | ||
| The 2nd Amendment was written for a reason and must be protected. | |||
| Yes | a) Should the state government increase funding for treatment facilities to combat opioid abuse? | ||
| No | b) Do you support a government-run (e.g. single-payer) healthcare program such as Medicare-for-All? | ||
| No | c) Should an individual have the right to choose to die (e.g. those with a terminal illness) through euthanasia? | ||
| No | d) Do you support mandating vaccinations (e.g. for school or employment)? | ||
| No | e) Do you support expanding paid family AND/OR medical leave benefits (e.g. maternity leave)? | ||
| Yes | f) Should the government be able to regulate the cost of prescription drugs? | ||
| Yes | g) Should the state legislature be able to establish work requirements for individuals who are eligible for Medicaid under the expansion of the program that voters approved in 2022? | ||
| Several state-funded rehab centers in South Dakota offer various levels of care for substance use disorders, including opioid addiction treatment. We have an Opioid Abuse Advisory Committee that helps guide the strategic response to the opioid crisis, including the use of settlement and grant funds. I believe we should leave funding increases for treatment centers in the hands of the Advisory Committee. If they request more funding and it is available, we should respond favorably to their requests. | |||
| No | a) Do you support inclusion of sexual orientation in South Dakota's anti-discrimination laws? | ||
| No | b) Do you support the inclusion of gender identity in South Dakota's anti-discrimination laws? | ||
| No | c) Do you support greater efforts by South Dakota's state government in closing gender, racial, and other wage gaps? | ||
| As a BIPOC individual, I am fully capable of earning my position at "the table" through hard work and perseverance. | |||
| Liberty, truth, and community. As Senator of District 26, I will prioritize defending our First and Second Amendment rights. I will protect the lives of the unborn. I will ensure that SD farmers and ranchers have opportunities to expand, keep their lands safe, and seize new markets and cash crop opportunities. I believe that our strength comes from strong families and robust small business ownership. I will diligently work to ensure that small business owners have what they need to open their doors and succeed without the government standing in their way through limited government and fiscal responsibility. I will protect individual rights, parental rights, traditional family values, and religious freedom. I will defend civil liberties. I will demand government transparency and defend local government controls. I will listen when people ask for help to keep their communities safe and do all I can to preserve their way of life. I will advocate for all of District 26 and the people of SD, in SD Under God the People Rule. |
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