John Snow
Election Information:
Party:
Democrat
District:
39
Office:
State Senate
Contact Information:
SnowWASenate.com
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:
I support prohibiting the government from denying licensure or certification to individuals based on their religious or political beliefs, as personal views should not hinder someone's professional opportunities. Licensure should be grounded in qualifications and merit, not in personal ideologies. However, I oppose exempting faith-based organizations from regulations that cause them to violate their religious beliefs because this could lead to discriminatory practices, especially against marginalized groups like LGBTQ+ individuals. All organizations providing public services must uphold nondiscriminatory principles to ensure equal access. I support allowing consumers to receive a written explanation when a financial institution shuts down their account, as transparency is essential in preventing unjust actions and maintaining trust. Consumers deserve clarity when dealing with such important financial matters. Additionally, I support protecting confidential donor information to safeguard individuals from potential harassment or retaliation for supporting charities or causes they believe in. Ensuring privacy encourages free expression and support for causes without fear of being doxed or targeted.
|
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:
I oppose allowing parents to obtain professional counseling for a child struggling with gender confusion with the explicit goal of helping the child find comfort with their biological sex. This type of therapy often aligns with "conversion therapy" practices, which have been widely discredited by major medical and psychological organizations. Such practices can cause significant harm to children and young people, leading to increased rates of depression, anxiety, and other mental health issues. Instead, counseling should focus on supporting the child in exploring their gender identity in a safe, affirming, and non-coercive environment. I support elevating "sexual orientation" and "gender identity" to protected classes alongside race, religion, sex, age, and disability in nondiscrimination law. Discrimination based on sexual orientation and gender identity is a pervasive issue, and protecting these groups ensures that individuals are treated equally in employment, housing, education, and public services. These protections are crucial for creating an inclusive society where everyone, regardless of their identity, can live free from discrimination and have equal opportunities to thrive.
|
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:
I oppose allowing the use of tax credits, vouchers, and/or education savings accounts to cover the cost of attending private religious schools. Public funding should be directed towards public education to ensure equitable access to quality education for all students, regardless of their family’s financial situation. Diverting funds to private or religious schools can undermine public education and reduce the resources available to the students who need them most. I also oppose protecting teachers and students from being forced to refer to a person by inaccurate pronouns that do not align with the person’s sex. Everyone deserves respect, and using the correct pronouns is a matter of basic human dignity. Refusing to refer to someone by their chosen pronouns can contribute to a hostile and unwelcoming environment, particularly for transgender individuals, and should not be supported in educational settings. Regarding schools informing parents of mental, physical, or emotional health information, I support parents being involved in their child's well-being, but there must be protections in place for students who may not feel safe disclosing certain information to their families. Schools should balance parental rights with the safety and privacy of students, ensuring that students have access to the support they need without fear of retaliation or harm at home. I oppose giving parents the ability to opt their children out of certain lessons or activities that they object to. While transparency in education is important, allowing parents to selectively opt out their children can create gaps in knowledge, particularly around essential subjects like science, history, and inclusivity. Curriculum decisions should be made by educators to ensure students receive a well-rounded and comprehensive education.
|
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:
I oppose prohibiting abortion after a baby’s heartbeat is detected because it imposes severe restrictions on women’s reproductive rights. The detection of a heartbeat can occur around six weeks into pregnancy, often before many women even know they are pregnant. This severely limits their ability to make informed decisions about their own healthcare. While exceptions for cases like rape, incest, or to save the mother’s life are important, they are too narrow and fail to account for the wide range of medical complexities that can arise. I support allowing taxpayer dollars to fund organizations that provide abortion services because these organizations offer critical reproductive healthcare, including cancer screenings, contraception, and maternal health services. Defunding such organizations would disproportionately harm those in underserved areas who rely on them for essential healthcare. Finally, I support allowing voluntary physician-assisted suicide for terminally ill patients, as it provides individuals the choice to end their suffering on their own terms, with dignity and medical oversight. This policy is rooted in compassion and respect for personal autonomy while safeguarding vulnerable populations from coercion.