Jared Polis (D): Legal. Strong pro-choice advocate.
Walker Stapleton (R): Mostly ban, with exceptions for rape, incest and life of mother. Won't say if he'll sign abortion restriction bills.
Q: Let employers withhold contraceptive coverage from employees if disagree with it morally?
Polis: No.
Stapleton: Unknown.
Q: Let Planned Parenthood receive public funds for non-abortion health services?
Polis: Yes.
Stapleton: Unknown.
Jared Polis (D): Yes. The only candidate who supported legalization in 2012. Treat it like alcohol. Opposes Justice Department's war against states with legalization.
Walker Stapleton (R): Unknown. But is concerned about unintended consequences of legalization, including mental health issues.
Jared Polis (D): Yes. Advocates for increased across-the-board funding and preschool for all. Has also supported related levies and bonds and will continue to do so.
Walker Stapleton (R): Yes. But "it is critical to ensure that these dollars actually make it into the classroom."
Q: Support recent teachers' strikes?
Polis: Yes. Stop underpaying teachers, "instead of criminalizing [their] right to.demand fair compensation."
Stapleton: Unknown.
Q: Education: Support providing vouchers or tax breaks to parents to send their children to private schools with public money?
Polis: "I've voted against vouchers every time they've come up in Congress. I don't support diverting funds from public schools to private schools. Period."
Stapleton: Yes. Advocates "school choice" and believes "each student that gets . $10,000 in funding should take that money .& .do whatever they want."
Jared Polis (D): Yes to limiting greenhouse gases. Supports participation in Alliance. Introduced "100 by `50 Act" to transition to 100% clean and renewable energy by 2050.
Walker Stapleton (R): No to limiting greenhouse gases. Says a major reason he is running is to "offer a full-throated defense of the state's oil-and-gas industry against [those] that want it regulated more tightly."
Q: Support government investment in renewable energy?
Polis: Yes. Increase regulatory incentives for energy efficiency & renewables.
Stapleton: No. Favors "free enterprise & open & competitive marketplace."
Jared Polis (D): Yes. Supports same-sex marriage & would be 1st openly gay governor in US.
Walker Stapleton (R): Unknown.
Jared Polis (D): Yes. Co-sponsored DISCLOSE Act requiring full disclosure of independent expenditures.
Walker Stapleton (R): Unknown.
Q: Support Citizens United decision, allowing unlimited political donations from corporations and unions?
Jared Polis (D): No. Has consistently sought to get campaign finance reform bills through Congress.
Walker Stapleton (R): Unknown.
Jared Polis (D): Yes. Strongly supports.
Q: Voting Rights: Support stricter voting rules such as voter ID requirements or reduced registration times, even if they prevent some people from voting?
Polis: No. Voted to restore voting rights protections. Signed letter to Trump condemning stricter voter rules & asking to investigate voter suppression.
Walker Stapleton (R): Unknown on both.
Jared Polis (D): Supports gun rights for defense & sport, but would ban bump stocks, end black market gun sales, temporarily suspend dangerous people's access to firearms, & increase gun safety.
Walker Stapleton (R): No. Wants to repeal 2013 gun control laws & will oppose all efforts to limit guns. Supports letting law enforcement seize weapons from people deemed a threat.
Jared Polis (D): Keep ACA and improve it. Work toward universal single-payer system. Believes Medicaid expansion in Colorado has been an enormous success.
Walker Stapleton (R): Repeal ACA & end Colorado's ObamaCare exchange. Shrinking Medicaid expansion would be among main changes he'd champion.
Jared Polis (D): Yes. "Outraged" .by Trump's "callous & short-sighted decision" to end DACA & "cast nearly 1 million aspiring Americans back into the shadows." Supports earned path to citizenship for other illegal immigrants, combined with increased border protections.
Walker Stapleton (R): Has said supports Trump proposals, which gave DACA recipients legal status but not path to citizenship in return for building the wall and tightening legal immigration. Has also supported deporting anyone in the country illegally.
Jared Polis (D): No. "Protect & expand collective bargaining rights while actively opposing attacks on organized labor."
Walker Stapleton (R): Unknown.
Jared Polis (D): Yes. Also let municipalities raise the minimum wage in their area.
Walker Stapleton (R): Unknown. But generally opposes regulation of business.
Jared Polis (D): No. "I proudly wrote the bill to repeal @RealDonaldTrump's tax giveaways [to the wealthy]."
Walker Stapleton (R): Yes. "I was the only treasurer in the country with the courage to support Donald Trump's tax cuts."
Jared Polis (D): Yes. "To compete in the global economy, we need an internet that allows for free exchange of ideas."
Walker Stapleton (R): Unknown.
The Republican nominee, of course, lacks the backing of the state teacher's union, which endorsed Polis this month. But in the primary, the Colorado Education Association ran an attack ad against Polis.
"Our members share Jared's concern that too many communities don't have the resources they need for every child to succeed," the president of the Colorado Education Association said. "We have created 'haves and have-nots' among our children, and nowhere is that more apparent than with our youngest students who don't receive the same level of quality early childhood education. Jared impressed us with his strong commitment to give all kids a great start and better prepare them for a successful lifetime of learning."
VERDICT: This is TRUE. Polis is supportive of single-payer health care. Calling it radical is opinion.
The ad refers to a bill introduced in January 2017, H.R. 676, "Medicare for All." It essentially creates a free health care system for all U.S. citizens. Polis signed on as a cosponsor of the bill in April 2017. No Republicans have put their name on this legislation.
Polis said common-sense measures are needed including the banning of military-style weapons, not allowing access to guns to those who have temporary restraining orders and allow for the Centers for Disease Control and others to conduct gun violence research. He added that saying there's no easy solution is not an excuse for inaction.
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The above quotations are from 2018 Colorado Gubernatorial race: debates and news coverage.
Click here for other excerpts from 2018 Colorado Gubernatorial race: debates and news coverage. Click here for other excerpts by Jared Polis. Click here for other excerpts by other Governors.
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