Mark on Issues

important to the 22nd

"There are a few of our top priorities."

The Right to Life

As a father of five, I know first-hand some of the difficult tests of faith that can happen during pregnancy. When my wife, Lila, and I were told that that our quadruplets were a high-risk pregnancy and that certain dangers existed in potentially carrying all of our children to full-term, we were advised to make a choice. We knew, based on our steadfast belief in the sanctity of life and our unborn children’s God-given right to exist, that the only option was for us to carry all of our children to full-term. Defending life is not simply a policy position to me, it is an integral part of our family and you can count on me to continue to defend life in Richmond, just as Lila and I did for our own children nearly two decades ago.

Taxes

More freedom, fewer taxes. I support abolishing the individual state income tax. I believe government should protect your financial freedom, by taking in fewer of your hard-earned dollars. In Richmond, I take care to ensure the General Assembly does not spend anymore taxpayer money than is necessary to support core government services. I will always look for ways to reduce spending and lower the tax burden for our families, farmers, and businesses.

The Right to Bear Arms

I am a staunch defender of our right to bear arms, and I have the voting record to prove it.  As your State Senator, I took an oath to defend both the Virginia Constitution and the Constitution of the United States, and the brilliant authors of these documents knew the natural right of the people to bear arms was so essential to liberty, that it must be constitutionally protected. As your voice in Richmond, I will continue to protect all of our constitutional rights, including the right to bear arms.

Regulations

We can all agree that certain regulations are necessary, but government bureaucrats have gone too far. I have and will continue to introduce bills that remove unnecessary government regulations, which are nothing more than a burden on our farmers and small business owners. These regulations increase the cost of doing business and ultimately hurt the workingman, who sees lower wages or worse, fewer jobs. I will continue working with my colleagues in the Senate and House of Delegates in identifying regulations we can roll back, but I welcome feedback from you. If there is a particular regulation you think unnecessary, please submit via our Repeal It! form.

Redistricting

The drawing of district lines is a constitutionally mandated responsibility of the General Assembly as outlined in the Virginia Constitution. In recent years, many, myself included, have voiced concern over the gerrymandering of Virginia’s legislative districts. While I think everyone can agree drawing districts is no easy task, I do believe the General Assembly must revisit the manner in which it draws district boundaries; just adhere to the Constitution. Every electoral district shall be composed of contiguous and compact territory and shall be so constituted as to give, as nearly as is practicable, representation in proportion to the population of the district.” If the legislature adheres to the Constitution when drawing the districts in 2021, I believe we will have fair redistricting.