J.D. Jordan
Election Information:
Party:
Democrat
District:
56
Office:
State Senate
Contact Information:
http://forthe56.com
http://x.com/forthe56
Survey Responses:
S = Support
O = Oppose
NR = No Response
O = Oppose
NR = No Response
|
Life
|
S | O | NR |
|---|---|---|---|
1.Prohibiting Abortion: Prohibiting abortion after a baby’s heartbeat is detected, with limited exceptions such as to save the mother’s life or in cases of rape or incest. |
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 |
|
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.Transparency in Banking: Allowing consumers to obtain a written explanation when a financial institution shuts down the consumer’s account to protect against ideologically driven cancellations. |
X | ||
7.Privacy in Financial Giving: Protecting confidential donor information so individuals are able to privately support charities and causes of their choice without fear of being doxed. |
X |
Candidate's Comments:
In the context of personal responsibility, there’s no inherent conflict between holding certain religious beliefs and performing a legal job that may challenge those beliefs because individuals can maintain personal convictions while respecting the autonomy of others. Religious beliefs often guide personal behavior and morality, but when someone takes on a job, especially in a diverse society, they are serving the broader public under laws that protect everyone’s rights. In this view, an individual is responsible for their own choices, but not for controlling or limiting the choices of others. For example, a healthcare provider with religious objections to certain medical procedures can still perform their job ethically by understanding that their role is to support the decisions of others, even if those decisions conflict with their personal beliefs. By separating personal morality from professional duties, they respect others’ rights to make their own informed choices without imposing their beliefs. This approach recognizes that a pluralistic society requires people to sometimes engage with actions or decisions they may not personally agree with, while still upholding the legal and ethical standards of their profession.
|
Family
|
S | O | NR |
|---|---|---|---|
8.Parental Rights in Gender Identity Counseling: 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 | ||
9(a).Protected Class for Sexual Orientation: Elevating “sexual orientation” to a protected class alongside race, religion, sex, age, and disability in nondiscrimination law. |
X | ||
9(b).Protected Class for Gender Identity: Elevating “gender identity” to a protected class alongside race, religion, sex, age, and disability in nondiscrimination law. |
X |
Candidate's Comments:
Allowing people to become their best selves means ensuring that everyone has the support and opportunities they need to navigate their own unique challenges, including those related to gender identity. Access to professional counseling is crucial for individuals with gender identity issues because it provides a safe, supportive environment for them to explore their feelings, understand their identity, and make decisions about their lives. This helps them develop the confidence and self-awareness needed to live authentically, which is essential for personal growth and well-being. Counseling offers guidance without judgment, empowering individuals to take control of their own lives and become the best version of themselves. At the same time, not discriminating on the basis of sexual orientation or gender identity is vital because discrimination denies people the dignity and respect that everyone deserves. When we acknowledge that each person is only in control of their own identity and life choices, it becomes clear that everyone should be free to live according to their true selves without facing prejudice. Discrimination limits people’s ability to reach their full potential by marginalizing them and denying them opportunities, whether in employment, healthcare, or social life. Upholding equality in these areas fosters a society where all individuals can thrive, contribute, and be their best selves, free from fear or judgment.
|
Education and Public Safety
|
S | O | NR |
|---|---|---|---|
10.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 | ||
11.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 | ||
12.Parental Rights in School Healthcare Disclosure: Directing schools to inform parents of any mental, physical, or emotional health information and treatment that a child is receiving at school. |
X | ||
13.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:
Several of these questions combine separate issues. School voucher programs hurt public schools by diverting public funds, leading to reduced resources and worsening educational quality for students who remain. Public schools still face fixed costs despite losing per-pupil funding, which can result in larger class sizes and fewer programs. Voucher programs also increase segregation, as private schools can select students, leaving disadvantaged communities behind. Research, such as studies in Indiana and Ohio, shows that students using vouchers often perform worse academically, and the programs contribute to racial and socioeconomic inequality in education. Respecting students' choices of names and pronouns is essential because it honors their autonomy and individuality. In the framework of mutual respect, each person is responsible for their own identity and expression, and no one should impose their views on others. For teachers, using a student’s chosen name and pronouns is a simple but powerful way to show respect. This fosters a supportive learning environment where students feel valued and understood, which is critical for their emotional well-being and academic success. When teachers respect these choices, it models respect for others' autonomy, helping create a culture of inclusion and dignity for all. Schools should be cautious about mandating parental notification of a child's mental, physical, or emotional health information and treatment, especially when it concerns sensitive topics like gender identity, mental health struggles, or personal issues. While parents have a natural interest in their child's well-being, the principle of bodily autonomy and individual privacy is also important. In some cases, notifying parents may put the child at risk if the family environment is not supportive, potentially leading to harm or rejection. I trust professional teachers and libraries, and recognize that schools serve as a safe space for students to encounter and engage with challenging ideas, preparing them for a diverse world. Providing parents with detailed curriculum information ensures transparency and allows them to be informed about what their children are learning. However, allowing parents to opt their children out of mandatory content could undermine the educational mission of exposing students to a broad range of ideas and perspectives.
|
Health and Welfare
|
S | O | NR |
|---|---|---|---|
14.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 | ||
15.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 | ||
16.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:
From the perspective of opposing government overreach and supporting personal bodily autonomy, both the right to abortion before fetal viability and access to physician-assisted suicide for terminally ill patients are grounded in the belief that individuals should have control over their own bodies and life decisions without excessive government interference. For instance, since the fetus cannot survive outside the womb before viability (about 28 weeks), decisions regarding the pregnancy primarily affect the woman’s health, body, and life. Imposing restrictions on abortion would represent government overreach by taking away a person’s control over their reproductive choices and bodily integrity. In the case of terminally ill patients, bodily autonomy means that individuals should have the right to decide how they face their end-of-life situation. Allowing physician-assisted suicide, with proper safeguards, respects the individual's right to make informed decisions about their own body and life. Both issues are matters of personal choice and control over one’s own body.