US WYO Senate race questionnaire answers

A questionnaire was sent to the following candidates for the 2020 election consisting of these questions:

1. How should Wyoming address the COVID-19 pandemic for the rest of 2020 and 2021?
2. What do you think the role Wyoming has in providing free COVID-19 testing and vaccines to its citizens?
3. How will you keep college students here in Wyoming once graduated?
4. How will you make education as free as possible in Wyoming according to the constitution?
5. What is the common ground between Black Lives Matter and Blue Lives Matter? How do we get there?

Here are each of the candidate’s responses:

(R) Cynthia Lummis:

1. In the wake of COVID-19, it is more important than ever that we work to get our economy back on track while ensuring the health and safety of Wyoming citizens. I believe individual states and local communities are in the best position to make decisions about how to stop the spread of COVID-19 while making certain Wyoming businesses can keep their doors open for the long term. On the national level, it is imperative that we enact President Trump’s ‘America First’ agenda which includes bringing the development and manufacturing of essential products back to the U.S. and bolstering energy production. 
2. The COVID-19 pandemic has required unprecedented actions at the local, state and federal level to ensure the health and safety of all citizens. I support the actions taken by both Governor Gordon and President Trump to get critical PPE’s, testing kits and therapeutics to Wyoming hospitals, communities and citizens. Governor Gordon has used funding from the CARES Act to make free, at home COVID-19 testing kits available to all Wyoming citizens. President Trump wisely established “Operation Warp Speed” early on with the goal of producing and delivering 300 million doses of safe and effective vaccines by January 2021. 
3. Wyoming is uniquely positioned to be a nationwide leader in new and innovative technologies that will create thousands of jobs for our state over the next decade. Whether its opportunities within bitcoin and blockchain technology, exploring new ways to harness our energy resources, or ensuring that our beautiful landscape flourishes, Wyoming truly has a bright road ahead for our graduates. Among the many things we must do to harness these opportunities, Wyoming needs to continue to build out dependable broadband, expand access to vocational and higher education opportunities, and cultivate an environment to become ground zero for new energy technologies.
4. Free higher education is not a right enumerated anywhere in the U.S. or Wyoming Constitution. As a three-time graduate of the University of Wyoming, I understand how important affordable access to higher education is. I support proposals like the HERO Act which would give states the ability to create their own accreditation system and partner with companies to create apprenticeship programs to accelerate undergraduate coursework while allowing them to get business experience. This bill would also hold universities partially responsible for student loan defaults. These factors, together, would dramatically drive down tuition costs.
5. This is an important moment where we can and should stand as the Pledge of Allegiance states, “as one nation, under God, indivisible, with liberty and justice for all.” I support all Americans’ constitutional right to peacefully assemble and share their grievances. At the same time, the continued service and commitment to public safety offered by local law enforcement is essential. Police go to work every morning and their families don’t know if they are going to come home. I support efforts like the JUSTICE Act which will help make meaningful reforms in law enforcement training and use of force. 

(D) Merav Ben-David

1. My first priority is to pass the HEROES Act, given that it contains crucial funds for small businesses and the Wyoming state government. I also support additional stimulus checks of $2,000/month for every American from now until the end of the pandemic. Every Wyomingite can help by wearing a mask. It is important to protect the vulnerable people around us and be as safe as possible. Wearing a mask is one of the best things we can do to prevent the spread of COVID-19. They are a minor inconvenience compared to the number of lives they help save.
2. Every single state should offer regular COVID testing entirely free of charge. An eventual COVID vaccine must also be entirely free of charge. The better that we can track and prevent the virus, the safer we will all be. Regardless of income, every citizen of Wyoming deserves a COVID vaccine and tests, so we can beat this together. But the burden shouldn’t fall on Wyoming to cover these costs on its own. The federal government must support testing and vaccination efforts both organizationally and financially.
3. The fact that so many of our young people are leaving Wyoming – many of my own students included – is a testament to our decades long failure to economically diversify and provide new jobs in new industries. This isn’t a problem we’ll be able to solve overnight, but we can start by improving our infrastructure and rural healthcare system so that folks in Wyoming have access to a higher quality of life. That in turn will improve our state’s business climate, because more people will want to come work here.
4. I will support laws that reduce student loan burdens and bolster our higher education system, so as to deliver top-notch instruction in the sciences and the arts and to fuel scientific discovery. Just as importantly, I will make sure that our K-12 schools are fully funded and properly resourced. That starts with passing the HEROES Act, which would bring $142 million in education funding to Wyoming.
5. The common ground is that neither group is well-served by the status quo. The way law enforcement gets trained right now does a disservice to both officers and communities of color. Training police to be warriors then asking them to do work that should be done by social workers is not sustainable. We need to find alternatives for situations that don’t require an armed police presence. That helps police focus on their jobs, and helps communities feel safer.