Candidate Directory
To view the Candidate Directory for the Tennessee District 32 Special Election, click here.
Ed Butler
House District41
New
Republican
Rickman
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?
Oppose
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?
Oppose
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?
Oppose
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?
Oppose
There is a school of thought that the Constitution is a “living” document, meaning its various provisions are evolving and should be interpreted in the context of contemporary societal mores. Would you support or oppose a nominee to the Tennessee Supreme Court if there is credible evidence that the nominee believes the state or federal Constitution should be viewed or interpreted as a “living” document?
Oppose
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.
The State government’s role is to provide an environment for businesses to grow, minimize burdensome regulations, help to reduce or eliminate compliance regulations, streamline licensing requirements, implement common sense environmental regulations and to encourage growth of small businesses.
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?
The voucher program provides competition to the public education system which holds them accountable and encourages them to provide a better public education.
What is one of the most satisfying things you have ever done or accomplished and what made it so satisfying to you?
Becoming a Father. One of the most challenging experiences in life, yet the most rewarding is watching as my children grow into their teen years to become productive God fearing young adults.
What personal qualities or experiences do you think will best serve you in your role as a state legislator?
My dedication and determination to persevere in all of the challenges in life. My hard work ethic will provide me the fuel to serve the citizens of my district to help create opportunities for the young people to return from college or trade school to raise their families in the communities in my district.
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 know it’s a minor that bill. HB1840 did not make it to the floor for a vote. However, It proposed increasing the requirements for fire sprinkler system in churches from 300 seats to 400 seats. As a fire sprinkler contractor I feel it necessary to require fire sprinklers in all church regardless of the seating capacity.
