27 Apr Shannon McDaniel
Shannon McDaniel
Democrat
for
AD 40
Email:
Campaign Contact Phone: 7752204517
Website: shannon4nv.com
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100079769970446
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2022 Questionnaire
Please share briefly what inspired you to run for this office and why you feel you’re qualified for the position.
I worked at the Nevada Division of Water Resources for a little over 9 years. During that time, I followed water bills as they made their way through the legislative process. I was discouraged to see that we are left with a law that unintentionally encourages the waste of water, laws that restrict the drilling of replacement wells for some groups and laws that limit the ways in which the State Engineer can bring groundwater basins back into balance. I left state service to run for public office. With a background in water resources, being a licensed professional engineer, a licensed water rights surveyor and having drafted regulations for an agency, I feel I would bring a unique level of understanding and experience to the legislature.
Would you support allocating more state funds to help DACA recipients to help with higher education?
I support assistance for higher education. I am unsure of the amount of state funds currently allocated and would need to be more knowledgeable on the subject before I can give a fair and educated answer.
How will the state fight the growing issue of homelessness that is increasing in our communities and use funds to expand on shelters for these community members?
The more commonly cited forces driving homelssness are mental illness, addiction and ther lack of safe and affordable housing. To fight the growing issue of homelessness in our state, we need to look at bringing the experts to the table on these issues to find possible solutions and craft legislation around those solutions.
Nevada has historically protected the right to abortion, including protecting the right in statute 30 years ago by a vote of the people. However, there remain barriers to access in the state. Do you support not only the right to abortion but policies that improve equitable access to abortion care?
Yes.
The state of Nevada is facing an unprecedented shortage of health care providers – a problem that impacts every area of medicine, including the provision of sexual and reproductive care. Do you support removing the physician-only requirement and allowing advanced practice clinicians (APCs) to provide this vital care to patients with training and certification?
Yes, for some areas of health care if alternative safeguard measures are put in place.
It is well documented that patients of color face greater obstacles to obtaining sexual and reproductive health care than non-Hispanic white Americans – a pattern that results in worse health outcomes overall for BIPOC patients. Do you not only acknowledge systemic racism’s role in public health disparities but will you pursue policies that seek to rectify the historical harm of systemic racism and advance equitable access to health care?
I support the equitable access to Healthcare.
Knowing that the death penalty is exorbitantly expensive, racially discriminatory, and does not promote true healing for victims family members, do you support its abolition and do you think ending the death penalty is a crucial part of criminal justice reform?
I support removing the death penalty.
True Colors United, a national organization that implements innovative solutions to youth homelessness that focus on the unique experiences of LGBTQ+ young people continues to rate Nevada as critically low, for its State Index on Youth Homelessness (in collaboration with the National Homelessness Law Center) that ranks and scores laws and policies related to preventing and addressing youth homelessness in the United States. Are you willing to support legislation that helps to fund and provide oversight regulations to youth homelessness services?
Yes.
Anti-transgender bills are being introduced across the United States that attempt to prevent trans people from having access to health care, gender reassignment surgery, and access to sports in schools. Do you support transgender equality and access to healthcare and an athletic school experience?
I support access to Healthcare for all individuals. I support equality. I am not knowledgeable enough in the other areas of this question to provide a fair and educated answer. I will continue to learn about these issues.
We have seen rental rates increasing at a very alarming rate, in some instances upwards of 30%. How do you see the Nevada Legislature taking action to keep Nevadans in their homes and not being priced out?
I recognize the importance of this issue for Nevadans. I would need to continue to discuss this issue with the experts before I could provide a more thorough and educated response.
Nevada has one of the largest shares of federal public land of any state in the country, providing important wildlife habitat, places to hunt, camp, fish and hike, and acting as the foundation of a billion dollar outdoor industry. Even so, some lawmakers have promoted policies that seek wholesale transfer of federal ownership of our national lands to states. A) Would you support or oppose these land transfer policies? B) Would should the State of Nevada’s role be in the management and ownership of federal land?
Public lands in Nevada should remain public and accessible. I support policy that seeks to promote that idea.
State investments in conservation provide resources for a wide range of public benefit, like the management of wildlife and state land, and the creation and maintenance of trails and other recreational facilities. In 2019, the Legislature approved $217 million of bonding authority for conservation purposes, including for the acquisition of land for new state parks. A) Do you support or oppose state investment in conservation? B) Has Nevada’s investment in land conservation been too little, too much, or about right, and how would you change it?
I support state investment in conservation. I would propose legislation to allow for conservation in the Nevada Water Law.
Would you support addressing public health disparities in Nevada’s diverse Spanish speaking population by funding a “Promotores de Salud” program through the Nevada Office of New Americans that provides year round, culturally competent education and community engagement in Spanish on public health issues?
Yes.
What are you doing to center communities of color and low-income communities in your work, and how do you ensure that equity is part of every decision you make?
I would ensure equity is part of my decision making process by determining who the stakeholders are, who should be consulted and who may have been left out. I would consider the unintended consequences of the decision and would consider alternatives.
The APIA community faces the largest unmet financial needs when it comes to higher education. Nevada has the highest student loan default rate in the country. In Nevada, there are 333,100 student loan borrowers, $11.5 Billion in student loan debt, and $34,700 in average debt per borrower. What policies can we implement to ensure students and families are protected from predatory lenders and undue financial burdens?
I would examine any consumer lender bill put forward, carefully calculating the full APR. I would need to discuss and examine any proposed legislation with experts in the field to fully understand what is being proposed.
Latinx communities are extremely concerned about the drought and ongoing water shortages. What would you do to ensure our families have a sustainable water supply, not just now but also future generations?
I would propose legislation to allow conservation in the Nevada Water law, provide a legislative framework for the State Engineer to follow when conjunctively managing the resource, fund perennial yield studies and study various solutions to bring the overappropriated groundwater basins back into balance.
One out of seven people in Clark County are food insecure. What policies would you propose to ensure people are not residing in food deserts and have access to healthy food and water sources?
I think we need to work with the individual communities to determine the best solution for them. I could support measures like alternative food supply systems, incentives for convenience stores to carry certain food, public and private partnerships agreements to establish supermarkets and public education efforts.