Will Rucker

Will Rucker

Will Rucker


Democrat


for


AD 13


Campaign Contact Phone: 2483880258


Website: www.electwillrucker.com


Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/WillRuckerforNV


Twitter: https://twitter.com/willrucker4nv


2022 Questionnaire

Please share briefly what inspired you to run for this office and why you feel you’re qualified for the position.

 

I’m running to build equitable communities around a vision of universal
access to 'life, liberty, and happiness' rather than just short-sighted
patches of today's problems, craft policy guided by public purpose, and
bring a solutions-based economy that fosters prosperity while remaining
within the bounds of a sustainable environment to Nevada.

I never thought I would enter into politics but I was inspired by people's belief in me and I was energized by my personal mantra, "be the change." I could not continue telling others to "be the change" and not do it myself.

I am the right person for this district because I present a clear choice for voters. The other candidates are different from me in nearly every way imaginable. I am able to relate to the people in my district because of my diverse background as a former evangelical, member of the LGBTQIA+ community, nonprofit professional, health advocate, small business owner, and minority.

Would you support allocating more state funds to help DACA recipients to help with higher education?

I believe education is critical to our national security and should be accessible to all who make the commitment. I support allocation funds to make higher education available to all Nevadans.

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?

 

Shelter funding should not be tied to beds occupied. Housing should be decommodified. Funding for supportive services, mental health and addiction treatment, should be prioritized. We must adequately fund shelters as a stop gap and my position is that we should look at the causes of homelessness and provide permanent housing solutions.

We must also enact policy preventing the continued spread of corporation owned communities that artificially drive up housing values and displace new buyers and lower income individuals, preventing them from obtaining home ownership.
People experiencing homelessness deserve to live with dignity and respect.
Poverty is a policy choice. We have the ability to do better, and we must.

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?

 

Ensuring a strong economic floor for all people is critical to protect women’s reproductive healthcare rights. Further, transgender men should also have access to the same reproductive healthcare as cisgender women. Protecting reproductive healthcare for adults begins with educating children and empowering them with the age-appropriate information that allows them to make healthy decisions.

I will adamantly oppose any obstruction of freedom in Nevada. That means I will work to ensure all Nevadans have meaningful access to quality healthcare of all types including mental, dental, vision, hearing, and reproductive care regardless of income, employment status, age, ethnicity, or any other characteristic.

Equitable access to healthcare of all types should be a priority for Nevada. We must also provide support such as subsidized adoption for individuals who wish to deliver a child without becoming a parent.

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?

 

As the husband of a nurse, I know the extensive skillset and training APCs have. Medicine must become more holistic and its policies should be modernized.

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?

 

Yes, unequivocally.

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 believe restorative justice is the right course for our state. We must modernize our justice system at every level.

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?

 

We must not impede service providers from effectively and efficiently delivering their programs with overregulation. We should provide appropriate funding and enforce appropriate accountability.

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 fully support transgender equality. In the case of sports in schools, I support modernizing how gender divisions are implemented. Athletes should be able to compete against those of similar skill and potential no matter their gender.

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?

Housing should be decommodified and land hoarding should be addressed. In the interim, rental increase caps should be implemented and policies preventing the continued spread of corporation owned communities that artificially drive up housing values and displace new buyers and lower income individuals, preventing them from obtaining home ownership should be developed.

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 belong to the people. We must consciously develop sustainable land management policies that ensure the planet remains hospitable for our children's children. Nevadas should lead the way in the environmentally conscious energy, development, and land use. If national funding is provided to sustainably manage the lands, transfer to states is tenable. Otherwise, it should be a collaborative effort.

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 fully support investment in conservation. I would recommend following the direction of experts in the field for changes.

 

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?

 

Community health workers are essential improving the health of all disparate communities. As a frequent trainer for CHW programs, I fully support expanding this program.

 

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 am deeply involved with the community. As the health promotions director of a nonprofit organization I frequently participate in and host outreach events and resource fairs for our community. I host a monthly community focused radio show that is designed to inform minority community members about a wide-range of health related topics. I also volunteer on multiple nonprofit boards.

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?

Nevada should fund higher education. The federal government should cancel student loans.

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, too, am concerned. We should follow the recommendation of the experts on all climate related matters. Small changes like creating community hydroponic gardens can make a big difference. We should also invest in technologies that recycle water. Air and water are national security issues and should be invested in at the same or greater levels as the military.

 

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?

 

Invest in gardens at libraries, schools, churches, and other community centers. Improve public transportation including rail systems. Encourage edible landscaping. Provide incentives for grocery stores to enter into food deserts.