Scorecard: Where congressional candidates Morgan McGarvey, Attica Scott stand on 10 issues

As U.S. Rep. John Yarmuth retires from Congress, two Democrats — Kentucky Senate Minority Leader Morgan McGarvey and state Rep. Attica Scott — are vying for their party's nomination to succeed him.

With two weeks left before the May 17 primary, here's a quick rundown of where McGarvey and Scott stand on 10 issues.

Kentucky elections: As candidates, Morgan McGarvey and Attica Scott agree on a lot. Here's where they differ.

Adopt Medicare for All

Medicare for All involves revamping American health care by instituting a single-payer system where a government-run health insurance program covers costs for people throughout the country, although nitty-gritty details on how such an initiative would operate depends on whom you ask.

McGarvey: Supports.

Scott: Supports.

Cancel student loan debt

The U.S. government has kept federal student loan payments on hold for over two years during the pandemic, giving borrowers a break. Many progressives are urging the cancellation of all outstanding debt, which they say would greatly help millions of cash-strapped Americans. President Joe Biden just signaled he's considering canceling some, but far from all, federal student loan debt.

Scott: Supports.

Scott pledges on her campaign website to vote to "cancel all student loan debt" if she's elected.

McGarvey: Partially supports.

When asked if he supports canceling all federal student loan debt, McGarvey indicated he's supportive of the U.S. government forgiving some, but not all, student loans. He said the government "can and should step in and provide people relief on student loan debt," including by forgiving loans "in some cases."

More: Handpicked? Too little support? Behind-the-scenes look at Attica Scott vs. Morgan McGarvey

Decriminalize, legalize marijuana

Marijuana is legal in some states (not Kentucky, of course), but it's still illegal at the federal level. Decriminalization policies can vary, but essentially they put a stop to arresting and keeping people behind bars for possessing small amounts of marijuana for personal use.

McGarvey: Supports.

Scott: Supports.

Defund the police

The notion of 'defunding the police' is a hot-button issue, with many people seeing its goal as eliminating law enforcement budgets. However, 'defunding the police' also can refer to redirecting some (but not all) government money away from police departments to other agencies, including those focused on improving public health and safety through other means.

Scott: Supports.

Scott tweeted her support for defunding the Louisville Metro Police Department in 2020. That same year, she posted: "You can't misconduct settlement your way out of this mess. DEFUND police departments. REALLOCATE those funds to meet the economic and social needs of our neighbors."

When recently asked if she broadly supports defunding police departments across the country, she told The Courier Journal: "We should never accept police brutality, racial profiling, or violent policing. We should expect police to solve violent crimes. What we don’t need is a militarized police force that was birthed out of keeping Black people enslaved, patrolling communities and contributing to violence. We need more holistic approaches to community safety."

McGarvey: Opposes.

When asked if he supports or opposes defunding the police, broadly speaking, McGarvey said: "I support fully funding public safety..." He also said we must attack "the root causes of crime" and have more social workers on the job and better treatment programs.

When asked if he supports reducing police budgets and shifting that money to those sorts of priorities, he said: "You know, what I support is fully funding public safety ... and lifting everyone up."

He did not explicitly say whether he supports or opposes defunding the police in that recent interview with The Courier Journal. However, a campaign spokesman later clarified that McGarvey does not support defunding the police.

More: Louisville mayor candidates respond: How would you fix the police department?

Pass the Green New Deal

The Green New Deal is a congressional resolution, introduced in 2019 by Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, D-N.Y., and Sen. Ed Markey, D-Mass., that calls for a sweeping, decade-long action plan largely aimed at achieving net-zero greenhouse gas emissions and investing in job-generating renewable energy initiatives.

McGarvey: Supports.

Scott: Supports.

Enshrine right to abortion in federal law

The U.S. Supreme Court is expected to issue a ruling this year that weakens, or even overturns, Roe v. Wade, the landmark decision that legalized abortion. Codifying Roe v. Wade essentially would involve Congress passing a bill to make the right to an abortion part of federal law, in hopes of preserving that right if Roe gets watered down or overturned.

Scott: Supports.

McGarvey: Supports.

Institute federal ban on no-knock warrants

No-knock search warrants, which allow law enforcement to enter a property without knocking or otherwise announcing their presence first, drew national scrutiny after Louisville police shot and killed Breonna Taylor in March 2020 while executing a no-knock warrant at her apartment.

McGarvey: Supports.

Scott: Supports.

Abolish U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE)

Some progressives say the federal government should get rid of ICE, which enforces immigration rules and detains and deports undocumented immigrants throughout the country. They cite various examples of the agency unjustly treating immigrants when explaining why it should be scrapped.

Scott: Supports.

Back in summer 2018 when Occupy ICE activists in Louisville called for the agency's abolition, Scott was the only local elected official who publicly embraced the policy. And she has continued to do so since then, tweeting in November 2021: "ICE has no place in Louisville, or any city across this country."

McGarvey: Opposes.

McGarvey did not explicitly support or oppose abolishing ICE when The Courier Journal asked about his position on that. However, a campaign spokesman later clarified he does not support abolishing ICE.

"Look, Immigration and Customs Enforcement should not terrorize people living in this country, families living in this country," McGarvey said in that prior interview. "And we need Congress to do its job and offer immigration reform that comes up with a broad pathway to citizenship."

Provide universal prekindergarten

Bringing universal prekindergarten to the nation generally would involve offering access to free, government-funded pre-K education for children.

McGarvey: Supports.

Scott: Supports.

Ban "conversion therapy"

"Conversion therapy," as such efforts are commonly called, aims to change a person's sexual orientation or their gender identity. It is a scientifically discredited practice that involves substantial risks of harm for people subjected to it, and there is growing, bipartisan interest among Kentucky lawmakers in banning it at the state level even though legislation that would do so hasn't passed.

Scott: Supports.

McGarvey: Supports.

Morgan Watkins is The Courier Journal's chief political reporter. Contact her at mwatkins@courierjournal.com. Follow her on Twitter: @morganwatkins26.

This article originally appeared on Louisville Courier Journal: Morgan McGarvey, Attica Scott on legalized marijuana, defund police