Cheri Koochel

Election Information:

Party: 
Democrat
District: 
107
Office: 
State House or Assembly

Contact Information:

cherikoochel4kansas.com
Koochel4Kansas

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:
As a professional social worker for 34 years I believe in an individuals right to self-determination. I may not agree or understand a person's view or belief but that is irrelevant when it comes to making policy and representing all of Kansas. We cannot know all the circumstances behind someone making the decision they do. Every person's situation is different. Respecting that the decision is the individuals and those that the individual chooses to consult with, pastor, partner, physician, counselor, etc. while politicians stay out of the situation/decision.
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:
Our laws, rules, and programs should be enforced equally and fairly. I am for freedom of religion, all religion.
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:
Families have a right to privacy and to make decisions that are best for them.
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:
Questions 11 and 12 are tricky for me. As a School Social Worker for 26 years I believe in a students right to privacy, self-determination. I also believe in a parents right to know what is going on at school. Both of these questions would need specific boundaries for me to totally support or oppose them. For example, parents need to know about curriculum, etc. in broad terms. For an educator to need parental approval regarding everything that is taught in a day is not realistic.
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