Edward Peterson

Civil Rights

I do not believe the federal government needs to be involved in personal decisions such as marriage and family, and that there is no provision in the Constitution for government to control such matters. Learn more

I do not believe government should discriminate against individuals, organizations or small businesses because of a belief that marriage is only a union of one man and one woman. I do believe there is a distinction between marriage in a church/before God and the civil union of a government marriage license. Learn more

There is no legitimate reason to prevent marriage or discriminate in any other way against those who are different than I am and no real potential for harm to society that would necessitate legislation on the issue. Learn more

I would improve the rhetoric about immigrants and non-white people to be just and inclusive. Learn more

Criminal Justice / Public Safety

While I understand the need for justice for the most heinous crime, the federal death penalty system is broken. Until we fix our federal judicial system to make justice more expedient, I don’t believe crime victims, survivors, or citizens benefit from federal death row as it is now. Learn more

Defense / Veterans

It's a disgrace that we still have homeless veterans and so many living in poverty. It's unacceptable that families are being torn apart because veterans are not getting adequate treatment for PTSD. If we can place a state-of-the-art weapon in their hands, we can give them complete access to state-of-the-art treatment for their physical and mental injuries, provide support for their families who have also sacrificed, and honor their service. Learn more

Economy

Further, we need to find ways to close the skills gap. This in part means expanding tech school programs, but we also need to find incentives for employers to bring back apprentice programs so future skilled workers can learn a trade directly from trained workers already in the field. Learn more

We must stop believing that giving tax breaks to large corporations and billionaires makes an appreciable difference the economy or that a tax break of that kind pays for itself. Learn more

Education

Further, we need to find ways to close the skills gap. This in part means expanding tech school programs, but we also need to find incentives for employers to bring back apprentice programs so future skilled workers can learn a trade directly from trained workers already in the field. Learn more

I support directing funds for public Pre-K through 14 education, an investment from our society into the employability and futures of our young adults, and increased opportunity for scholarships and grants to cover education in four-year programs and graduate education. Learn more

I believe college and university students should not be seen as profit centers by banks and loan companies. Learn more

I support funding for more grants, scholarships, loan forgiveness, mortgage down payment assistance, graduate education assistance and more for college and university students pursuing teaching licensure. Learn more

Foreign Policy

I support pursuing all avenues of diplomacy before engaging in war. Learn more

I would vote for or against appropriations for Israel on a case by case basis and with input from you, the constituents, about whether you believe it is a good use of your tax money. Learn more

Government Reform

We must end wasteful practices in government and the military. Learn more

Guns

I do not support limiting any type of firearm, besides those already limited by automatic weapons bans. Nor do I support limiting accessories, other than bump stocks and increased capacity magazines (higher capacity than what came with the gun), which I believe ought to be included in the automatic weapons bans already in place. Learn more

I absolutely believe in the right of the people to bear arms Learn more

We must rethink what it means to have a "well-regulated militia". I believe it starts with requiring firearm education for all gun owners and encouraging it for everyone. Learn more

I support licensing guns in a manner similar to how we license vehicles, along with each gun's "ballistic fingerprint". This would allow law enforcement to trace where a gun used in a crime came from. Learn more

just as negligence with a vehicle results in restricted vehicular rights, negligence with a firearm should result in restricted gun rights. Learn more

I support universal background checks for gun purchasers, and common sense privacy laws to allow mental healthcare providers to communicate with law enforcement in risky situations. Learn more

I believe gun education would go a long way toward reducing the problem in the same way that vehicle education reduces vehicular injury. Learn more

I would not be part of shutting down the vital conversation about gun violence in this nation. There are measures available that would keep guns out of the hands of people who set out to do harm, if we just had the courage to pursue them. Learn more

I do not favor restricting gun ownership among the majority of non-violent, law-abiding citizens. The second amendment, however, was never meant to support unrestricted gun ownership and use. Learn more

Healthcare

In a free society like the U.S., no one should lose their lives or livelihood because of a health issue. I support separating health insurance from one’s job. Employers should not be taking time away from their jobs of meeting the goals and objectives of their companies in order to deal with health insurance. Nor should workers need to worry about how their coverage would change if they lose their jobs. Learn more

Immigration

I have read a description of the vetting process for refugees and believe that they pose no danger to us; if someone wanted to come here with terrorist intentions, coming as a refugee is perhaps the most difficult and most time-intensive way to do so. Learn more

Add in the cost of a wall and we have a situation where it is not fiscally responsible. Learn more

I oppose building a wall, because it doesn’t address the problem of people entering our country illegally. Learn more

I trust our current immigration system to continue to protect us. Some problems have arisen lately that have caused concerns and need to be corrected, but overall, the system is effective and only requires better oversight. Learn more

I would improve the rhetoric about immigrants and non-white people to be just and inclusive. Learn more

I believe Dreamers/DACA, among whom there are no felons, deserve a chance to make it here, in the only nation they know. Learn more

Our rural, agricultural economy depends on workers who are recent immigrants, and I would work to create a navigable, sensible, efficient path to citizenship for the hard-working, law-abiding people who arrive in our area seeking a better life. Learn more

Taxes / Budget

We must stop believing that giving tax breaks to large corporations and billionaires makes an appreciable difference the economy or that a tax break of that kind pays for itself. Learn more

we can and must balance the national budget, and we owe it to you, the taxpayers, to work toward it. I would propose a balanced budget amendment to the Constitution, work with economists to find ways to reduce our debt to other nations like China, and reduce the deficit. Learn more

We must end wasteful practices in government and the military. Learn more

We must find a way to end the practice of using the entire budgeted allowance to avoid losing the surplus in future years. Learn more

Add in the cost of a wall and we have a situation where it is not fiscally responsible. Learn more

Wages / Job Benefits

according to the Pew Research Center, 52 percent of American voters approve of increasing the federal minimum wage from $7.25 to $15 per hour. If constituents in the Fourth District agree, I would push for the increase. Learn more

I believe our society is better off when we create a better world to bring children into, when those from all walks of life have the opportunity to survive on the wages from their hard work, and when laws reflect a more family-friendly world. Learn more