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Sheryl Johnson

D
Quick Facts
Personal Details

Professional Experience

  • Employee, Roosevelt High School, 2010-present

Political Experience

  • Employee, Roosevelt High School, 2010-present
  • Candidate, South Dakota State House of Representatives, District 11, 2018, 2020
Policy Positions

South Dakota State Legislative Election 2018 Political Courage Test

Abortion & Reproductive

1. Do you generally support pro-choice or pro-life legislation?
- Pro-choice

2. Should abortion be legal when the pregnancy resulted from incest or rape?
- Yes

3. Do you support the prohibition of public funds for organizations that perform abortions?
- No Answer

4. Other or expanded principles
- I don't believe the government has any business interfering with a woman's reproductive rights. If we want to reduce the number of abortions then we need to educate our young people and help women have access to affordable birth control options. If we PREVENT pregnancies then we don't need to worry about abortions. Abortions have been illegal in past years. It did not stop abortions it only killed women. We need to approach abortion reduction as a public health issue.

Budget, Spending, & Tax

Budget Stabilization:

Indicate which proposals you support (if any) for balancing South Dakota's budget.

1. Reducing state employee salaries AND/OR pensions?
- No

2. Instituting mandatory furloughs AND/OR layoffs for state employees?
- No

3. Reducing benefits for Medicaid recipients?
- No

4. Other or expanded principles
- b - as long as it can't be diverted elsewhere. c-Cutting back on state employees salaries is a slap in the face to the hard working men and women who serve our state. It would also reduce the sales tax because they would have less money to spend in our economy.

Campaign Finance & Government Reform

1. Do you support any limits on campaign contributions to state candidates?
- Yes

2. Do you support the regulation of indirect campaign contributions from corporations and unions?
- Yes

3. Do you support the use of an independent AND/OR bipartisan commission for redistricting?
- Yes

4. Do you support requiring a government-issued photo identification in order to vote at the polls?
- Yes

5. Do you support South Dakota transitioning to an open primary election system?
- Yes

6. Do you support prohibiting out-of-state contributions to state ballot initiative committees?
- No

7. Other or expanded principles
- We need to rid the big money from our politics. I would be ok prohibiting out of state contributions to state ballot initiatives IF it was also prohibited from personal campaigns and also limited instate PACS otherwise out of state committees will just start in state PACS and funnel the money through there. We need more transparency so voters know who is actually behind ads and candidates. Big Money always finds away around any rules.

Crime & Public Safety

1. Do you support capital punishment for certain crimes?
- Yes

2. Do you support the legalization of marijuana for recreational purposes?
- No

3. Should a minor accused of a violent crime be prosecuted as an adult?
- Yes

4. Do you support the enforcement of federal immigration laws by state and local police?
- Yes

5. Other or expanded principles
- b- I would support medical marijuana but until more is known about the long term effects of marijuana I would have a hard time promoting anything that puts toxins into the body.c- Depends on the age of the minor and the severity of the crime. Judges should have the leeway to make that decision d- we should support legal immigration laws but still treat people in a humane manner

Economic

1. Do you support state government spending as a means of promoting economic growth?
- Yes

2. Do you support lowering state taxes as a means of promoting economic growth?
- No

3. Do you support reducing state government regulations on the private sector?
- Yes

4. Do you support expanding access to unemployment benefits?
- Yes

5. Do you support requiring welfare applicants to pass a drug test in order to receive benefits?
- Yes

6. Do you support an increase of the minimum wage of South Dakota?
- Yes

7. Do you support legalized state-sponsored sports betting in South Dakota?
- No

8. Other or expanded principles
- a- investing in education will reap rewards in the long run. Investing in renewable energy can bring huge savings down the road as well as be a possible revenue source for the state.c - it would depend on what those regulations were. Some regulations are necessary for the safety of our citizens. I'm all for businesses making money as long as they do it in a way that is safe and fair for the other citizens of our state.e-if welfare people have to pass a drug test I believe people doing business with the state should too.

Education

1. Do you support adopting federal education standards in South Dakota?
- Yes

2. Do you support state funding for charter schools?
- No

3. Should immigrants unlawfully present in the United States who graduate from South Dakota high schools be eligible for in-state tuition at public universities?
- No

4. Other or expanded principles
- a - as long as it doesn't lower our standards or make education too cumbersome for our educators b - I would rather work to improve our public schools c-depends on when they came here. If they have been here their whole life and they and their family contributed to our economy then they should have access to in state tuition because they have contributed to sales taxes for years. They should still work on immigrating legally and gaining citizenship. We should crack down on employers that hire illegal immigrants.

Environment & Energy

1. Do you support state funding for the development of renewable energy (e.g. solar, wind, thermal)?
- Yes

2. Do you support state government regulations of greenhouse gas emissions?
- Yes

3. Do you support increasing state funding for clean drinking water initiatives?
- Yes

4. Other or expanded principles
- We have a limited number of natural resources and we owe it to the next generation to preserve our clean water and air and land. We absolutely should work on developing more renewable energy to free ourselves from big oil. By implementing renewable energy sources into our state buildings and schools we can see reduced energy costs down the road which will save taxpayer money. It would be an investment that would reap great dividends down the road. INVEST now for savings later!

Gun

1. Do you generally support gun-control legislation?
- Yes

2. Should background checks be required on gun sales between private citizens at gun shows?
- Yes

3. Should teachers be allowed to bring guns into the classroom?
- No

4. Should a license be required for gun ownership?
- Yes

5. Other or expanded principles
- I support the 2nd amendment but I also support gun safety. Background checks should be done on all gun sales to prevent them from falling into irresponsible hands and I believe all guns should be licensed. c- Working at the largest high school in the state I am very reluctant to allow teachers to have guns in their class because they could fall into the wrong hands. I think each school district should have the power to make that decision. Schools in isolated rural areas where police would take a while to get there might want that.

Health

1. Should the state government increase funding for treatment facilities to combat opioid abuse?
- Yes

2. Do you support Medicaid expansion through South Dakota's health care programs?
- Yes

3. Do you support requiring individuals to purchase health care insurance?
- Yes

4. Do you support legislation that grants citizens the right to choose to die through euthanasia?
- No

5. Do you support eliminating religious exemptions for vaccinations?
- Yes

6. Other or expanded principles
- a -Treatment helps get addicts back to being productive citizens rather than warehousing them in prisons. b- expanding medicaid would save money in the long run by helping to prevent illnesses down the road as well as expensive ER visits when they have no insurancec- we have to have car insurance to drive, we should have health insurance BUT it needs to be affordable and we should educate people on healthier habits. d- not sure, no one should be forced to suffer. e-not sure, religious beliefs should be respected as long as public isn't endangered.

Social

1. Do you support the inclusion of sexual orientation in South Dakota's anti-discrimination laws?
- Yes

2. Do you support the inclusion of gender identity in South Dakota's anti-discrimination laws?
- Yes

3. Do you support greater efforts by South Dakota state government in closing the pay gap between men and women?
- Yes

4. Other or expanded principles
- We are all humans and we all should be treated equally and with respect.

Legislative Priorities

In the following area, please explain in a total of 100 words or less, your top two or three priorities if elected. If they require additional funding for implementation, please explain how you would obtain this funding.
- I would like to expand preschool and lower class sizes. This INVESTMENT in our education system will pay dividends down the road with lower social costs because more kids will be prepared to learn when entering school. The initial investment would come from the 'slush fund'. I would consider a junk food tax on soda, candy and junk food which might even help people become healthier. A great education system will draw businesses to SD! 2) clean up the Big Sioux/other waters in our state. Expect those who 'dump' into the river to clean the water first. Buffer strips mandated