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There are 36 blog entries within the category of Campaign 2014
On Wednesday afternoon I received a call that my cleaning lady had APD called on her for being a "suspicious person" in my house. When the police showed up, they claimed they smelled marijuana on her. I was called to deal with the situation and was promptly detained by officers who had already decided to enter my home, search it with guns drawn, and hold me there while their supervisor "made a decision". Of course there was nothing in my home and yet, our laws somehow justify this madness.
The War on Drugs is a dangerous, abject failure. While I ultimately didn't have to deal with any real consequences in this situation, it is an absolute travesty that time and money is spent on this. The fact that armed people went through my home is a disgusting and disturbing thought. And if I were a minority, it's almost certain that I would have been booked in jail.
My opponent, Texas State Representative Dawnna Dukes, will of course not discuss this reality despite the fact that for such a minority-rich area, this poses a substantial problem to residents of House District 46.
Please feel free to share this video if you're so inclined (apologies for the length).
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For three weeks in a row now I have been creating videos challenging Ms. Dawnna Dukes to a debate. I've even offered to pay all expenses related to it. Not only has she ignored my requests, but she has even gone so far as to block me from her Facebook page; I can't even view my State Representative's social media posts. It seems that she has risen high enough in the political ranks whereby civil discourse is no longer a necessity for her version of democracy.
Last week I referred to Dawnna's support of corporal punishment. I was very surprised to see her take this position given her credentials of working with children. The week before that I discussed her apparent support of the War on Drugs. Despite my efforts, she continues to ignore me.
In this third video I focus on Ms. Dukes' desire to see Texas adopt a state income tax. I'm genuinely curious to hear her defend this position, but make the assumption that she is trying to protect people from being displaced with rising costs. I state three different counter arguments to this assumption and briefly contrast income tax and property taxes.
I truly believe that many of our greatest problems could be solved if only we would hold politicians accountable to their words and actions. So long as I am competing for a seat in the legislature I will certainly do just that. I would strongly encourage you to contact Ms. Dukes' office and request that she comment on these positions.
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Last week I created a video challenging my opponent, 19-year incumbent Dawnna Dukes, to a debate. I posted the video to her Facebook and Twitter accounts and also sent her campaign a personal email with the request. One week later and I still have yet to receive a response. I did discover that I've been blocked from her Facebook wall. This seems a little unfair given that she is my current State Representative and I've only contacted her three times throughout the entire campaigning process. But then again, it seems she is intent to ignore any competition.
In this second video I focus on HB359, a bill which ultimately authorizes school districts to use corporal punishment on students unless a parent or legal guardian opts the child out in writing. Much to my surprise, Ms. Dukes voted in favor of the bill, a position I most certainly do not agree with.
I also illustrate once again how the the Democrats have been attacking Attorney General Greg Abbott for turning down a debate with Wendy Davis. Will Hailer, executive director for the Democratic Party of Texas, went so far as to say, "Attorney General Greg Abbott is a coward. ...he and his team have a fundamental disrespect for Texans and he is unwilling to have his ideas questioned by the press and everyday voters." I hope he feels the same way about members of his own party being unwilling to debate their opponents.
If you can spare five minutes of your day, please encourage Ms. Dukes and her campaign team to take me up on my offer. I believe the citizens of Texas House District 46 deserve to hear new political ideas.
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 Kevin Ludlow presenting his closing arguments at the Dionysium Debate (photo credit: Jad Davis)
The September topic was to resolve that "political power grows out of the barrel of a gun". I had the pleasure of defending the position. Pitted against me was Dionysium regular Jonathan Patschke.
And so for roughly 40 minutes Jonathan and I argued deeply philosophical points back and forth. The problem, I discovered, is that arguing that political power does indeed stem from the barrel of a gun is a wildly unpopular position. It is most certainly true, but it's not something that people want to hear. Be that as it is, the basis of my campaign is to show people that we can do better. We don't need the force of government dictating our every move.
I did get to field a question or two from the audience regarding my campaign platform. The response received a huge round of applause and once again confirmed my belief that the ideas of personal freedom are very popular in Austin.
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As an active and enthusiastic candidate for the Texas House of Representatives in District 46, I would love the opportunity to debate 19-year incumbent Texas State Representative Dawnna Dukes. In order to get people interested in the idea, I have created a video challenging her to join me in a debate, or at least an organized panel discussion. I would love your help getting her and her campaign team to watch it.
The Democrats have been incredibly angry with Greg Abbott for being unwilling to debate Wendy Davis; I agree with them on this position and think it speaks volumes to the character of Republicans. On the same principle, I hope that Dawnna Dukes will consider debating me. We have a number of significant differences between us and I think people deserve to hear those differences. In fact, in regards to Abbott backing out of the debate, Ms. Dukes released the following statement, "How can you be a former justice and an attorney general, and not be a debater?"
Hopefully she will apply the same reasoning to herself.
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 The Cannabis Report logo
Do you support any of the following? Please explain your specific stance on the issue.
Hemp legalization
Yes. I absolutely support the legalization of hemp. I do not support placing any unique taxes or restrictions on the growing or selling of hemp, hemp products, or hemp-related industries.
Marijuana penalty reduction
Yes. I fully support marijuana penalty reduction. I do not believe there should be any penalties for growing, possessing, using, selling or distributing marijuana to adults.
Medical marijuana
Yes, I support medical marijuana. It is an absolute travesty that any government would attempt to impose restrictions on a substance that has been medically proven time and again to treat myriad of problems without any significant side effects. Medical marijuana, at an absolute minimum, should be legalized in the State of Texas immediately.
Affirmative medical defense in court for marijuana patients
Yes, I support affirmative medical defenses. I do not support placing any penalties on marijuana and thus this becomes a moot point. However, and speaking within the law, states that allow medical marijuana should not be able to pursue charges of any kind against medical marijuana users regardless of whether the individual can produce state-issued identification cards or not. The right to treat oneself should never be infringed upon.
Marijuana legalization
Yes. I completely support marijuana legalization. While I do not believe that any restrictions or taxes should be placed upon the adult use of this plant, I would be willing to accept the recent Colorado legislation as a step in the right direction.
Releasing non-violent marijuana offenders from prison
Yes. I have stated this position time and again and spoke extensively about it at Texas NORML. People should not be in cages for non-violent drug offense - ever - period. Furthermore, all people who have been convicted of non-violent drug offenses should be immediately removed from prison. I would further add that such people should be restituted by the state for unjust and inhumane imprisonment.
Growing marijuana at home, whether medically or recreationally
Yes. I support the right to grow marijuana at home for any purpose desired, be it medical or recreational. Much like my position on the legalization of marijuana, I do not believe that any restrictions should be placed on growing marijuana at home. That stated, I would be willing to accept the recent Colorado legislation as a step in the right direction (this legislation sets a limit to the quantity of plants that can be grown at any one time).
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