Candidate Directory
To view the Candidate Directory for the Tennessee District 32 Special Election, click here.
Charlie Baum
House District37
New
Republican
Murfreesboro
SURVEY QUESTIONS
Would you support or oppose legislation that would prohibit abortion except when necessary to prevent the death of the mother?
Support
Would you support or oppose legislation that would make either sexual orientation or gender identity/expression a new protected class under Tennessee’s civil rights laws?
Oppose
Would you support or oppose a bill to amend Tennessee’s marriage statute to expressly authorize the issuance of marriage licenses to two people of the same sex?
Oppose
Would you support or oppose legislation that would establish a $15 per hour minimum wage in Tennessee?
Oppose
Would you support or oppose legislation to allow the state to defend public K-12 schools that are sued because they designate the use of locker rooms and bathrooms on the basis of biological sex instead of the gender by which a student identifies?
Support
Do you support or oppose the proposition, advanced by a certain business coalition, that the bill described in question 5 is “discriminatory” and “would harm our economy and damage our state’s reputation”?
Oppose
Currently, a majority of the Justices on the Tennessee Supreme Court select the state’s Attorney General and Reporter. Would you support or oppose an amendment to the state Constitution that allows the Legislature to elect the Attorney General and Reporter in the same manner that it elects the Secretary of State, Comptroller, and Treasurer?
Support
Would you support or oppose an amendment to the state Constitution that allows the Governor to appoint the state’s Attorney General and Reporter subject to confirmation by the Legislature, as now happens with the appointment of the state’s Supreme Court Justices?
Support
Would you support or oppose legislation, like Insure Tennessee proposed by Governor Haslam in 2015, that would expand Medicaid coverage in Tennessee beyond the Medicaid-eligible population?
Oppose
Do you support or oppose the decision by the state’s Department of Health to disregard the state’s current adoption laws and allow a child’s original birth certificate to show that the child has two mothers simply because one of the women is married to the child’s biological mother?
Oppose
Would you support or oppose a bill that would prohibit the state or local governmental entities from either giving preference to or discriminating against a business entity in awarding of grants or contracts based on whether the business has made sexual orientation or gender identity a protected status under its personnel policies, assuming that either of such statuses is not otherwise required by federal law?
Support
Would you support or oppose legislation to award all of Tennessee’s Electors in a presidential election to the Party of the candidate who wins the national popular vote?
Oppose
Do you support or oppose legalizing horse racing tracks in Tennessee at which bets can be placed on races?
Undecided
Would you support or oppose legislation to ensure that an adoption agency with a sincerely held belief that marriage is only one man and one woman would not lose its state license to make adoption placements if it only placed children in homes into which the marriage was of one man and one woman?
Support
ESSAY QUESTIONS
Explain your view of state government’s role in relation to economic growth and/or job creation.
When drafting and voting on legislation, government should consider (i) whether the legislation would reduce government regulations and government’s size, (ii) whether the legislation lowers taxes and government spending, (iii) whether the legislation encourages individual responsibility and responsible behaviors, (iv) whether the legislation increases opportunities and freedom, and (v) whether the legislation supports traditional values and supports traditional American families. Tennessee House members should promote efficient government and keep taxes low.
What are your thoughts about a parent of a child in a low performing public school being provided a voucher equal to the amount of the state’s per-student expenditure that would be applied toward the child’s private school tuition?
Charter schools already exist in many parts of the state, and I support them. Except for one experimental program, education vouchers are not in existence in Tennessee. I would support a pilot voucher program in a targeted area, such as Memphis. Charters and vouchers are particularly useful where schools are failing, but I do not think they are currently needed where public schools are succeeding, as in Rutherford County.
What is one of the most satisfying things you have ever done or accomplished and what made it so satisfying to you?
I am an economics professor at MTSU and I also serve as a Republican on the Rutherford County Commission. I have developed a reputation for being a conservative who works to keep property taxes low, eliminate wasteful spending, and reduce excessive government regulation. I would like to continue serving the citizens of our community by promoting conservative economic principles and family values in the state house.
What personal qualities or experiences do you think will best serve you in your role as a state legislator?
I would like to use my background in economics to (1) promote efficient government, (2) keep taxes low, and (3) limit the size of government. The outcome would be a stronger economy, faster job growth, more small businesses, and a higher quality of life for Tennesseans.
What bill that passed in the last General Assembly would you have voted against and why, or what bill that was not passed in the last General Assembly do you wish had passed and why?
I have served as a Rutherford County Commissioner since 2010. On the Rutherford County Commission, I voted against all property tax increases (even though some of them passed). I was one of only four commissioners (out of 21) who voted against increasing our county’s hotel/motel tax. As a commissioner, I would have preferred Rutherford County to avoid these tax increases by making budget cuts and delaying corresponding purchases by one or two years.