Laxalt’s Policy Positions Leave More Unanswered Questions by Nevada Democrats

CARSON CITY, Nevada, Jan. 8 -- The Nevada Democratic Party issued the following news release:

Once again, when offered the opportunity to clarify his views on important issues, Republican Attorney General and gubernatorial candidate Adam Laxalt chose to leave voters wondering where he stands.

In a new story in The Nevada Independent called "On the Record: The policy positions of Republican gubernatorial candidate Adam Laxalt," Laxalt rebuffed the opportunity to explain his positions on key issues like health care, abortion, LGBT equality, and Nevada's legal marijuana industry.

However, one thing was made perfectly clear: the growing divide between Laxalt and his fellow Republican, outgoing governor Brian Sandoval. Laxalt either hedged on or outright opposed some of Sandoval's key achievements, like expanding Medicaid in Nevada and boosting much-needed education funding.

Nevada State Democratic Party spokesperson Helen Kalla released the following statement:

"Adam Laxalt apparently has zero interest in letting Nevadans know where he stands on issues that are important to them. He directly avoided multiple opportunities to clarify the direction he'd take Nevada if elected governor, which means he either doesn't know the answers or is trying to conceal his radical, right-wing views from voters. Both possibilities are sure to lead to his defeat in November."

Key points from The Nevada Independent:

Reproductive rights: Asked for his stance on abortion, Laxalt responded with a two-word statement: "I'm pro-life."...The conservative gubernatorial candidate did not respond to questions on whether abortion should be outlawed at all stages or just some, whether there should be requirements for parental notification, ultrasounds before abortion or a waiting period. His campaign website also does not address social issues.

LGBT rights: Laxalt does not list social issues on his 2018 campaign website and his campaign didn't answer a question Friday about his current stance on the matter. [Note: Since Laxalt declined to clarify his stance on LGBT equality for this story, voters will have to rely on his record of opposing both marriage equality and repealing Don't Ask, Don't Tell.]

Health care: During his current campaign, [Laxalt] hasn't directly answered questions about where he stands on the [Affordable Care Act] now -- especially on Gov. Brian Sandoval's decision to expand Medicaid...On multiple occasions, Laxalt has deflected questions about how he would approach the matter.

Marijuana: Laxalt publicly opposed marijuana legalization during the 2016 campaign...At the same time, he didn't take a clear position on Sessions' move [to rescind protections for states with legal marijuana from federal prosecution], and made no commitments to fight the new policy.

Education funding: [Laxalt] also said he supports efforts to repeal the Commerce Tax, a levy passed in 2015 and applied to businesses that make at least $4 million in Nevada revenue each year. It's projected to bring in a net of $195 million over two years...Gov. Brian Sandoval has firmly opposed efforts to repeal the tax, which counts among his signature achievements and formed part of a revenue-raising package that backed up a slate of new education initiatives.