Charles Booker in 2020 KY Senatorial race

On Abortion: Women have the right to choose; Roe v. Wade must be upheld

Charles firmly believes that women have the right to make healthcare decisions that affect their own bodies, and that no government may restrict that right. He believes thatÿRoe v. Wadeÿis the law of the land, and should be upheld. Source: 2020 Kentucky Senate campaign website BookerForKentucky.com Jun 17, 2020

On Crime: Supports criminal justice reform to address racial bias

Charles is focused on reforming the criminal justice system to address the racial bias and disparities that disproportionately criminalize and incarcerate poorer communities and people of color. Charles will support legislation to end cash bail, address racial bias in risk assessments, and lead on broader pre-trial reform. He will push for reforms that prevent unnecessary sentence extensions due to technical violations, and he supports automatic expungement upon completion of a sentence. Source: 2020 Kentucky Senate campaign website BookerForKentucky.com Jun 17, 2020

On Drugs: Legalize cannabis and expunge records related to it

Charles fully supports full legalization of cannabis. Charles is standing for Kentuckians to support commutation of sentences and expungement of records related to cannabis. Charles supports direct economic investment and entrepreneurial resources in communities disproportionately harmed to make sure they are not blocked out of new industries that come from legalization. Source: 2020 Kentucky Senate campaign website BookerForKentucky.com Jun 17, 2020

On Energy & Oil: Kentucky should lead the way to a green new deal

Charles is a father to two girls and wants to build a future in which they thrive. That means addressing the climate crisis by reducing our dependence on fossil fuels that emit greenhouse gases, and building the economy on clean, renewable sources of energy.ÿ Charles supports a Green New Deal, and believes that Kentucky--one of the largest coal-producing states in the country, and one whose economy has been rocked by the decline of the fossil fuel industry--must take the lead. Source: 2020 Kentucky Senate campaign website BookerForKentucky.com Jun 17, 2020

On Gun Control: Supports gun control; background checks; no assault weapons

Charles has lost five family members to gun violence. Gun violence is a public health crisis. In the Kentucky General Assembly, he has sponsored gun safety legislation while opposing policies to allow permitless concealed carry in Kentucky, and mandatory arming of School Resource Officers. As a Senator, Charles will support mandatory universal background checks for all gun purchases and enforcement of wait times. He will ensure that weapons of war are not used to devastate neighborhoods. Source: 2020 Kentucky Senate campaign website BookerForKentucky.com Jun 17, 2020

On Health Care: More expensive to do nothing than implement Medicare for all

As a Type 1 diabetic, Charles is intimately familiar with the realities of the American healthcare system. He believes that no one should die because they don't have money in their pocket, a conviction that he gained from being in the position of choosing between buying groceries for the week or a refreshed supply of life-saving insulin. Our system is broken, and people are dying because of it. When it comes to our health care system, the most expensive option is doing nothing and continuing to pay twice as much as any other industrialized nation on earth. Universal coverage is worth fighting for--and frankly, it's something that Kentuckians want.ÿThe increase in coverage that accompanied Medicaid expansion in Kentucky saved thousands of lives by providing people with healthcare for the first time and simultaneously drove one of the most significant economic expansions in rural Kentucky in recent decades. Medicare for All will build on that success. Source: 2020 Kentucky Senate campaign website BookerForKentucky.com Jun 17, 2020

On Immigration: Supports path to citizenship for undocumented

Charles supports immigration reform with a pathway to citizenship for young people and adults. Charles would support legislation that makes it illegal to separate children from their families at the border, end the "Remain in Mexico" policies, require the Administration to properly process asylum claims, reassess legal immigration quotas, codify Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals and Deferred Action for Parents of Arrivals, and create a path to citizenship for undocumented immigrants. Source: 2020 Kentucky Senate campaign website BookerForKentucky.com Jun 17, 2020

On Welfare & Poverty: A universal basic income will address racism and poverty

Charles is running to end the cycle of generational poverty. He supports a universal basic income as a strategy to end to the structures of our economy--including structural racism--that keep people in poverty. Kentucky's poverty rate is higher than the average. A universal basic income will provide poor Kentuckians the financial means and autonomy to make decisions to better their lives. Charles believes that a guaranteed basic income should not be means-tested, and should not be restricted. Source: 2020 Kentucky Senate campaign website BookerForKentucky.com Jun 17, 2020

On Health Care: Has diabetes & rationed insulin: need Medicare for All

Booker sits furthest to the left in terms of health care, which he often describes as a "human right" that shouldn't be a financial burden. He said he fully favors a version of a single-payer system but has not specified which precise plan he supports. "When I was diagnosed with diabetes, there were times when my family was forced to ration my insulin just to survive," Booker said. "No one's life should be at risk because they don't have money in their pocket. We need Medicare for All." Source: Louisville Courier Journal on 2020 Kentucky Senate race Feb 11, 2020

The above quotations are from 2020 Kentucky Senatorial race: debates and news coverage. Click here for other excerpts from 2020 Kentucky Senatorial race: debates and news coverage. Click here for other excerpts by Charles Booker. Click here for a profile of Charles Booker.
*Charles Booker on other issues:*
Abortion Budget/Economy Civil Rights Corporations Crime Drugs Education Energy/Oil Environment Families Foreign Policy Free Trade	Govt. Reform Gun Control Health Care Homeland Security Immigration Jobs Principles Social Security Tax Reform Technology War/Peace Welfare
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Page last updated: Nov 30, 2020