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Healthcare
X
Economics
3.67
Candidate Name
Travis Gearhart
District
State House District 4
Values
Grade
Values
Party
Libertarian
Experience
Challenger
Grade
Democracy
4.00
Accessibility
X
Governance
4
Cost
Choice
X
X
Freedom
Voting
4
X
Community
X
B+
Overall Grade
Education
2.50
Affordability
Equity
Opportunity
4
3
4
Environment
Public Safety
Inclusion
X
X
X
Stability
Funding
Belonging
3
2
X
Notable Information
Candidate Name
Candidate for:
State House District 4
Libertarian
Challenger
Notable Information
MADVoters Survey Responses
Healthcare: The Big Beautiful Bill is projected to cut $31 billion from Indiana’s Medicaid funding, including almost $13 billion in hospital funding, over the next decade. What will you do if elected to ensure healthcare affordability and access given these changes? (Source: Indiana Hospital Association)
Since Illinois (2020) and Michigan (2019) legalized recreational cannabis use they have brought in almost 4 BILLION dollars in tax revenue. That's BILLION, with a B. The fact that our current state legislature would rather create more toll roads and entertain raising taxes on the struggling voters while outright dismissing this option and letting the surrounding states reap these benefits is, in my opinion, short sided and antiquated. Certainly this isn't a "magic bullet", but finding alternative means of funding while the government continues to ignore the needs of the average voter is something that will NEED to happen. We can't let Hoosiers' health suffer. In tandem, I believe that putting pressure on our Congressional members from inside the State Legislature is of the utmost importance, and also another reason I don't believe that either of the major parties, who abjectly refuse to berate their own party members for their legislative failures, are the answer to fixing what is wrong in all levels of government.
Economics: AI and data centers are having a huge impact on jobs and communities across the nation, particularly in Indiana. What is Congress’s role in addressing this developing technology? What action will you take to hear and represent the concerns of Hoosiers on this topic?
Economics: Dozens of AI data centers are planning to come to Indiana, drawn by the state’s “business-friendly” reputation. How should Indiana manage these large industrial site proposals and their potential impact on communities? (Source: Citizens Action Coalition)
First, on day one, I would draw up a bill to do away with the tax breaks for these companies. If it is truly good for our communities then they can come to the communities themselves and work with their economic development committees and come up with their own deals. Me, personally, I am not a fan of data centers. They use up resources that are already quickly going away, are often noisy, and don't create hardly any jobs. There are a lot of things that we need to look at, and these companies make plenty of money. They don't need help. What a lot of towns are doing, and I think Portage IN is a good town to look towards for how to handle these data centers, is to reform what constitutes "industrial" areas, and take into account neighboring communities.
Education: Describe your stance on the Department of Education and its role in education administration, funding, and protections for students with disabilities.
Education: Since 2012, Indiana has spent over $5.5 billion in taxpayer dollars on charter schools and the private school voucher program. If elected, would you support or oppose the use of taxpayer dollars to funding private schools and charter schools? Why or why not? (Source: ICPE)
I am not against charter schools and private school voucher programs IN PRINCIPLE. But I think there is a very important issue with the program, and that is that they are not expected to perform at the same level, and at the same degree, as public schools. If I live in an area where my school is suffering, for whatever reason; perhaps the class sizes are too large, I've had negative experiences with teachers perhaps, there could be any host of reasons. If I want to take a portion of MY tax dollars and move my child to an environment that better suits him or her, and that happens to be a charter or private school, then yes; those are MY tax dollars, and believe in that liberty, that individual autonomy as a parent and as a tax payer. However, the reality is that these schools more often than not turn away "problem" children, whether that is academically or behaviourally, and so their "numbers" always look so much better. Also, this naturally takes money away from public schools, which are already hurting; so to me, the best and only way to do this is to put stricter and more stringent restrictions on what constitutes a school where I, the tax payer, would be able to take those monies. And they MUST be held at the same standard, and I think that, as I feel about any organization which takes government monies, be open to systematic and random audits to make sure that those funds are being used in the manner that they are supposed to.
Democracy: In your opinion, what is the biggest challenge or threat facing our democracy right now? If elected, what will you do to help overcome this challenge or threat?
I think our rights and civil liberties are under constant attack, and I believe that neither of the major two parties actually care about changing that. Their goal is always just to get elected and re-elected. Whether its the flock cameras violating our Constitutional right to privacy, or the attacks by the Trump administration regarding birthright citizenship, or the importation of foreign workers at lower wages while we have so many unemployed or, worse, UNDERemployed people via H1B Visas, or the never ending foreign entanglements from BOTH parties...there's a lot to overcome, and I could continue on and on and on with all of the problems with sound money, taxation, the overwhelming amount of people in prison... but as the old saying goes, "Rome wasn't built in a day". We MUST find a way to root out big money, corporate interests, foreign interests, and buck the two party system. It's a tall order, but I like to say I feel like we're planting seeds of trees we won't see the shade of.
Community: Describe your stance on ICE and its role in immigration enforcement and detention.
Community: What role or responsibility do local and state governments have with regards to immigration enforcement?
Under the Supreme Court's anti-commandeering doctrine, the federal government cannot require states or local governments to use their personnel or resources to enforce federal immigration law. There are two ways to fix illegal immigration. The first, put teeth into laws making employers do the proper checks while they are in the hiring process. The second, do not allow ICE to operate within the state as they are undertrained and antagonistic. If an illegal immigrant is arrested for a crime, that is a different situation, and that should be handled accordingly. This idea that illegal immigrants are voting in our elections is completely false, and yes some have managed to get on forms of government assistance but that amount is still far less than all of the corporate subsidies and the amount spent on unprovoked war so I'll worry about that small amount once the bigger problems are fixed.