Bonner County Primary Elections - Voter's Guide

I’ll be honest, local elections are not nearly as exciting as national elections. There’s a lot less coverage, a lot less social media buzz, and generally a lot less interest. However, this is a backwards way of looking at things.

Local politics impact you and your family much more directly than do national politics, often without you even realizing it. Property taxes and some sales taxes are decided on the local level. Zoning laws and restrictions that direct what you can build and where are decided on the local level. Law enforcement and the tone of the police and sheriff departments are decided on the local level.

State and national elections are also very important but we must not overlook the importance of the local elections.

Something else that cannot be overlooked is the vital importance of your vote. Voting is a privilege and a responsibility. It is why we have a republican form of government, so that you and I can chose who will represent us. Our values, what we believe in, will never be represented in government if we do not participate in the process by voting.

Not only that, but especially in local elections, your vote counts in a big way. Last election cycle, a very conservative candidate lost to a very liberal candidate by less than 200 votes. The margins of victory are smaller than you may realize and your vote can be the difference necessary to see the correct principles advanced in our 

First, I’m going to list (for brevity’s sake) the races and the different candidates for each. My pick will be marked in blue. Scroll down past the short list to read my reasoning. I’ve done a lot of research and would not be putting this out there if I didn’t believe that these were the best candidates that we 

Unsure where to vote? Find your polling place 

Want to do your own research? May I strongly recommend checking out Project Vote Smart. They have tons of non-partisan, unbiased information on all current state and federal elected leaders.

Bonner County Commissioner - District 

- Todd Sudick (incumbent) (R) 

- Jeff Connolly (R)

Bonner County Commissioner - District 3

- Dan McDonald (R) 

- Lewis (Lewie) Rich (R)

Bonner County Sheriff 

- Daryl Wheeler (incumbent) (R) 

- Terry G. Ford (R)

Legislative District #1

State Senator

-Shawn Keough (R)

-Glenn Rohrer (R)

State Representative, Position A

-Heather Scott (R)

State Representative, Position B

-Bob Vickaryous (D)

-Sage Dixon (R)

Legislative District #4

State Senator

-Kristi Milan (D)

-Patrick Mitchell (D)

-Mary Souza (R)

State Representative, Position A

-Arthur Macomber (R)

-Luke Malek (R) (incumbent)

State Representative, Position B

-Tom Hearn (D)

-Paul Amador (R) 

-Kathleen Sims (R)

Legislative District #7

State Senator

-Ken Meyers (D)

-Sheryl Nuxoll (R) 

State Representative, Position A

-Priscilla Giddings (R)

-Shannon McMillan (R) (incumbent)

State Representative, Position B

-Paul Shepherd (R) Incumbent.

-Kris Steneck (R)

United States Senator

-Mike Crapo (R)

United States Representative - District #1

-Shizandra Fox (D)

-Staniela Nikolova (D)

-James Piotrowski (D)

-Isaac Haugen (R)

-Raul Labrador (R)

United States Representative - District #2

-Lisa Marie (R)

-Mike Simpson (R)

Idaho Supreme Court Justice

To Succeed: Jim Jones

-Curt McKenzie

-Clive J. Strong

-Robyn Brody

-Sergio Gutierrez

-Detailed Explanations:

Bonner County Commissioner - District 2

- Todd Sudick (incumbent) (R) Mr. Sudick was not my first choice when he ran the first time, however in the last several years he has grown into the commissioner position and gained a better understanding of the need for small government and increasing liberty.

- Jeff Connolly (R) Mr. Connolly does not seem to have much of an interest in decreasing the influence of the federal government in county issues. This attitude would not be in the best interest of Bonner County.

Bonner County Commissioner - District 3

- Dan McDonald (R) I have personally met and spoken with Mr. McDonald and I believe he has a solid handle on the issues and is grounded in freedom and Constitutional principles. I believe he will do an excellent job serving Bonner County as commissioner.

- Lewis (Lewie) Rich (R) As a past member of the Bonner County board of commissioners, Mr. Rich has a past and sadly many have developed a negative view regarding his trustworthiness. Past actions have also shown that making government smaller is not one of his priorities.  

Bonner County Sheriff 

- Daryl Wheeler (incumbent) (R) Sheriff Wheeler understands the role of a constitutional sheriff and believes strongly in protecting the rights of the citizens of his county. His strong stance on and deep understanding of the 2nd Amendment recommends him highly to the citizens of Bonner County.

- Terry G. Ford (R) There are some big concerns regarding Mr. Ford’s understanding of the 2nd Amendment, one of every citizen’s foundational rights. It’s a pretty basic concept that every leader we consider should understand fully.

Legislative District #1

State Senator

-Shawn Keough (R) A brief look at Ms. Keough’s voting record is ample evidence of her “un-conservative” convictions. For instance, Senator Keough voted against SB 1165, a bill that outlawed abortions after 20 weeks. She also voted against SB 1387 that requires women to have an ultrasound before having an abortion. She has made claims to being “strongly pro-life,” but as the old saying is - actions speak louder than words. Her votes against these measures that have been proven to reduce the number of abortions is unconscionable. The government’s job is to protect our God-given, inalienable rights and the first of those rights is “life.” If a politician is anti-life, they are anti-liberty and therefore have no business pretending to “protect” our other rights.

The Idaho Freedom Foundation rates candidates based on their votes throughout the session and rates them based on their “Freedom Index”. Senator Keough has consistently scored poorly on every issue from life to the economy. And sadly this year was no different from past years.

-Glenn Rohrer (R) Website All indications are that Mr. Rohrer understands the need for smaller government and abiding by the Constitution. He has solid positions on the state’s role (or rather, lack thereof) in business. Mr. Rohrer is a believer in the 2nd Amendment and claims to be pro-life. With a limited record, all we have to go on is his campaign rhetoric at this point, however Mr. Rohrer is the obvious choice when compared to his opposition.

State Representative, Position A

-Heather Scott (R) My vote would go wholeheartedly go to Representative Scott. I’ve had the pleasure of meeting her and was extremely impressed by her knowledge, passion and vision. She is by far the obvious choice for this office and it is my desperate prayer that she is re-elected. We need people like her in Boise! Her voting track record has been superb and she has fearlessly stood up to the status-quo and been unmoving in her dedication to Idaho’s people and the Constitution.

State Representative, Position B

-Bob Vickaryous (D) No information regarding this candidate. I will state, however, that anyone who is willing to run on the Democratic ticket (which is an implied agreement with that party’s platform) needs to study up on the Constitution before they deserve a vote.

-Sage Dixon (R) Mr. Dixon is the obvious choice for this position. He takes strong positions on important issues such as reducing the size of government and protecting individual rights. He is very knowledgeable and argues his positions not by opinion but by what our Constitution actually says. Sage Dixon being in the Idaho House has been a tremendous benefit to all Idahoans. He has remained true to his word and has proven it over and over again that he means what he says.

Legislative District #4

State Senator

-Kristi Milan (D) There is little information on this candidate’s website and what is there is not very detailed or informative. Her main drive seems to be education and more funding for public schools. 

-Patrick Mitchell (D)  No information regarding this candidate. I will state, however, that anyone who is willing to run on the Democratic ticket (which is an implied agreement with that party’s platform) needs to study up on the Constitution before they deserve a vote.

-Mary Souza (R) Website The Senator has a pretty decent record in the Senate and just this year was a co-sponsor of legislation put forward by Idaho Right to Life. She is also rated highly by the NRA for her pro-2nd Amendment stance. Her goal is to stop common core and move Idaho out of the Obamacare exchanges and to a free market solution.

State Representative, Position A

-Arthur Macomber (R) Website Mr. Macomber takes a strong stand on abortion and believes in life at conception. He is also for taking all state funding out of abortion which is a good thing. His position on the 2nd Amendment is mostly solid, my only concern is his caveat concerning mental health. Mr. Macomber is adamantly against opposed to Obamacare and the state exchange and believes that helping those in need is the responsibility of the individual and not the government. I also like the he holds the position that Idaho needs to get off the federal dole and become fiscally responsible. He’s good on education and anti-Common Core.

-Luke Malek (R) (incumbent) Some major concerns have developed with Representative Malek. His website talks a good game but his voting record has been far less than stellar. The biggest blot by far is his vote for Obamacare exchanges in Idaho. Another was his opposition to the “permitless carry” issue.

State Representative, Position B

-Tom Hearn (D) After viewing his mostly unhelpful website I found that Mr. Hearn agrees with “most, not all,” of the Idaho Democratic Platform. He failed to specify what exactly he disagrees with.

-Paul Amador (R) Most of Mr. Amador’s positions seem to be mostly solid, but again, without a record all we have to go on is his word. However, he seems to understand the proper role of government and emphasizes the need for government to “get out of the way” of business. His position on the 2nd Amendment is good aswell. My main concern is his lack of specificity especially in the areas of healthcare and education. 

-Kathleen Sims (R) With a 97% from the Idaho Freedom Foundation, Representative Sims comes highly recommended. She has co-sponsored several pro-life pieces of legislation and voted against Obamacare in Idaho. She’s also solid on the 2nd Amendment and has had a very good voting record during her time in the House.

Legislative District #7

State Senator

-Ken Meyers (D) The limited amount of information on this candidate makes it hard to decipher what his political beliefs actually are.

-Sheryl Nuxoll (R) Senator Nuxoll was a co-sponsor of the bill that gave Idaho permitless carry, has been rated a rare 100% by the Idaho Conservative Union, and has co-sponsored pro-life legislation. Her record is admirable and I hope to see her return to the Senate next year.

State Representative, Position A

-Priscilla Giddings (R) Ms. Giddings background is military and recently she “volunteered as an aide in the Idaho State Senate during the entire 2015 session. She was invited to go to Washington D.C. and help lobby for education programs that countered Planned Parenthood. After the legislative session ended, she accepted a position with U.S. Senator Mike Crapo as his Idaho campaign field director.” Judging from the information on her website, Ms. Giddings understands the proper role of government and the supremacy of the Constitution. She also gets the need to reduce the tax burden on Idaho and the importance of making sure our balanced budget law is followed. I like her stance on opening up Idaho’s lands that are currently federally controlled. My main reason for not picking Ms. Giddings is her lack of experience. Although I’d recommend keeping an eye on her in the coming years if she stays involved in Idaho politics.

-Shannon McMillan (R) (incumbent) Representative McMillan has been a strong conservative voice in the Idaho House. This last year she co-sponsored a bill that allowed the use of the Bible in schools and pro-life legislation. She got a 96% rating from the IFF and 93% from the NRA. My main reason for picking Rep. McMillan is her level of experience. It’s quite refreshing to realize that you really can’t lose either way in an election! 

State Representative, Position B

-Paul Shepherd (R) Incumbent. Representative Shepherd's previously conservative record has been taking a downward slide in the last several years. While on several core issues he has stayed strong, he has cast votes on several occasions that have, at the best not shrunk government, and at the worst, have encouraged its growth and overreach.

-Kris Steneck (R) Ms. Steneck is new to politics but not to the Constitution and what is at the core of American principles. While I do not share all her views, she is very pro-life, 2nd Amendment, small government and individual liberty.

United States Senator

-Mike Crapo (R) Unopposed. A 0% from NARAL and 0% from Planned Parenthood Action Fund, 100% from National Right to Life, a strong record of protecting the 2nd Amendment, a defender of traditional marriage...and the list goes on. Let’s put this guy back in Washington.

United States Representative - District #1

-Shizandra Fox (D) Ms. Fox is currently from California and apparently will be moving to Idaho if elected…? Unsure on that point. However, a brief perusal of her Facebook page demonstrates she is not a serious candidate and holds many out of the ordinary beliefs.

-Staniela Nikolova (D) Ms. Nikolova lacks positions on key issues such as the proper role of government, the Constitution, the 2nd Amendment and most importantly this issue of life. Her position on healthcare seem to indicate that she does not feel it goes far enough and should not be defunded or repealed.

-James Piotrowski (D) Mr. Piotrowski’s decision to run was based mainly on Representative Labrador calling for Idaho to have control over federal lands within the state. He stated that was the “final straw”. He views Labrador as extreme, which in today’s watered down society of ultra-liberal ideology, I guess you could say he is - extremely Constitutional.

-Isaac Haugen (R) No information on this candidate except that he is also currently from California. Idaho may want to look at that rule.

-Raul Labrador (R) Rep. Labrador is one of the founding members of the Freedom Caucus that was instrumental is outing Speaker Boehner. This group of conservative representatives has been very active and effective in stopping bad legislation. Rep. Labrador is strongly pro-life and pro-2nd Amendment. He understands the role of government and has shown a dedication to his beliefs.

United States Representative - District #2

-Lisa Marie (R) No information on this candidate except that she apparently was planning on running for president. Apparently she decided to lower her sights slightly.

-Mike Simpson (R) Representative Simpson has done an excellent job representing Idaho in D.C. His strong stance on life, the 2nd Amendment are exactly what is generally lacking in our nation’s capitol. I would be remiss, however if I did not point out his recent vote for the omnibus spending bill that completely funded Obamacare, the refugee program and Planned Parenthood. Patriots across the state were stunned at his vote and sorely disappointed. If there was a better candidate, Mr. Simpson would not be getting my vote. However, sadly in this race there is not another legitimate choice and we can only wait for the next election and, in the meantime, hope that Mr. Simpson learned from his mistake.

Idaho Supreme Court Justice

To Succeed: Jim Jones

-Curt McKenzie - Judicial elections can be tough to call since candidates generally steer clear of partisan issues due to the fact that they are required to not run as a member of a certain party. However, “show me your friends and I’ll show you your future” as the saying goes. Mr. McKenzie has received endorsements from Sage Dixon (a strong, conservative constitutionalist), Rush Fulcher, the NRA and (in my opinion, most importantly) Idaho Chooses Life. Mr. McKenzie has made it clear that he understands the Constitution and the proper role of the judiciary is to interpret, not make, law. Mr. McKenzie has served 7 terms in the Idaho Senate, demonstrating that his local constituents who know him best trust and respect him to keep his word.

The President's Job and the Role of Government

If you want to vote, then you’ve come to the right place.

Now, most people sadly don’t know our founding documents. And since they don’t know these documents, the don’t know what is the president’s actual job description or what is the purpose of government. And since they don’t know that, America elected Barack Obama. Twice.

-The President’s Job

Washington's 1st Inauguration

Let me first educate you on the job of the president as explained in the Constitution (which, by the way, is the supreme law of the land). Whoever we elect as president will take a constitutionally required oath. That oath reads as follows -

"I do solemnly swear (or affirm) that I will faithfully execute the Office of President of the United States, and will to the best of my ability, preserve, protect and defend the Constitution of the United States."

There you have it in simple English. The president’s job is to preserve, protect and defend the Constitution of the United States.

So, let’s say you were a business owner looking to hire a basket weaver. What qualifications would you look for? Obviously, you would pass over the candidates who didn’t know how to weave and search for those who had experience weaving. You wouldn’t choose the construction worker if you could select a person who had a PHD in “The Fine Art of Weaving”. The job description (basket weaving) must match the person’s qualifications (weaving baskets).

Thus it is with our election. The job description (preserve, protect and defend the Constitution) must match the person’s qualifications. That’s it.

-The Purpose of Government

Now, on to the purpose of government. That is laid out very clearly in our Declaration of Independence (I highly recommend reading it, but after you finish reading this). Government’s has one main job - to protect the rights and liberties of its citizens. God gave us these rights, and our U.S. government was formed with the express purpose of securing these rights.

See? Very simple. Now you know more than the majority of people in Congress seem to know! And now that you know, it's time to find out which candidates line up with these qualifications - Click Here and get ready to be enlightened.

The 2016 Presidential Primary Voter's Guide

And to think, if I’d written this post just a couple months ago, I would have had to comment on over double the candidates! I guess the lesson here is, sometimes procrastination….Naw, I’ll finish that sentence later.  

WARNING: You cannot and should not be voting of the president of the United States unless you know two things: (1) The job description of the President, and (2) The purpose of government.

If you don’t know either or both of those two things, please click here and get informed!

I’m not here to endorse a candidate (and believe me, that endorsement would be highly sought after it is was available...maybe...probably not...anyway, moving on…). I want instead to examine where these individuals vying for the highest office in the land line up when it comes to the real purpose of government.

-Candidate Qualification

Below, you will find the candidates listed in order of best to worst. The criteria used is the Constitution and the Declaration of Independence. We will examine each candidate based on their ability and proclivity in the past for defending the three fundamental, inalienable, God-given rights - Life, Liberty and the Pursuit of Happiness (which is, after all the purpose of government).

If you are among those who don’t believe that your vote matters or will truly count, I urge you to check out this video. It does matter and your voice does count. Your vote is not only a privilege, it is a duty that you owe to your children and grandchildren. If you do not vote, and our country is lost, what will you have to say to them?

Let us begin.

1. Ted Cruz:

Life: Ted Cruz is solidly pro-life and has not only talked about it but has actively fought to protect innocent human life. He played a leading role in several important cases, including defense of the partial-birth abortion ban, parental consent laws, and prohibiting state funds from going to abortion. He has called for the complete defunding of Planned Parenthood as well as an investigation into the videos showing illegal activity in the 

Liberty: Cruz is a liberty minded candidate. He knows the Constitution and speaks boldly about protecting the rights enshrined in the Bill or Rights. Cruz has denounced any curtailing of the Second Amendment. He fought very hard to protect America from amnesty and Obamacare. Cruz believes in real marriage and has defended it.

The Pursuit of Happiness: Ted Cruz is calling for a beautiful 10% flat tax plan and an abolition of the IRS. He wants Americans to be able to file their taxes on a postcard instead of endless reams of paper with the constant fear of auditing. He has also been a strong proponent of a balanced budget amendment to the Constitution and has called for an audit of the Fed.

2. - 3. Marco Rubio:

Life: Rubio has made his stance very clear, “The Right to Life is a fundamental one that trumps virtually any other right that I can imagine — Because without it, none of the other rights matter. There can be no Liberty without Life. There can be no Constitution without Life. There can be no nation without Life. And there can’t be other lives without Life.”

Liberty: Rubio was a Tea Party favorite when he was first elected. Since then however, he has dropped in favor with that group and many other conservative groups due to his waffling on the issue of immigration, reform, and citizenship. It is expected for opinions to evolve and change over time. If they don’t, it’s usually a sign of plain old stubbornness, because let’s face it, nobody's perfect and we can’t get everything right all the time. The problem is, Rubio has gone from pretty much one extreme to the other and then back.

Rubio’s participation in the “Gang of Eight” is also of major concern. While he has come out very strong in favor of stopping illegal immigration, sealing the border and mandatory E-Verify, he is not very strong on what to do about the illegal immigrants in the country right now.

Rubio’s stance on the NSA has also raised some concerns with voters. The balance between liberty and security is always a tightrope, however we should always err on the side of liberty.

Pursuit of Happiness: Marco Rubio has a lot of good things to say on the matter, including simplifying the tax code, possibly down to a single flat tax. This is only a viable option however, if the government gets smaller instead of bigger.

2. - 3. Ben Carson:

Life: “The good thing is that the American populace is moving closer and closer to understanding that abortion is murder.”

Dr. Carson is undoubtedly a pro-life candidate. Although I’ll admit some major concern when Carson came out in support of Dr. Monica Wehby who was running for office in Oregon (get caught up here). I ardently disagree with his take on the matter. Right is right and wrong is wrong. He did state that Dr. Wehby’s belief was not his own, and that he personally believes that abortion is murder. However, pragmatism (or being “savvy”) is a dangerous road and one that a good leader shouldn’t be traveling. 

Liberty: Regarding Carson on Second Amendment rights where he says that certain types of guns should be restricted in the city. He said this in a way that indicated it was his opinion and not necessarily something that he would attempt to make a law, however I still find it disconcerting.

Don’t get me wrong, I was as excited as anyone when I heard Carson’s speech at the Prayer Breakfast a couple years back. And I still believe that he is a good man with a lot of good ideas, ideas that this country desperately needs. But the question keeps resurfacing, does he have what it takes to become president? That remains to be seen.

Pursuit of Happiness: Ben Carson is solid economically though. He believes in the free market, cutting government across the board, cutting taxes across the board, and he has actual plans, not just rhetoric.

4. John Kasich:

Life: John Kasich is pro-life except in cases of rape or incest. He voted to ban partial birth abortion.

Liberty: One of  my biggest concern with Kasich is his statement that “gay marriage” is the law of the land now and we pretty much have to deal with it. He said, “We'll honor what the Supreme Court does. It's the law of the land. It's the way that America functions." This shows a lack of understanding regarding the Constitution. The Supreme Court is not to make law. It is not it’s design now, nor has it ever been. If that was the case, then the Dredd Scott decision too was the “law of the land” and Kasich, based on his own reasoning, would’ve been ok with African Americans not being able to be citizens.

Kasich is all about Medicaid expansion.

The Pursuit of Happiness: Kasich is a mixed bag when it comes to promoting the free market. He has been pretty good when it comes to looking to balance budgets and spending, however he then is very in favor of maintaining or increasing entitlement programs like Medicaid, etc. He is also notorious for using tax credits to entice businesses to move to his state rather than making the reforms necessary to encourage businesses to make the move.

5. Donald Trump:

Life: Donald Trump is the only Republican running to have said at one point that he was “very pro-choice” and would not ban partial birth abortion. Granted, this was in 1999 and since then Trump has said he changed his opinion on the issue. Good, that’s what we want to see right? Right. What we don’t want to see is a Republican candidate that praises Planned Parenthood for the “wonderful things” that they do.

Trump also said that his sister, who is a pro-abortion activist judge, is “one of the brilliant justices”. I’m sorry, family or not, someone who believes that a baby in the womb is not a baby and can be killed at will is not a brilliant person. The next president will nominate at least one, possibly up to three justices to the Supreme Court. It is absolutely vital that those nominees understand the Constitution and that the right to life is the first and foremost right.

It is apparent that Donald Trump does not understand the Constitution. He said that since Planned Parenthood does other good things, maybe the government should still fund them. There is nothing in the Constitution that justifies giving your tax money to a private organization, whether it is for women’s health, men’s health or dog’s health. It doesn’t matter. Constitution does not allow that and Donald Trump does not understands that.

Liberty: Trump is a big supporter of the 2005 Kelo v. City of New London Supreme Court case that gave authorities the right to seize private land for economic development by private parties. Trump said, “I happen to agree with [the decision] 100 percent.” (National Review) Trump’s love affair with the ill-advised and unconstitutional concept of eminent domain is long and sordid and completely antithetical to liberty.

Trump has also shown a disconcerting leaning toward using legal means to silence political speech. He has issued cease and desist letters against the Club for Growth and even Ted Cruz for pointing out facts regarding his policies and beliefs.

He supports getting rid of Obamacare saying that he will replace it with something “so much better”. Amazingly, Trump has praised Canada’s socialist healthcare system and has come out in favor of government mandated and funded universal healthcare. He has said that the government is going to take care of everyone and the government is going to pay for it. Again, we see Trump’s utter lack of understanding regarding the Constitution.

On the Second Amendment, Trump has this to say, “I generally oppose gun control, but I support the ban on assault weapons and I also support a slightly longer waiting period to purchase a gun.”

The Pursuit of Happiness: Surely, for a businessman, this would be the area to shine. However, it is not so. Trump has strongly supported Obama’s 2009 stimulus of the banks, the TARP program and the auto bailout of 2008. He also favors capping the salaries of CEOs.

Trump also favors keeping Social Security and Medicare, two areas which again demonstrate his lack of understanding of the Constitution.

6. Hillary Clinton:

Life: “I think abortion should remain legal, but it needs to be safe and rare.” Mrs. Clinton is rated 100% by the National Abortion Rights Action League (NARAL).

Liberty: “And deep-seated cultural codes, religious beliefs and structural biases have to be changed.” This statement was made in regards to abortion and essentially ‘catching up’ those ‘old worn out’ ideas of the past with the present. Hard to believe that someone with that opinion would be willing to protect the freedom of religion. Mrs. Clinton also has received a 100% rating from Americans United for the Separation of Church and State.

Pursuit of Happiness: Mrs. Clinton knows how to talk the talk. She has said many good things about paying down federal debt and cutting taxes within a balanced budget. However, as they say, actions speak louder than words.

In September, 2008 she voted in favor of the ill-advised $60 billion stimulus bill. Now whether you believe that helped our economy or not, there is no way to Constitutionally justify such a governmental expense. In December, 2005, she voted against reducing federal overall spending by $40 billion. She also co-sponsored bills totaling $502 billion in spending through 2005 while in the Senate. This sort of policy, big spending and not even coming close to a sane, balanced budget, is exactly antithetical to the pursuit of happiness.

7. Bernie Sanders:

Life: Voted against banning partial birth abortion. 100% rating from NARAL. Strongly supports federally funded abortion.

Liberty: Senator Sanders quoted in favor of a Constitutional Amendment that would limit the free speech of Americans and redefine the meaning of the 1st Amendment (S.J. Res. 19). Senate Bill 2578 was also supported by Senator Sanders and would have limited the freedom of religion.

Pursuit of Happiness: Mr. Sanders is a self proclaimed socialist. Socialism is a social and economic system characterised by social ownership of the means of production and co-operative management of the economy. This should give anyone considering supporting him pause. The Union of Soviet Socialist Republics (USSR) is a classic example of how this worldview represents a dangerous and failed policy. Socialism does not work, neither does it promote the right to the pursuit of happiness.