Dr. Jeff "Cog" Coggin - Freedom Voter Guide

Party:

Independent

District:

20

Office:

State House or Assembly

https://www.linkedin.com/in/tn-house-seat-twenty-independent-candidate-dr-jeff-%E2%80%9Ccog%E2%80%9D-coggin-usaf-retired-22542715/

https://www.instagram.com/cogcoggin/

Survey Responses:

S = Support
O = Oppose
NR = No Response

Life	S	O	NR
1. Protecting Life: Protecting the right to life of an unborn baby with a beating heart.	X
2. Taxpayer Funded Abortion: Allowing taxpayer dollars to fund organizations that provide abortion.		X
3. Physician-Assisted Suicide: Allowing voluntary physician-assisted suicide for terminally ill patients.		X

Candidate's Comments:

#1 & 2: I believe every human life is created in the image of God and deserves protection, including the life of an unborn child with a beating heart. #3: I believe every human life has inherent God-given dignity, and we should provide compassionate care, comfort, and support for the terminally ill rather than intentionally ending life.

First Amendment	S	O	NR
4. Conscience Rights for Professionals: Prohibiting the government from denying required licensure or certification to individuals because of their religious or political beliefs.	X
5. Conscience Rights for Faith-Based Organizations: Exempting faith-based organizations (e.g. adoption/foster care providers, private schools) from regulations that cause them to violate their sincerely held religious beliefs.	X
6. Prohibiting De-Banking/Insuring Based on Beliefs: Prohibiting financial institutions from shutting a customer’s bank account or canceling their insurance because of their religious or political views.	X

Candidate's Comments:

#4: I believe professional qualifications and conduct should be the basis for licensure, not an individual’s personal religious or political views. #5: I believe faith-based organizations should have space to operate in line with their convictions while still meeting core legal and ethical obligations. #6: I believe access to essential financial services should not be restricted because of someone’s beliefs, except where there are clear legal or risk-based concerns.

Family	S	O	NR
7. Protecting Kids from Social Media: Requiring platforms to by default prevent underage accounts without parental permission, preserve parents' authority when access is allowed, and remove addictive design features and data exploitation from underage accounts.	X
8(a). Parental Rights: Allowing parents to obtain professional counseling for a child struggling with gender confusion to help the child find comfort with his or her biological sex.	X
8(b). Parental Rights: Protecting parents from losing custody of their child solely because they treat their child consistent with his or her biological sex.	X

Candidate's Comments:

#7: I support stronger safeguards for minors online, including parental oversight, limits on exploitative design, and protections against harmful data practices. We must take all necessary actions to #ProtectOurChildren across all domains...Mind, Body, Spirit, and Cyber. #8(a): I support giving parents access to appropriate counseling resources while ensuring care for children is handled thoughtfully and without coercion. #8(b): I support protecting parental rights in custody decisions so long as a child’s safety and well-being remain the central consideration.

Education	S	O	NR
9. School Choice: Allowing the use of tax credits, vouchers, and/or education savings accounts to cover the cost of children attending the school of their parents’ choice, including private religious schools.	X
10. Free Speech at School: Protecting teachers and students from being forced to refer to a person by inaccurate pronouns that do not align with the person’s sex.	X
11. School Healthcare Disclosure to Parents: Requiring schools to inform parents of any mental, physical, or emotional health information and treatment that a child is receiving at school.	X
12. Transparency in School Curriculum & Activities: Giving parents access to the curriculum, presentations, and activities that their children are learning in school and allowing them to opt their children out of school extra-curricular activities, presentations, or specific lessons to which the parents object.	X

Candidate's Comments:

#9-12: Parental Rights must be protected/defended regarding the health, safety, and well-being of their children. We must be cautious not to destroy our nations' public education system by defunding or redirecting critical funding appropriations. However, we must ensure that every "Tax Payer Dollar" is being used efficiently and effectively for public education and school system performance must be evaluated objectively using data-driven metrics.

Health and Welfare	S	O	NR
13. Medical Rights of Conscience: Protecting health care workers from losing their jobs if they decline to participate in a procedure or treatment that violates their personal beliefs and conscience.	X
14. Women’s Privacy: Preventing males who identify as female from entering sex-separated spaces intended for females, such as showers, locker rooms, bathrooms, dormitories, women’s shelters, prisons, etc.	X
15. Protecting Pregnancy Centers: Ensuring pregnancy centers that provide life-affirming support to women and their families are not targeted or penalized by government officials.	X

Candidate's Comments:

#13: I believe health care workers should not be forced to participate in procedures that conflict with their deeply held moral or religious convictions, while ensuring patient care is still accessible. #14: I believe sex-separated spaces should be maintained to protect privacy, safety, and dignity, especially for women and vulnerable populations. #15: I believe pregnancy resource centers providing material and emotional support to women should be treated fairly and not penalized for offering life-affirming alternatives.