EVENTS
March 21, 2024 - Centennial Center
STATE SENATE CANDIDATE FORUM/DEBATE - AZ DISTRICT LD-1
Ken Bennett & Steve Zipperman. Mark Finchem cancelled the morning of the event.
LIST OF CANDIDATE QUESTIONS
- #1 - Please introduce yourselves. I would ask that you include when/why you decided to run, and how you are a better choice than the other candidates.
- #2 - Explain what type of conservative you are?
- #3 - How is your campaign funded? Are you taking any PAC monies? If yes, list your PACs?
- #4 - What would you like to accomplish in the Senate? What are your 3/6/12 month objectives considering Mayes and Fontes presence, the veto power of Hobbs, and a thin margin in the AZ Legislature? How would you meet your objectives in that environment?
- #5 - What is your stance on reaching across the aisle to the democrats and how will you work with the different factions of the Republican Party to further legislation?
- #6 - What methods would you use to communicate with your constituents? How would you actively solicit input from your constituents?
- #7 - Democrats are very good at inserting themselves into Citizens Committees and acting as though the represent the majority. How would you ensure that the members of your Citizens Committees reflect the political demographics of the LD-1 District?
- #8 - Recently, some of our representatives took a trip to Israel in the middle of a legislative session, arranged for and paid for by democrats. Do you think that legislative junkets are appropriate, would have participated if asked, and why?
- #9 - What would you as a State Senator do about the UN's 2030 Sustainability Plan and its various permutations as proposed by the Biden Administration, for example - the 15 Minute City, Vision Zero, C40, for Yavapai County?
- #10 - Describe your specific stance on abortion and should Arizona make any changes to the current laws?
- #11 - Given our experience with COVID, what would you do legislatively in the face of a new pandemic?
- #12 - As you likely know, the Chinese are mining in the Bradshaw Mountains. We also had the proposed mine in CV, which was stopped by a local citizen. Every politician we speak with passes the buck and says they cannot do anything. What can you do to stop the current mining operations, and/or prevent repeats of this in our beautiful county?
- #13 - Much of state trust land is held to be sold for funding education in Arizona. Hobbs is requesting more funding for schools which could cause the sale of state trust land here in Yavapai County. Given that approximately 75K families have taken advantage of the ESA school voucher program and removed their children from public schools, can you please explain the deficit in school funding and would you advocate that trust land be sold to finance the governors request?
- #14 - In the sale of State Trust Land to the Private Sector, the Private Sector will want to recover their investment through income generating development which will lead to an increase in demand for water and a decrease in the water supply. What restrictons could the legislature enact to mitigate the impact on our communities?
- #15 - Public schools are hemoraging students to private, charter and home schooling, do you believe that we should reverse this trend or encourage it and how would you accomplish your position legislatively?
- #16 - What legislation would you propose to eliminate the indoctrination of our student though programs such as CRT, DEI, Trans and Gendering in Arizona Schools and refocus money and energy into real education. Or, do you think these programs a justified in our Public Schools?
- #17 - What do you believe are Arizonas biggest election integrity challenges right now and what do you believe can be done to ensure safe and fair elections starting in 2024?
- #18 - With all the censorship in social media do you believe there is anyting that can be done at the state level and what priority would you give it?
- #19 - With the potential for increase in the use of AI can the state legislature enact any laws to control the growth and application of this technology?
- LIGHTNING ROUND QUESTIONS
- #20 - Do you feel its appropriate for the State Legislature to control what is on food labeling? (Y/N)
- #21 - Would you be willing to sponsor an amendment to Arizona's Constitution prohibiting all references to and use of Equity, Diversity, Inclusion and Gendering in our state government? (Y/N)
- #22 - Would you introduce legislation to prevent foreign companies or countries from owning land, agricultural or otherwise, in Arizona? (Y/N)
- #23 - Do the ends justify the means? (Y/N)
- #24 - Will you vote to eliminate voting by U.S. mail, except in special cases and UOCAVA (military ballots)? (Y/N)
- #25 - Should Super PACS be banned? (Y/N)
- #26 - Are you beholden to any special interest groups? (Y/N)
- #27 - Would you be in favor of pay for performance for Arizona Teachers and Administrators. (Y/N)
- #28 - Would you be willing to buck a party position if it was a better constitutional choice? (Y/N)
- #29 - Would you draft legislation to criminally penalize any prospective candidate accepting Dark Money? (Y/N)
- MEMBERSHIP EMAIL QUESTIONS
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#30 - Mr. Zipperman - you spoke at a YCPT meeting on Jan 8, 2022 and you said the following: “I am not a politician. I am not a professional at this. I have a good skill set that I can apply to it. I tried working as a PC, a Precinct Committeeman. I wasn’t able to accomplish a lot of the things I thought maybe getting involved would allow me to do. I’m not the kind of person to sit back and do nothing. I wanna impact my world and fix some of these things that are wrong. So I went from that, to being a State Committeeman. That didn’t do any good either. Then I became the 1st Vice Chair of the Yavapai County Republican Party. I wasn’t able to effectuate the changes that I thought were necessary there either. And now, I’m looking at it and saying ‘how can I make a difference?"
You said you were unable to “effectuate change” in the party positions you served. As only one of 30 State Senators, how would you "effectuate change"?
- #31 - Mr. Bennett - there have been several bills recently where you voted against the majority of Republicans and effectively “rolled the Caucus”. For example, there was the vehicle/road tax bill… Rumors are flying around that you are a democrat posing as a Republican, or that you are trying to buy democrat votes. Will you please address these accusations and explain your stance on the bill in question.
- #32 - Are there any legislative solutions to the crisis at the southern border? And if so, what would you do?
- #33 - What do think about the AZ freedom caucus?
- #34 - State Bureaucracies are introducing regulations without legislative consent, effectively usurping the Senates' power. What would you do to restrict this abuse?
February 15, 2024 - Centennial Center
YOUR VOTE MATTERS!
November 30, 2023 - Centennial Center
Seminar on voting, state of law enforcement, and the internal workings of the FBI.
October 9, 2023 - Chino Valley Harvest Festival
