Elections 2014 Just another Arizona Capitol Times Election Coverage site
Democrat – Legislative District 30 House
Phone: (623) 680-2961
Email: jonathanlarkinaz@gmail.com
Website: www.larkinforarizona.com
Facebook: Jonathan Larkin
Twitter: @RepLarkin
Address: 4503 W Loma Ln, Glendale, AZ 85302
Age: 30. (01/30/84, St. Petersburg, FL).
Arizona since: 1994
Occupation: Pharmacy tech, Fry’s Food Store since 2000; Marine Corps, 2003-07.
Marital: Single
Education: Marketing, DeVry University; A.A., Glendale C.C.; Dobson H.S., 2003.
Political experience: Campaign aide, Mayor Greg Stanton, 2011; help with many current House and Senate democratic officials; Ruben Gallego for Congress.
Legis exp: House since 2013.
Interests: Personally, I have recently been restoring my home, traveling and do things out doors. Professionally, I have continued to work with veterans, like myself, to combat the challenges we face coming home from service including a bare job market.
Two biggest issues: One important issue is the heightened level of homelessness in the state. I believe a restored housing trust fund will confront the issue and help the homeless get back on their feet. Another prominent problem is Arizona’s branding and image. The state needs to appropriate sufficient funding necessary to rebrand the state and rebuild its image in the wake of embarrassing legislation. This will help bring some revenue to the state in various sectors including the tourist industry.
Budget priorities: One of my main budget priorities is to stop private prisons from generating revenue for stockholders around the globe by using a prison system that the state provides. The state should cut down on the useless prisons which hold inmates that should not be behind bars for extremely lengthy periods of time. The smaller prison population would mean fewer expenses for the state.
Fiscal philosophy: I am a pro-business and pro-union Democrat; both labor and employers can work together to bring prosperity and good paying jobs to Arizona. Furthermore, I believe that we at the Legislature can work with local small businesses and large businesses to achieve this goal while remaining socially responsible.
Common Core: Yes, because Common Core is industry driven. Leaders of industry have made it clear that employees must attain a certain standard in training and education in order to bring quality jobs to Arizona.
Gifts to elected officials: Yes, the reporting system for lobbyists must be modernized. Everything should be reported including gifts, meals, tickets, etc. The constituency deserves transparency from their officials.
Transparency in government: It is our responsibility to our constituents to provide various forms of communication in order to make the actions of our government as transparent as possible. The people deserve public notices and announcements.
Pro-life / pro-choice: I do not think that any person has the right to make the decision for a woman regarding her own health care choices. This is not a matter of pro- or anti-abortion; this is a matter of giving women the ability to choose.
Public policy advice: I always turn to local community leaders and constituents. Leaders, like those in unions or business, are able to capture the opinion of important groups. Also, keeping in touch with the public helps me understand the hearts and minds of the citizenry.
