Stephanie Tomana - District 50 | ACLU West Virginia

Please provide some basic information about yourself.

Name Stephanie Tomana

Office Sought WV House of Delegates, District 50

City/Town IdaMay, WV

From 1980 to 2016 the West Virginia state prison population has increased by 470%. What, if anything, would you change to reverse this trend?

A significant contributor to the prison population increase in West Virginia is the inability of offenders to pay fines. I believe that as we address the double digit unemployment rates of some counties and other state-wide poverty drivers, we'll see prison populations decrease. The duration of incarceration because of the inability to pay fines should be examined for inmates as credit toward their fine.

Civil asset forfeiture is a process where police can seize any property "related" to criminal activity and later can file a civil case to forfeit the property to either be used or auctioned for money which is shared between the police department and local prosecutor. This can happen regardless of whether there is a criminal conviction or even criminal charges brought against a person.Proponents say this is a useful tool for taking ill-gotten gains from criminals and funding police work, and that legal protections adequately prevent abuse of the system.Critics say the system amounts to theft, that many people cannot afford the legal costs to challenge a forfeiture action, and that it creates a perverse incentive for police.Do you support or oppose the practice of civil asset forfeiture? What, if any, reforms would you make to the practice?

I support the practice of civil asset forfeiture with regard to drugs and other illegal substance or merchandise that has been proven to be stolen.

More than half the population of West Virginia's regional jails are pre-trial. That means they haven't been found guilty of any crime yet. Most are there because they could not afford bail, though some are there because they were denied a chance to post bail. What changes, if any would you make to our pretrial and/or bail system to balance concerns about safety and court efficiency with ensuring we are not incarcerating people without due process?

I believe that this is complicated issue that does require further examination, unfortunately I am not equipped at this time to make any suggestive changes.

In 2015 West Virginia passed significant reforms to the juvenile justice system. Despite these reforms, the State still utilizes out of home placement at a high rate for system-involved youth. What, if anything, should West Virginia do to reduce out-of-home placements for system-involved juveniles?

The rate of out of home placement is part of a much bigger problem as nearly 41,000 West Virginia children are placed outside of the home in foster, kinship, relative, adoptive or group placements. There is not a one-size-fits-all solution, while I can only speak from my experiences having taught several youth that are involved in the juvenile justice system, all received multiple opportunities for improvement prior to placement, and sadly in many placement was better than home. I am passionate about strengthening families while providing resources and opportunities for growth, only then can we truly help these kids.

West Virginia has a very low voter participation rate. What changes, if any, would you make to increase voter participation?

Several steps can be taken to increase voter registration and participation. For example, the absentee process can be streamlined, voters should simply be able to call and request a ballot or request one online. Efforts also need made to change the mindset, so often we hear that our votes do not count, when in reality they count not more than ever.

Over the past few years, there has been legislation aimed at requiring the Bible to be taught in public schools, allowing a Bible-based elective, or faith-based drug prevention electives. What is your stance on incorporating religion into the public schools?

Religion in school has always been a complicated issue as Religion in itself very personal . We have to always remain respectful of one another's beliefs, religious affiliations and to those that are not religiously affiliated. The question of Bible based electives in school is best left to the local governing school districts, several have had success incorporating elect only classes that require parent/guardian permission.

At least 20 states have passed laws prohibiting discrimination in housing, employment, and public accommodations on the basis of sexual orientation and gender identity. 13 West Virginia municipalities have similar protections. Do you support or oppose a statewide law prohibiting discrimination on the basis of sexual orientation and gender identity in West Virginia? Why?

If we truly believe that all men are created equal, then we must truly believe that there is no room for discrimination in our society. While the West Virginia Human Rights Act definitively makes it illegal to discriminate on the basis of race, sex, age, disability, religion, color, ancestry, national origin, blindness and/or disability, it begs the question, shouldn't it just be illegal to discriminate for any reason?

In December 2019, Governor Justice announced that West Virginia would continue accepting refugees. Do you support or oppose accepting refugees in West Virginia? Under what conditions? Why?

All refugees are vetted and approved through a very lengthy federal process prior to entry into the country and our state. I believe that by making the process more transparent, citizens would be more open to accepting refugees. As a blended nation, immigrants have historically provided diversity and strength to our country.

Q10

Over the past few years, some states have continued to erode protections and access to abortion care. Other states have done the opposite and codified abortion rights that had previously been defined by courts. Do you favor further restrictions to abortion, expanding or codifying abortion rights, or taking no action on abortion?

While I believe that abortion is a very serious matter, I also believe that the topic of abortion rights has become a divisive political talking point proven useful as a smoke screen for the last several decades to take our attention from the most pressing of our needs. We should be asking how to prevent unwanted pregnancies, how to better educate on the consequences of sex, how to prevent rape and sexual crimes, how to value life and respect each other. If we address those questions, the question of abortion rights becomes mute.