With early voting beginning in the Republican primary election on Monday, February 14, Texas Scorecard asked candidates in the race for Texas House District 138 a series of questions to help voters make up their minds before heading to the polls.
Candidates
Lacey Hull (No response received)
Josh Flynn
Christine Kalmbach
The following are the full, unedited responses we received.
Why are you running for office?
Flynn: I believe good government requires good people to run. “The only thing necessary for the triumph of evil is for good men to do nothing.”― Edmund Burke
Kalmbach: I believe in being effective, excellent, and essential with integrity, vision, and transparency and that is why I am running for Texas House District 138! I have lived in the district for almost 8 years (in Northwest Houston over 40 years) and previously as a student at Shadow Oaks Elementary in SBISD! I attended Arnold MS and Cy-Fair HS in CFISD graduating in 1985 (Bobcat Fight Never Dies)! I am a small business owner (a Licensed Professional Realtor) and I am a Christian Constitutional Conservative that seeks to keep Texans free to worship as they want, with the right to protect themselves and their property, to protect parental rights as the sole authority over their children, to preserve our freedoms ordained by God and through our Federal and State Constitutions! I support our Law Enforcement Officers and our Military (I am a proud Military, Eagle and Aggie Mom)! I am for free-market solutions to our community problems! I am for limited government and I want to eliminate waste, fraud, and abuse. I am for transparency at all levels in government! I am for vaccine choice with no state or federal mandates on vaccines! I am for freedom and liberty with personal accountability!
What are the three main issues facing the district you hope to represent? How will you address them?
Flynn: Freedom from local government oppression. Secure Elections. Border Control. Remove local county authority to issue medical mandates. Give the Texas Attorney General the authority to enforce election law at the county level. Give the tools to local border counties to enforce the law.
Kalmbach:
1) Protecting our 2nd Amendment Rights and our Texas border and reducing crime while supporting LEOs and the Military. I will pursue authoring, co-sponsoring and voting for legislation that protects our rights, our border, reduces crime, and that enhances law enforcement and the military.
2) Flood Mitigation in our District – we need to audit the projects and funding that has been approved for our district. I will create a task force to ensure this happens. I am also eliminating waste, fraud and abuse in Government. I will pursue authoring, co-sponsoring and voting for legislation that does that.
3) Protecting Life, Liberty, Parental Rights, School Choice, Religious Freedom, and limiting Government control. I will pursue authoring, co-sponsoring and voting for legislation that protects these freedoms and vote against those that do not.
Texans all across the state are reporting an ever-increasing property tax burden. Should the property tax system be fixed? If so, how?
Flynn: Property taxes are the most oppressive tax in practice in the US. Property taxes should be abolished. Replace with a consumption base tax.
Kalmbach: As a Licensed Professional Realtor, I have seen firsthand how property taxes in Harris County continue to escalate out of control and homeowners in Texas never truly own their homes! Most people cannot afford the taxes that are being levied on them! I have been proud to help our family and neighbors fight their property taxes! We need to abolish property taxes – can do it with a graduated 10-year plan and go to a consumption tax. I want to abolish the property taxes for our neighbors in Texas and HD138!
Should Democrats serve as committee chairs in the Texas Legislature?
Flynn: I think the Rules of the House and Senate should be changed to establish a committee of 5 legislators, elected by their peers, to assign committee chairs and members.
Kalmbach: NO.
How would you characterize the state’s response to the coronavirus? What would you have done differently?
Flynn: I was terribly disappointed in state leadership when they relinquished authority to the county judges regarding lockdowns and mask mandates. I think the two-week lockdown was appropriate, after that, when the doom did not materialize, the citizen should have been free to make their own decisions regarding health and safety.
Kalmbach: Initially, shutting down our state was in response to the fear of the unknown and I get that. After the first few months, it became apparent that it was the wrong thing to do, and we should never do it again. I will pursue authoring, co-sponsoring, and voting for legislation that protects individual freedoms and vote against those that do not.
