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Press Release - Austin Pride Festival
August 16th, 2014 | View Post
PRESS RELEASE
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
AUSTIN PRIDE FESTIVAL

Meet candidate Ludlow, the only candidate for Marriage equality and an avid supporter of the LGTB community!

AUSTIN, TX, August 17, 2014: Texas State Rep. District 46 Candidate Kevin Ludlow and his campaign team will have an activity booth at the 2014 Austin Pride Festival, September 20th at Fiesta Gardens.

As the Libertarian Candidate for House District 46, his stance on marriage equality is a cornerstone of the campaign. He and his staff will be at the Festival for community support, informal personal dialogue, and to join in the party.

Ludlow states, "With all of the bigotry coming from the right and the weak reactionary politics coming from the left, it's time someone introduces proactive legislation to the House floor in support of the LGBTQ community. Equality is equality is equality. Period."

Ludlow invites everyone to stop by his booth at Pride, regardless of gender, orientation, or political stripe. There will be fun, games, and prizes. Come join the fun and see why more and more followers of Texas politics are going #GayForLudlow!

Kevin Ludlow is the 2014 Libertarian candidate for the Texas House of Representatives in District 46. He holds a mathematics degree from the University of Texas, is a local small business owner, a published author, and a strong community leader.

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For information, upcoming events, and campaign tour dates, please contact our campaign coordinator, Tara Vancil at 512-284-5501 or email Ms. Vancil at tara.b.vancil@gmail.com.
Press Release - Spanish Billboard in Manor, TX
August 10th, 2014 | View Post
PRESS RELEASE
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
SPANISH BILLBOARD IN MANOR, TX

MANOR, TX, August 11, 2014 - The Kevin Ludlow for TX House 46 campaign has installed a third campaign billboard in Manor, TX just east of Old Kimbro Road on US290. The new billboard speaks directly to Spanish-speaking voters. It reads: "Viva, Viaje, Trabaje. Yo apoyo fronteras abiertas." The phrases translate to "Live, Travel, Work. I support open borders." The massive 14' x 48' lit advertisement leaves no confusion about Ludlow's position on immigration.

The response on social networking outlets has been overwhelmingly positive. Since its installation last week, people have been reaching out from all around the country. Ludlow states, "I want Spanish-speaking Texans to know that I will stand with them and address this issue without any political rhetoric. It's high time we stop blaming immigrants for the broken economic policies the two parties have left us with." The advertisement is one of very few political billboards in the Austin metro area and has the distinction of being the only one presented entirely in Spanish. According to 2010 census data, House district 46 is 47.2% Hispanic.

The campaign's first billboard is visible on IH35 northbound at US290. It reads: "Drug Reform, LGBT-equality, Civil Liberties", three of Ludlow's campaign platform issues. A second billboard in June read "Support Net-Neutrality". Ludlow is running an enthusiastically active race against a Democrat incumbent who has held office for over 19 years. Ludlow says, "We're working as hard as we can to show Texas that the two-party system is coming to an end; twenty years in office is far too long for any politician." Kevin Ludlow is the 2014 Libertarian candidate for the Texas House of Representatives in District 46. He holds a mathematics degree from the University of Texas, is a small business owner, a community leader, and a published author.

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For information, upcoming events, and campaign tour dates, please contact our campaign coordinator, Tara Vancil at 512-284-5501 or email Ms. Vancil at tara.b.vancil@gmail.com.
Campaign Billboard in Manor, Texas
July 31st, 2014 | View Post

Our third campaign billboard is now located on US290 just east on downtown Manor, Texas.
Thanks to the continued generosity of so many people in TX House district 46 looking for change, we have been able to install a 3rd billboard! This new billboard is located on US290 immediately east of downtown Manor, Texas.

Like our first billboard, this one is scheduled to be up for the remainder of the campaign season. You may have noticed that this billboard is written in Spanish. We are proud and excited to let the Spanish-speaking people of District 46 know that there is someone who wants to make them inclusive in the discussion. While our primary focus here is with respect to immigration policies, we are certainly not limited to that scope.

We cannot thank you all enough for the continued support you have shown our campaign. We have found ourselves very competitive in the race and look forward to continuing our outreach. If you are able to lend support to our cause, please take a look at our donations page!
Sierra Club Survey Response
July 24th, 2014 | View Post
The Sierra Club
The Sierra Club logo
Our campaign received yet another political survey, this time from the Sierra Club. While many people assume that my positions inherently do not align with those of the Sierra Club, I would strongly disagree. While I do not believe taxes should be taken to accommodate environmental concerns, I feel very strongly that we are significantly damaging the environment. Furthermore, I am openly in favor of allowing individuals to pursue damages against companies that infringe on their most basic property rights.

1. What has been your greatest environmental accomplishment or your most significant activity on behalf of the environment and/or managing natural resources as an elected official, private citizen, or business owner?

As an individual and small business owner, always pursuing modest and easily maintainable living and business spaces. And when possible, utilizing any renewable technologies available to me.

Within the political realm, I am a vocal proponent of renewable energies and technologies and will continue to encourage my family, friends, and any future constituents of the benefits of self-reliance with respect to energy, food, and even transportation.

2. What environmental and natural resource goal(s) will you actively pursue in the next state legislative session if you are elected?

I would like to remove any barriers to entry, regulatory taxes, and individual usage fees and taxes from renewable technologies. Self-sustainability should be encouraged and people certainly should not be taxed for this pursuit.

3. Most of Texas cannot import or export electricity to and from other states. In other words, unlike California, we have to generate and consume all of our electricity within the state. What should the Legislature do, if anything, to ensure we have enough power to meet demand?

The legislature should remove any and all regulations regarding the transmission and selling of electricity.

4. Texas leads the country in installed wind power. As a state official, what would you do to improve market conditions for other renewable resources, such as solar and geothermal energy?

I believe that solar, wind, geothermal, and other forms of renewable energy are wonderful technologies. As a State Representative, I would ensure that the legislature removed any regulatory barriers that impeded the progress and development of these technologies.

Going further, I would consider any legislation that prohibited local municipalities from taxing or requiring expensive development review processes for individuals or businesses seeking to install renewable forms of energy.

5. Do you support homes and businesses generating their own power from renewable resources such as solar? If so, how would you reconcile the revenue loss by utilities that depend on selling kilowatt-hours? Would you support legislation to ensure that homes and businesses earn a fair market value for any excess solar generation?

I absolutely support homes and businesses generating their own power from renewable resources. I follow the technologies closely and promote them often. I would not, in any way, attempt to reconcile the revenue lost by utilities that "depend" on selling kilowatt-hours.

I would also not support any legislation that forced a �fair market value� for renewable energies. If people are inclined to turn their homes into renewable power plants then I am all for them selling their energy to whomever they saw fit (presumably the highest bidder).

6. What do you see as the most pressing issues on groundwater? Do you favor local management of groundwater resources through groundwater conservation districts or a more centralized approach?

Generally speaking I see chemical and heavy metal contaminants as pressing issues, though more recently speaking, it strikes me that a lack of water is probably a much more significant issue than contaminated water. Of course both are very serious issues needing to be dealt with.

I believe that local areas should determine the best way to monitor, regulate, and/or distribute their groundwater. I do not support a centralized mechanism for this, especially in a state as large as Texas.

7. What role do you see emerging water supply strategies such as desalination and aquifer storage and recovery playing in meeting the future water needs for the state? Does anything need to be done to enhance the role of these strategies and if so, what do you propose?

I think these technologies are wonderful and very interesting. That said I am not familiar with the economics of desalination plants. I believe we should be encouraging engineering firms to pursue these technologies, but I do not believe the government should favor them over other technologies. Incidentally, I also do not believe any other form of energy development should have favor within the government either and this most certainly includes oil and gas exploration.

8. Water supply is a big challenge in many parts of the state. Using the water that we already have as efficiently as possible is one strategy to meeting our future water needs. Would you support efforts to fund a statewide water education campaign to inform people of their sources of water and how to conserve those sources?

In general I support campaigns aimed at educating people on scientific realities. At the same time, I would not support taxing people to accomplish this educational goal. If the scientific community felt it would have a large enough impact then I would support funding such a campaign through existing taxes (thereby requiring a different program, or perhaps several different programs to lose funding or have funding reduced).

9. Do you accept the broad consensus of the scientific community that climate change is occurring and human activity, such as the burning of fossil fuels, is causing it? What, if anything, would you do as an elected official to address climate change at the state level?

Yes. I have a degree in mathematics and work as an engineer. I believe in science.

At the same time, I also believe that the discussion of the topic has been largely co-opted by both Republicans and Democrats as a political tool to create further division between people. To that extent, I am very uninterested in the topic.

As an elected official I would aggressively pursue companies (and individuals) that violated the property rights of others. Furthermore, I would work to ensure that individuals could pursue litigation against these companies for violations of basic property rights.

10. What is your position on the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency's efforts to reduce carbon dioxide pollution from stationary sources, such as coal-fired power plants, to protect human health? Please explain why you take this position.

I do not especially support it. I cannot in good consciousness support the EPA in any way. It is clear that they play favorites with who is allowed to pollute and who is not based upon corporate influence and lobbying efforts.

11. Given the dramatic rise in activity and growing public concerns about its environmental impacts, what is your position on "fracking"?

While I do support the exploration of oil and natural gas, the evidence to how devastating fracking is to groundwater appears to be overwhelming. I therefore do NOT support it in practice.

As I mentioned above, I would support any efforts that provided individuals with easier mechanisms for pursuing damages against fracking offenses.

While I support engineering firms pursuing better and safer ways of applying fracking methods, it is clear we simply do not have the technology to accomplish this safely and cleanly at this point in time and I therefore do NOT support it.

12. Would you support additional funding for our state parks and wilderness areas, including a dedicated fund for the acquisition and development of additional parkland and wilderness areas?

No.

13. There is much debate and discussion about how to meet the current and future transportation needs of Texans. What do you see as the best ways to address the transportation needs of the state, especially given constraints on funding?

Like so many of my responses, I think the best thing to do is remove excess regulations placed on individuals and businesses trying to provide transportation needs.

Beyond that I believe this question is best left to local governments. It need not be thoroughly defined at the state level.
Nomad Bar Backs Our Campaign
July 14th, 2014 | View Post

A view from the outside patio looking into the Nomad Bar at the corner of Corona and Cameron
A view from the outside patio looking into the Nomad Bar at the corner of Corona and CameronAfter another fantastic weekly campaign strategy meeting, a group of campaign volunteers headed over to the Nomad Bar.

A few weeks ago, the owner of the bar had pledged to support our campaign. My residence is just a few blocks from the bar and I'm certainly at least a semi-regular customer. It's always been my go-to for meeting people out for drinks. I also happen to run some of the community forums that he is a part of.

So naturally I was very happy to walk into the bar and see our campaign signs hanging in various windows and over shelves. It's a wonderful feeling to be getting so much support from the local community and I look forward to working hard for them.
We Can Do It - First Print
July 11th, 2014 | View Post
We Can Do It
Minutes after receiving the first print of Lady Liberty exclaiming "We Can Do It!"
This afternoon I had the pleasure of speaking to a fairly sizable group of candidates. Wedged between Robert Butler and Kurt Hildebrand, I spoke on the topic of Reddit and other social media platforms. Reddit played a vital role in kick-starting my campaign; I want other candidates to know what a powerful resource it can be.

Following the meeting, the Kurt Hildebrand offered to donate the original print of the new Lady Liberty logo to anyone who was willing to commit to Gold donor status with the party.

With all of the help I've been getting from people this race, I wanted to make sure I gave something back. Moreover, as a lover and collector of art, I thought this would make a great addition to my "political wall". I had the former chair of LPTexas, Pat Dixon, and the current chair, Kurt Hildebrand, both autograph it for me.

If you'd like to get a copy of this print, they're available at the Libertarian Party of Texas website.