Robbie Smith's responses to science questionnaire

Robbie Smith
Republican Party

Innovation and Entrepreneurship

Please describe a policy you support to promote innovation and entrepreneurship in science and technology fields in Kentucky.

I support policy that eliminates stifling regulations on business and agriculture. This will make entrepreneurship more profitable, especially in the agricultural sciences.

Education

What policies would you support to promote science education and encourage students to pursue careers in science and technology fields?
 
I support a career and technical center in every county and those centers should include pathways in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics. This will also open up new positions for STEM educators.

Heath

Kentuckians have disproportionate rates of heart disease, diabetes, and cancer compared to citizens in other states. Please describe one of the steps you would take as governor to improve the health of Kentuckians.
 
My economic policies will increase employment dramatically. This will allow more Kentuckians access to quality health insurance and enable them to purchase healthier foods.

Drug Abuse

The abuse of opioids continues to threaten the lives and health of people across the state. What steps would you take as governor to prevent drug abuse and help people recover from addiction?
 
Step 1: Restrict prescription of opioids in routine surgeries for sports related injuries and wisdom tooth extraction for Kentuckians under 25 years old. Science proves that acetaminophen and ibuprofen are better antiinflammatories and pain relievers for these types of trauma.

Step 2: Increase access to successful drug rehabilitation such as drug court.

Step 3: Create a pathway for those that have completed recovery to be fully integrated back into society; removing barriers to housing and meaningful employment.

Natural Lands and History

What actions would you take, if any, to preserve natural areas and promote appreciation and understanding of the state’s natural history?
 
Continue funding to maintain and operate state parks.

Energy and Environment

Please briefly describe at least one aspect of energy and environment on which your administration would focus.
 
Redefining regulations for coal fired power plants to make energy more abundant and affordable.

Cybersecurity

Cyberattacks are constantly evolving to pose new threats to personal privacy, health information, government data, utility systems, and homeland security. Do you propose any actions to strengthen cybersecurity in Kentucky? Please explain.
 
 Move away from electronic voting to paper ballots.

STEM Teachers

Schools face challenges in retaining and attracting science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM) teachers. How can Kentucky support current STEM teachers and attract new ones?
 
The most important aspect of retaining and attracting new teachers is creating and maintaining positive learning environments. We can accomplish this by ensuring education for students is effective and meaningful through vocation and job preparation.

Science Policy

Science policies touch upon health, technology, education, the environment, the economy and many other topics. Is there a science policy issue in Kentucky that you think deserves more attention than it receives?

Ultimately by improving our economy and education system we will promote innovation in all science policy issues.