ELECTION 2020 DOMESTIC & SEXUAL VIOLENCE POLICY QUESTIONNAIRE U.S. HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES DISTRICT 01 – CHARLESTON, BEAUFORT, BERKELEY, COLLETON, DORCHESTER EXPANDING/ENHANCING DOMESTIC VIOLENCE REPORTING EFFORTS Would you support efforts to enhance/expand methods for reporting in South Carolina? YES NO RESPONSE Nancy Mace, Republican Joe Cunningham, Democratic “I’ve always been an advocate for victims of domestic violence and sexual abuse. For me, this issue is personal. I was raped at the age of 16, and it took me 25 years to speak about this deeply traumatic and personal issue that so many women across our country face, for a lifetime. Reporting is already a difficult decision to make. Many women feel too ashamed or scared to report sexual abuse or domestic violence, and with COVID-19 keeping victims at home with their abusers it is not surprising that the incidents of domestic abuse and sexual abuse have gone up. In light of this horrific situation, it is incredibly important reporting is made more accessible. We also need to ensure our law enforcement has the funding they need to make the process quick, safe and more private for victims, while also increasing resources for victim advocates." – N. Mace SUPPORT FOR GOING BEYOND CRIMINAL JUSTICE RESPONSE Would you support the creation of a statewide plan to effectively address the issues of domestic and sexual violence beyond the criminal justice response? YES NO RESPONSE Nancy Mace, Republican Joe Cunningham, Democratic “As a state lawmaker, this is an issue I have worked on. The criminal justice system is effective but shouldn’t be the first line of defense. Increasing funding for both intense therapy programs for those offenders, while also increasing funding for victim advocates would be a good starting place for reducing repeat offences and getting much needed help to victims. At the state level, another provision I have authored includes legislation that would allow victims of domestic abuse to more easily get out of their leases or rental agreements when these offenses occur. We need to ensure we protect women who are victims of abuse understanding if they are unable to leave the home, it may be a life or death issue." – N. Mace South Carolina Coalition Against Domestic Violence and Sexual Assault (SCCADVASA) www.sccadvasa.org | 803.256.2900 | P.O. Box 7776, Columbia, SC 29202 ELECTION 2020 DOMESTIC & SEXUAL VIOLENCE POLICY QUESTIONNAIRE U.S. HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES DISTRICT 01 – CHARLESTON, BEAUFORT, BERKELEY, COLLETON, DORCHESTER INCREASED FOCUS ON PREVENTION OF DOMESTIC & SEXUAL VIOLENCE Do you believe our state needs to increase its focus on the prevention of domestic and sexual violence? YES NO RESPONSE Nancy Mace, Republican Joe Cunningham, Democratic “The criminal justice system offers some preventative measures like restraining orders, but that prevention does not come soon enough. It is incredibly important that there is a focus on preventing domestic violence and sexual abuse, and that we properly fund those programs. Increasing education in schools -- how to identify victims, what the resources are and how to access them. We need to bring more awareness to emotional and mental abuse, as well. As a state lawmaker, I drafted legislation that would allow women to get out of their rental agreements or leases to a safe place when they are victims of domestic violence and abuse." – N. Mace SUPPORT ADDITIONAL FUNDING FOR DOMESTIC & SEXUAL VIOLENCE SERVICE PROVIDERS Would you support additional state funding be allocated to victim service providers? Do you believe additional federal funding should be allocated to victim service providers? YES NO RESPONSE Nancy Mace, Republican Joe Cunningham, Democratic “We need to make sure that Congress includes supplementary funding in their next stimulus bill. These public and private funds offer a major gateway for victims to find relief, and when the government all but mandates everyone to stay in their homes, it is more important now than ever before. As we slowly begin to open the country back up, it is increasingly evident that these cuts must be remedied." – N. Mace South Carolina Coalition Against Domestic Violence and Sexual Assault (SCCADVASA) www.sccadvasa.org | 803.256.2900 | P.O. Box 7776, Columbia, SC 29202 ELECTION 2020 DOMESTIC & SEXUAL VIOLENCE POLICY QUESTIONNAIRE U.S. HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES DISTRICT 04 – GREENVILLE, SPARTANBURG EXPANDING/ENHANCING DOMESTIC VIOLENCE REPORTING EFFORTS Would you support efforts to enhance/expand methods for reporting in South Carolina? YES NO RESPONSE Michael Chandler, Constitution Kim Nelson, Democratic William Timmons IV, Republican “Make reporting easier to police or social workers, isolate and protect witnesses.” – M. Chandler SUPPORT FOR GOING BEYOND CRIMINAL JUSTICE RESPONSE Would you support the creation of a statewide plan to effectively address the issues of domestic and sexual violence beyond the criminal justice response? YES NO RESPONSE Michael Chandler, Constitution Kim Nelson, Democratic William Timmons IV, Republican “Many cases of abuse involve substance abuse or mental health issues, we need to address these issues.” – M. Chandler INCREASED FOCUS ON PREVENTION OF DOMESTIC & SEXUAL VIOLENCE Do you believe our state needs to increase its focus on the prevention of domestic and sexual violence? YES NO RESPONSE Michael Chandler, Constitution Kim Nelson, Democratic William Timmons IV, Republican “Follow up tracking on domestic abuse complaints to insure counseling and positive actions are taken to change the behavior and the negative dynamics of the relationships.” – M. Chandler South Carolina Coalition Against Domestic Violence and Sexual Assault (SCCADVASA) www.sccadvasa.org | 803.256.2900 | P.O. Box 7776, Columbia, SC 29202 ELECTION 2020 DOMESTIC & SEXUAL VIOLENCE POLICY QUESTIONNAIRE U.S. HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES DISTRICT 04 - GREENVILLE, SPARTANBURG SUPPORT ADDITIONAL FUNDING FOR DOMESTIC & SEXUAL VIOLENCE SERVICE PROVIDERS Would you support additional state funding be allocated to victim service providers? Do you believe additional federal funding should be allocated to victim service providers? YES NO RESPONSE Michael Chandler, Constitution Kim Nelson, Democratic William Timmons IV, Republican “The most basic duty of the government is to provide for the safety of its citizens. The backbone of this country is the family unit. A strong family unit creates a strong and vibrant community.” – M. Chandler South Carolina Coalition Against Domestic Violence and Sexual Assault (SCCADVASA) www.sccadvasa.org | 803.256.2900 | P.O. Box 7776, Columbia, SC 29202 ELECTION 2020 DOMESTIC & SEXUAL VIOLENCE POLICY QUESTIONNAIRE U.S. SENATE EXPANDING/ENHANCING DOMESTIC VIOLENCE REPORTING EFFORTS Would you support efforts to enhance/expand methods for reporting in South Carolina? SUPPORT FOR GOING BEYOND CRIMINAL JUSTICE RESPONSE Would you support the creation of a statewide plan to effectively address the issues of domestic and sexual violence beyond the criminal justice response? INCREASED FOCUS ON PREVENTION OF DOMESTIC & SEXUAL VIOLENCE Do you believe our state needs to increase its focus on the prevention of domestic and sexual violence? SUPPORT ADDITIONAL FUNDING FOR DOMESTIC & SEXUAL VIOLENCE SERVICE PROVIDERS Would you support additional state funding be allocated to victim service providers? Do you believe additional federal funding should be allocated to victim service providers? UNANSWERED NO RESPONSE Bill Bledsoe, Constitution Lindsey Graham, Republican Jaime Harrison, Democratic Yes, I would be happy to give you some information. I'm Dr. Bill Bledsoe, in Spartanburg, running for US Senate. My name will be on the ballot under the Constitution party. You need to know that I've thrown my support behind Senator Lindsey Graham. Here is a short proposed text that explains why I did this. “I’m Dr. Bill Bledsoe. If you're an activist in South Carolina, you’ve probably ran across my name, many times, over the decades. Maybe you attended one of my longgun rallies at one of the County Courthouses around the state, or voted for me in one of the statewide elections. Maybe you’ve been to my home, where I’ve hosted dozens of different patriotic, constitutional groups over the decades. I received a mailout from President Trump asking that I support Senator Lindsey Graham because he helped President Trump to appoint over 200 conservative federal judges. We’ll likely lose our Senate Majority if we don’t unite. This will cripple President Trump’s efforts to get 40 years of conservative judges appointed. Please join me and vote for President Donald Trump and Senator Lindsey Graham." South Carolina Coalition Against Domestic Violence and Sexual Assault (SCCADVASA) www.sccadvasa.org | 803.256.2900 | P.O. Box 7776, Columbia, SC 29202 ELECTION 2020 DOMESTIC & SEXUAL VIOLENCE POLICY QUESTIONNAIRE SOLICITOR CIRCUIT 4 - CHESTERFIELD, DARLINGTON, DILLON, MARLBORO EXPANDING/ENHANCING DOMESTIC VIOLENCE REPORTING EFFORTS Would you support efforts to enhance/expand methods for reporting in South Carolina? YES N/A Will Rogers, Democratic Unopposed “Emails, etc. Need to use advances in technology for reporting” – W. Rogers SUPPORT FOR GOING BEYOND CRIMINAL JUSTICE RESPONSE Would you support the creation of a statewide plan to effectively address the issues of domestic and sexual violence beyond the criminal justice response? YES N/A Will Rogers, Democratic Unopposed INCREASED FOCUS ON PREVENTION OF DOMESTIC & SEXUAL VIOLENCE Do you believe our state needs to increase its focus on the prevention