In Studio: Libertarian Lt. Gov. Candidate Chris Olson
NORTHWEST ARKANSAS -- Libertarian Lieutenant Governor Candidate Christopher Olson stopped by our KNWA/FOX 24 studios Wednesday morning.
He weighed in on everything from marriage equality, to legalizing cannabis for medicinal purposes, to eliminating state income tax, to reducing the size of the Lieutenant Governor's office. Watch the video for the full interview or read below to see what Olson had to say.
Marissa Kargas: To start things off, some have said our state does not need a Lieutenant Governor and believe those tax dollars could be better spent elsewhere. You have said you want to eventually reduce the size of the office of Lieutenant Governor. What do you mean by that?
Christopher Olson: Well, my first preference would be to eliminate the office. Now I understand that the legislature only has three option for a constitutional amendment each year and it would take a constitutional amendment to abolish the office. If they were unwilling to use up one of their three to do this, I would like to reduce the size of the office by reducing the staff down to one part-time secretary to answer the phone and I myself would decline half the salary. As the office now, it's budgeted for four staff members and a $43,000 salary for the Lieutenant Governor. Doing that would reduce the size of the office and the budget.
Marissa Kargas: So you still think that there is a need for the position of Lieutenant Governor, but just diminishing the pay for Lieutenant Governor and the size of the office.
Christopher Olson: Yes. I don't know if we actually really need one, but if we're going to have one, it needs to be what it's supposed to be. A part-time job.
Marissa Kargas: Candidates often talk about their plans for jobs and our state's economy, but you have also come out expressing your support of initiatives to legalize cannabis for medicinal purposes and your support for marriage equality. Why is it important for you to take a strong, public stance on these more controversial issues?
Christopher Olson: I'm for these issues not because I'm running for Lieutenant Governor. I don't believe the Lieutenant Governor will have any role in those issues whatsoever. However, I am in favor of liberty and equal rights for people. I believe that cannabis has a legitimate medical use. There are numerous studies done that list the ability of it to treat epilepsy in children, for example, or help AIDS and cancer patients tolerate their medicines. As far as marriage equality, I really don't believe that the state has a role to play in marriage. If it does though, it needs to treat each of its citizens equally. If men and women have the right to engage in that contract and get married, then other legally consenting adults should have that same right.
Marissa Kargas: State income tax is a topic that draws debate from both sides. You have said you plan to reduce and eventually eliminate the state income tax. How do you plan to do that?
Christopher Olson: It's not necessarily my plan. It's the plan of my running mate, Frank Gilbert. He's running for Governor. As I said before, the Lieutenant Governor really has no part to play in this because it has little power whatsoever. If I was elected, I wouldn't be able to do anything for this. But, my vision for that was, over the course of several years to gradually reduce the amount of money that's taken out of people's paychecks. People work hard for their money and they deserve to have the right to spend it however they want, without the government getting its cut first.
The rest is here:
In Studio: Libertarian Lt. Gov. Candidate Chris Olson