The Issues — Adam Wool

I’ve been asked to add a page with more detailed positions on certain issues. I’ve been reluctant because there is nuance to many issues and they’re not all black and white and do require explanation and flexibility. Part of what I’ve learned from being a legislator is that flexibility is needed on certain positions and that to get things done one has to be capable of compromise and be able to negotiate.

Another part of being a good legislator is making good decisions. Sometimes issues come up and we have to educate ourselves on all sides of an issue and then a take a tough vote. This is part of the process. Sometimes we’re able to amend legislation to make it better and make it possible to support. Much of this goes on behind the scenes and the public is usually only aware of the final vote and the tally. That’s why it’s hard to take hardened positions on certain topics because they change frequently. I believe I make good informed decisions and that’s what representative government is all about. Elect people that can make good decisions that represent what the voters want and that’s why they get elected, because people feel they’re being represented. That being said here are some of my views on some important issues.

I am pro-choice. I support the Roe v Wade decision and oppose it being overturned. Alaska has a strong privacy clause in its constitution but if it came to a vote I’d support putting in law language that makes it the law of the land. A woman should have access to reproductive healthcare including safe and legal abortion if she chooses, especially if her life is in danger.

I am very concerned of the rate of increase of the temperature of the planet. We are heating up too fast and each prediction puts us closer to the point of no return. Oceans are warming and rising and we’re already seeing the results. In Alaska we’re seeing declining fish populations and migration of certain fish species to places we’ve never seen them before. Permafrost is melting and infrastructure is failing. Nationally, storms are getting bigger and wetter and more destructive. Fires are burning more frequently and bigger and droughts are more severe. The southwest of the U.S. had its driest and hottest season of the past 1000 years. We must do something. We need to burn less fossil fuels. Alaska is a producer of fossil fuels and we can’t stop production that’s for sure. We need to keep that in mind and start our transition to other means. We shouldn’t shut down production on the north slope and we should continue to explore where it’s economically and environmentally feasible but we shouldn’t think we can drill ourselves out of this problem. It’s getting harder to get financing for certain drilling projects and needs to be taken into account. We need to look into other technologies and that means looking for other minerals that can be used for alternative energy. Alaska has some of those resources and we need to take advantage of that and help in the needed transition.

Like many others, I was deeply affected by the recent school shooting in Texas. This situation is so appalling and unthinkable. It’s something that should never happen, yet it continues. I remember the Sandy Hook massacre that took place in Newtown, Connecticut back in 2013. I had a daughter in 1st grade at the time, and putting her on the bus the next day was very painful. No parent should feel that, yet many today are feeling just that. Congress had a bi-partisan bill in front of them that would’ve helped but it failed. Our Democratic senator at the time voted against it. We need to put an end to this kind of extreme violence. Last session I introduced a very minimal gun safety bill that would require people to keep their guns locked up when they weren’t in the control of a responsible adult. This measure is supported by a majority of gun owners. This is similar in approach to a seatbelt law. The fine is minimal and in the case of the safe storage bill, a fine would only be applied if the gun was used in a crime or if someone was injured or killed. Too many kids die accidentally from playing with guns that are left out and our suicide rate is #2 in the nation. The bill never passed, but it was a small start. People say I’m crazy to introduce a “gun bill” in Alaska but we need to start somewhere. We need to stop kids killing kids. The recent shootings in the country have been carried out by 18 year old kids. In states like Alaska, they can’t legally buy a handgun until they’re 21. However even though we just raised the age for cigarettes and vapes to 21 from 19 in Alaska, it’s still 18 to buy an assault rifle.

Our healthcare system doesn’t work for many Americans. It is too expensive and too complicated and it’s tied to ones job in many cases. Our system is on the verge of collapse. Many people with employer provided healthcare may not have many problems and feel like everything is OK. This may be the case and that’s fine but the costs are rising very quickly and even more so in Alaska. That’s why many Alaskans fly out of state for certain procedures because it’s cheaper. This shouldn’t be the case. We have the most expensive healthcare system in the world and our results aren’t great. For those uninsured or underinsured a major medical catastrophe can mean bankruptcy. End of life care can be very expensive and even people with medical insurance may need to have lots of money in reserve to afford a comfortable retirement. This shouldn’t be the case, the system needs fixing. A public option may be a good start, it may bring down costs and be a good template for future systems.