Soon, five will become two. The candidates for the 69th District seat in the state House, which represents East Lansing, are Republicans John Currie and John Knowles, and Democrats Mark Meadows, Mary Lindemann and Jeffrey Abood. l The group will be narrowed down to one Democrat and one Republican after the Aug. 8 primary. l Below is a brief description of how each candidate feels about ballot initiatives and issues they could potentially vote on as your representative.
John Knowles, 26 RepublicanOccupation: 2006 Graduate of the MSU College of Law, worked at MSU Law's downtown East Lansing nonprofit clinic
Higher education funding: Should it be increased or decreased and how?
MSU and higher education need more funding. He also wants to look at why some colleges receive more money than others.MCRI: Bans race-based preferences in govt. hiring, college admissions
Supports the Michigan Civil Rights Initiative.Eminent domain: Should the government be banned from taking private land for private use?
Supports the ban.Dove hunting: Should it be banned?
Opposes the ban.State education funding: Should minimum education funding increases equal the rate of inflation?
Opposes it.State budget: What would you have done?
"My priority would be economic recovery," Knowles said. "Reducing regulations and reducing taxes would guide my thinking going into the budget process."Abortion
Pro-life, but said it's settled Mich. law that abortion is legal.Death penalty
Opposes it in principle.Same-sex marriage
The constitutional amendment that bans same-sex marriage in Michigan is settled law.Jeffrey Abood, 23
Democrat
Occupation: Student at Cooley Law School in Lansing
Higher education funding: Should it be increased or decreased and how?
It should be increased, as should funding for research. "I would want to make sure we allocate the right amount of funding, so we can give students the education they deserve," he said.MCRI: Bans race-based preferences in govt. hiring, college admissions
Opposes it.Eminent domain: Should the government be banned from taking private land for private use?
Eminent domain should only be used in extreme circumstances, and not to take personal property away to bring in big businesses.Dove hunting: Should it be banned?
Supports it.State education funding: Should minimum education funding increases equal the rate of inflation?
Supports it, but would like to see a revenue source for the funding.State budget: What would you have done?
Would try to allocate more money to education and bring more jobs to the state and see where cuts need to be made.Abortion
Women should be able to choose.Death penalty
Opposes it.Same-sex marriage
Doesn't have a view at this time.
Mark Meadows, 59
Democrat
Occupation: East Lansing City Council member, Attorney at Willingham and Coté P.C.
MCRI: Bans race-based preferences in govt. hiring, college admissions
Higher education funding: Should it be increased or decreased and how? It needs to be increased, and MSU needs more money than other universities because of the research it does. "We need to give relief to families and need to find a better way to help families meet tuition needs in higher education," he said.Eminent domain: Should the government be banned from taking private land for private use?
Opposes it, and said it's misguided.Dove hunting: Should it be banned?
It is a reflection of current state law and it should be a legislative issue. Doesn't oppose it passing, however.State education funding: Should minimum education funding increases equal the rate of inflation?
Supports it.Doesn't think it should be a ballot initiative, but said he supports it.
State budget: What would you have done?
"We've been enmeshed in partisan politics in regard to budgets. Both the Legislature and governor should have a single objective," Meadows said. "We have economic problems in this state, and that should be a major focus of all of the efforts."Abortion
It's a woman's right to choose.Death penalty
It doesn't deter crime and doesn't belong in Michigan.Same-sex marriage
Supports it.
Mary Lindemann, 56
Democrat
Occupation: Former social worker and teacher, works as a governmental relations consultant
Higher education funding: Should it be increased or decreased and how?
It needs to be increased, especially for MSU. "(Legislators) need to begin to appropriate money based on the values of our community, and until a proper value is placed on higher education, we'll never have the amount we need," she said.MCRI: Bans race-based preferences in govt. hiring, college admissions
Opposes it, and said she's worked against it.Eminent domain: Should the government be banned from taking private land for private use?
Supports it. She said she doesn't think the government should take private property for private use.Dove hunting: Should it be banned?
Supports it.State education funding: Should minimum education funding increases equal the rate of inflation?
Supports it, said public education is important and people need to be serious about funding it.State budget: What would you have done?
The process is fine, but the outcome — higher education isn't funded as much as it needs to be — must be changed.Abortion
Supports reproductive freedom and women's right to choose.Death penalty
Opposes it.Same-sex marriage
Supports it.John Currie, 58
Republican
Occupation: Part owner KML Asphalt, worked for former Republican Gov. John Engler
Higher education funding: Should it be increased or decreased and how?
Wants to look at how state funding is being used in higher education, and also said he wants to work on finding better job opportunities for graduates.MCRI: Bans race-based preferences in govt. hiring, college admissions
Opposes it; should be an issue for the Legislature, not the ballot.Eminent domain: Should the government be banned from taking private land for private use?
It shouldn't be a ballot initiative and should be addressed through the state Legislature and is a reflection of current laws.Dove hunting: Should it be banned?
It should be a legislative issue.State education funding: Should minimum education funding increases equal the rate of inflation?
Opposes it because it locks the government into limits it might not be able to support.State budget: What would you have done?
"I would ask for accountability and would want those agencies and those groups that get money from the state to provide plans on what they are going to do with the money," Currie said.Abortion
Pro-choice.Death penalty
Doesn't think it reduces crime.Same-sex marriage
There should be equal benefits for partners, but thinks most people don't want to see same-sex marriage.
