Jared Polis in CampusElect.org 2018 Gubernatorial coverage


On Abortion: Fund Planned Parenthood; require insurers' contraception

Q: Abortion: Mostly ban or mostly legal?

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.

Source: 2018 CampusElect.org Issue Guide on Colorado Governor race Oct 9, 2018

On Drugs: Treat marijuana like alcohol; end Drug War on states

Q: Keep marijuana legalization?

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.

Source: 2018 CampusElect.org Issue Guide on Colorado Governor race Oct 9, 2018

On Education: Increased across-the-board funding and preschool for all

Q: Increase funding for K-12 education?

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."

Source: 2018 CampusElect.org Issue Guide on Colorado Governor race Oct 9, 2018

On Energy & Oil: Increase regulatory incentives for renewables

Q: Consider climate change a critical threat, so limit the levels of greenhouse gases in the atmosphere? Support participation in U.S. Climate Alliance, a coalition of states committed to climate change action?

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."

Source: 2018 CampusElect.org Issue Guide on Colorado Governor race Oct 9, 2018

On Families & Children: Supports same-sex marriage

Q: Support LGBT rights?

Jared Polis (D): Yes. Supports same-sex marriage & would be 1st openly gay governor in US.

Walker Stapleton (R): Unknown.

Source: 2018 CampusElect.org Issue Guide on Colorado Governor race Oct 9, 2018

On Government Reform: More limits on campaign donations; more donor disclosure

Q: Require political ads to disclose their largest funders?

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.

Source: 2018 CampusElect.org Issue Guide on Colorado Governor race Oct 9, 2018

On Government Reform: Investigate voter suppression; prohibit gerrymandering

Q: Support the 2 ballot measures to amend the Colorado constitution to explicitly prohibit gerrymandering?

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.

Source: 2018 CampusElect.org Issue Guide on Colorado Governor race Oct 9, 2018

On Gun Control: Ban bump stocks; end black market gun sales

Q: Support more restrictive gun control legislation? Restrict semi-automatic weapons?

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.

Source: 2018 CampusElect.org Issue Guide on Colorado Governor race Oct 9, 2018

On Health Care: Improve ObamaCare; work toward universal single-payer system

Q: Support or Repeal ACA, aka ObamaCare? Accept ACA's Medicaid expansion to subsidize low-income participants?

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.

Source: 2018 CampusElect.org Issue Guide on Colorado Governor race Oct 9, 2018

On Immigration: Restore DACA: Don't cast 1M aspiring Americans into shadows

Q: Support DACA, allowing "Dreamers" who arrived illegally as children, then grew up in the US, to achieve legal status if meet certain conditions? Support path to citizenship for America's 11 million illegal immigrants?

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.

Source: 2018 CampusElect.org Issue Guide on Colorado Governor race Oct 9, 2018

On Jobs: Expand collective bargaining, instead of "right-to-work"

Q: Enact "right to work" law, eliminating the right of unions to mandate dues for workers they represent?

Jared Polis (D): No. "Protect & expand collective bargaining rights while actively opposing attacks on organized labor."

Walker Stapleton (R): Unknown.

Source: 2018 CampusElect.org Issue Guide on Colorado Governor race Oct 9, 2018

On Jobs: Let municipalities raise local minimum wage

Q: Raise the minimum wage above $7.25/hour?

Jared Polis (D): Yes. Also let municipalities raise the minimum wage in their area.

Walker Stapleton (R): Unknown. But generally opposes regulation of business.

Source: 2018 CampusElect.org Issue Guide on Colorado Governor race Oct 9, 2018

On Tax Reform: Repeal Trump's tax cuts

Q: Support President Trump's proposed tax cuts?

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."

Source: 2018 CampusElect.org Issue Guide on Colorado Governor race Oct 9, 2018

On Technology: Support net neutrality: free exchange of ideas on internet

Q: Net Neutrality: Support requiring internet providers to provide equal access to all users?

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.

Source: 2018 CampusElect.org Issue Guide on Colorado Governor race Oct 9, 2018

The above quotations are from CampusElect.org 2018 Campus Election Engagement Project.
Click here for other excerpts from CampusElect.org 2018 Campus Election Engagement Project.
Click here for other excerpts by Jared Polis.
Click here for other excerpts by other Governors.
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Page last updated: Jun 21, 2020