Tyler Thomas Bridges - Freedom Voter Guide

Party:

Democrat

District:

11

Office:

State House or Assembly

bridgesford11.com

BridgesforD11

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:

I support the Right to Choose. If one has a terminal illness, then they have right to choose assisted suicide. I support a mother to choose an abortion or not. I am a white male and truly have no say in a women's discussion with her doctor. I support an abortion after 6 (a heart beat is detected) weeks of pregnancy because most women won't even know by then. I would not support unwarrented (atopic or illness) abortions after 22 weeks. Which is the time a unborn child can survive outside the womb. I also support our dollars to keep women safe and have the option to choose because if we don't then only the rich and powerful will be allowed the access. Just like we should be giving condoms and other contraceptives out. Thank you for your questions.

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:

I believe that if you operate an organization that serves the public, you should treat all customers equally, regardless of their religion, political affiliation, or sexual orientation. An organization should not refuse service to someone simply because they attend a mosque, church, or synagogue, or because they are Muslim, Christian, Jewish, Republican, Democrat, gay, or straight. At the same time, if an organization is open to the public, it should be expected to follow the same laws, regulations, and licensing requirements as every other organization. The rules should be applied fairly and consistently to everyone, without special treatment or discrimination based on religion, politics, or any other protected characteristic. Equal treatment means both equal access and equal accountability. No one should be denied service because of who they are or what they believe, and no one should be exempt from the laws and standards that apply to everyone else.

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:

I believe parents have the primary responsibility to care for and guide their children, and they should not lose custody solely because they choose to raise their child in a manner consistent with the child's biological sex, provided the child is treated with love, respect, and without abuse. I also believe that major, long-term decisions regarding gender identity and medical interventions should be made when an individual is old enough to fully understand the lifelong consequences. Parents should be able to seek professional counseling for a child who is experiencing gender-related questions or distress without fear of being labeled abusive or losing their parental rights. At the same time, I do not support conversion therapy or any counseling that is coercive, abusive, or intended to shame or force a particular outcome. Those practices have caused real harm and have no place in caring for children. I support ethical, evidence-based counseling that prioritizes a child's overall mental health and well-being, helps families communicate, and provides support without pressure or abuse. My position is that children deserve compassion and care, parents deserve the ability to seek appropriate professional guidance, and every family should be treated with fairness under the law.

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:

I oppose using tax credits, vouchers, or education savings accounts to fund private or religious schools. Public tax dollars should be used to strengthen our public education system, which is accountable to taxpayers and serves all students. Families should absolutely have the freedom to choose private or religious education if they wish, but I believe those choices should not come at the expense of funding for public schools that educate the vast majority of children in our communities. I also oppose policies that prevent schools from requiring the use of a person's requested pronouns. I believe schools should foster an environment of mutual respect and professionalism for everyone. While people may hold different personal or religious beliefs about gender, I believe treating others with dignity and respect is an important part of living and working in a diverse society. My focus is on creating classrooms where every student can learn in a safe and respectful environment while protecting the rights of all individuals under the law. I support requiring schools to keep parents informed about significant mental, physical, or emotional health information and services their child is receiving at school. Parents are ultimately responsible for their children's well-being, and they should have access to important information so they can make informed decisions, provide appropriate support, and work collaboratively with educators and healthcare professionals when needed. I oppose this proposal because I believe public schools should provide a consistent education that is developed by qualified educators and approved through the established public process. While parents should be kept informed about their child's progress and have opportunities to communicate with teachers, allowing individual families to opt students out of specific lessons or presentations based on personal objections could disrupt instruction and create inconsistent educational experiences. Schools should remain transparent and engage parents, but they must also ensure that all students receive a well-rounded education that prepares them to participate in a diverse society.

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:

I oppose this proposal because every profession comes with responsibilities and expectations that employees agree to fulfill when they accept the job. In nearly every field, if someone is unwilling or unable to perform the essential duties of their position, they may not be hired or may no longer be qualified to remain in that role. I believe health care should be held to the same standard. While I respect that individuals have deeply held personal, moral, or religious beliefs, patients deserve timely access to lawful medical care, and employers should be able to expect employees to perform the essential functions of the jobs they choose to accept. I oppose this proposal because I do not believe the government should be creating policies that focus on inspecting or regulating people’s bodies. Whether someone is a man or a woman, I believe individuals should be treated with dignity and respect without the government becoming involved in personal matters in this way. I am concerned that these types of laws represent unnecessary government overreach and create a focus on private physical characteristics rather than addressing issues of safety, conduct, and equal treatment. The focus should be on ensuring respectful behavior and protecting everyone, not creating intrusive rules about people’s bodies.