Brian Chaput Texas Senate District 8 DEMOCRAT

1. Questionnaire
NAME: Brian Chaput
OFFICE SEEKING: Texas Senate District 8
1) Arrests: Have you ever been arrested, and may I have your permission to run a Background check?
I was once arrested when I was in college for being under 21 and in a restaurant for dinner that
served liquor. I was with other students who were under 21, and we didn’t have an adult
chaperone. I spent the night in jail hoping the charge would be dropped against me
immediately. While I had to wait it out and hire a lawyer, the charge was dropped. I learned a lot
about the consequence and long-term stigma associated with simply being arrested. To those
charged and convicted, I have a yearning to bring real and effective reform to our criminal
justice system. While this is not a legislative priority of mine personally, I would support activity
to improve a system that can dramatically alter one’s life without any safety net.
You may run a background check.
2) Please list all relevant Degrees and Certifications: May I have your permission to verify your post-
secondary education?
Master of Science in Electrical Engineering from the University of Texas at Dallas
Bachelor of Science in Electrical Engineering with a Minor in History from Washington University
in Saint Louis
Yes you may post my education.
3) Why are you running for office?
By profession, I am an engineer, not a politician. So as I listened to my friends and neighbors
express their frustration and dissatisfaction with the rhetoric and partisan polarization of the

2. Texas Senate I realized our representatives no longer speak for the real constituents of our
district.
I see many of our legislators openly ignoring the pleas of the people they are supposed to
represent. I see them treating fellow legislators not as fellow Texans working toward a solution
for all our citizens, but as opponents they can treat without inclusion, respect, or civility.
I am running to bring the voice of the real people from this district to Austin – real people who
want legislators to work together to solve the complex problems we face today in Texas, not
impose extreme ideologies on our state. I also do not take for granted the simple dignity of
being a moral and upright citizen. The people of Texas deserve representatives who will act and
govern with selflessness, faith, charity, and a sense of fairness and justice.
In the past months of campaigning, I spent my time listening to everyone I could from all over
this area. I have heard their complaints and their ideas for what we need to do better. My
legislative agenda is rooted in those conversations, and in the priorities of the people I hope to
represent.
4) What are your Key Qualifications, that separate you from the other candidate(s)?
I am a 37-year resident of this district, and I have served years in city government, Freemasonry,
sports, PTA, volunteering, and coaching youth sports. I have 2 engineering degrees, 3 patents, 5
marathons, summited Kilimanjaro, and most importantly raising my two wonderful children
with my wife Rachel in this district I am seeking to represent. We need practical problem solving
and as an engineer and manager, I can bring a pragmatic, thoughtful, and compassionate
approach to representation.
5) Will you accept monetary compensation for any activities outside of your office compensation?
Sorry the question is not crystal clear for a yes/no answer. I am part of the professional working
class and I will need to take a leave of absence from my position reducing my outside income to
$0 while in session. The state legislative position pays $7200 per year which will help pay some
of the usual bills and expenses for me and my family but clearly will not compensate for change
in income. So, while I do not foresee activities outside my office during legislative sessions, I do
foresee maintaining my engineering career and working as I have always done when not in
session, but technically while I am still in office.

3. 6) Term Limits: Will you sign a pledge to push for the implementation of Term Limits and how will you
make this a reality?
I am for Term Limits and would support thoughtful legislation introduced regarding this matter.
7) RESIDENT TAX BURDEN
Collin County Residents are burdened with the 2nd Highest Total Property Tax Payments in the State of
Texas and Education represents over 60% of the Collin residential tax burden. Taxpayers will be paying
over $350 million over the next 25 years for the following stadiums:
◾McKinney ($80 to $120 million)
◾Prosper ($48 to $72 million)
◾Allen ($60 to $90 million
◾Frisco Memorial Stadium FISD portion ($15 to $22 million)
◾Frisco Star Center FISD portion ($30 to $49 million)
Bond measures and Tax Increases have passed, largely because Texas legislators have enacted
regulations that allow:
◾Corporations to contribute to PAC supporting ISD Tax Increase and Bond Measures
◾ISD to pick favorable Election Dates and Voting Locations
◾ISD’s to exploit confidential Parent Contact Information, Internal/Publicly funded resources and
personnel to create materials for “get out the vote” activities such as Mailing, Phone Calls and Emails.
◾Administrators to “encourage” teachers to contact parents about voting
◾Administrators to use scare tactics to threaten to cut teachers and popular school programs.
◾ISD’s to erroneously blame “state funding cuts” to justify tax increases
◾ISD’s to remove anti-PAC signs while allowing pro-PAC signs.

4. What are your thoughts and your plans to address these issues?
There are a lot of subjects in this question. Tax rates are influenced heavily by the State
Legislature and the ISD’s determination of how to spend the money and request Bonds are tied
to local control concerns.
Public school finance reform is the key to unlock the great initiatives that our public school
districts can enact to educate and fulfill our workforce pipeline. First, we need to stop reducing
our overall per capita funding towards public education. We need to account for population
growth and inflation in our funding formulas. Our funding formulas within today’s system would
need adjustments to immediately improve district funds. We need to make TRS solvent and
reduce the cost of living impact upon our educators in TRS-Active Care and TRS Care. I would
champion efforts to designate revenue from new and existing sources for public education such
as the property tax recapture and lottery revenues. I would put all income sources on the table
to address in a manner to increase our commitment to our children’s future: sales tax, franchise
tax, expansion of Medicaid, and other sources need to be evaluated for Texas’s social contract
with its citizens and then add revenue for the programs we know we need in our public school
systems. I would partner with business leaders to establish a simple and beneficial franchise tax
that assigns its revenue to public education purposes from pre-K through our public universities.
Using our public investment to expand our enrichment programs and overall services through
our workforce education pipeline can provide high return to businesses and our communities.
I believe our local ISD’s should be held accountable to their local constituents and not the
legislature.
8) Roads & Infrastructure: The population of Collin County is exploding and our Roads, Bridges,
Drainage Systems & Infrastructure are strained. What are your specific plans to address to alleviate
traffic and infrastructure deficiencies?
I believe North Texas needs to assess all transit solutions beyond just highways. Our region
covers such a large area and continuing to rely upon highways alone will only compound our
problems in the years to come. I believe we need to invest in mass transit, express lanes, and
bicycle and footpaths, and reduce our personal need for using the highways. Lowering our
demand on the roads is the only way to control spending on maintenance. Further
implementation of ‘express lanes’ can benefit long-distance commuters when they bypass local
traffic and reduce wasteful congestion. We need new creative ideas to better connect the
outlying communities around and within District 8.

5. 9) RESIDENT TAX BURDEN: An important element of reducing the Tax Burden of homeowners is
attracting Corporate and Commercial Development – Do you believe that the State, County, ISD and
Municipalities should collaborate on Economic Development projects? How will you facilitate this
effort?
I work as a product development engineering manager within a global contract electronics
manufacturing company. I have also cofounded a small publishing business. I understand the
engine that drives District 8 is the number of high-quality, highly-trained employees and the
businesses that employ them. We need to establish Texas as a leader of economic incentives
and public-private partnerships established to grow jobs and our economy that will repay our
public investment such as the Enterprise Fund, R&D Tax Credit, and other means to retain
technology companies. I have additional tax credit initiatives that would further expand
reinvestment in Texas companies and workers. Without focused incentives, other states and
countries will seize the opportunity to erode our natural competitive advantage. We need the
Texas representatives to eliminate discriminatory legislation that threatens further financial
damage to our state’s economy. A fair, simple, and distributed tax revenue system would
further benefit all Texans.
10) PROPERTY RIGHTS: What is your position statement on the following Property Rights:
(A) Municipal Annexations of Extraterritorial Jurisdiction (ETJ) AKA “Forced Annexation”.
We need to protect property rights and municipal rights as provided in the Texas Constitution.
Annexation has a purpose and function and provides for individual rights in protection
agriculture, timber, and wildlife management areas.
(B) The use of the power of Eminent Domain to institute Condemnation Proceedings against the
Property Owners to seize property.

6. I support to the proper use of eminent domain in support of planning and development growth
opportunities. I support private property rights with basic, common-sense principles of eminent
domain. Reform of this process should include transparency; fair, timely and reasonable offers
and negotiations, and protections of land-owners rights through the process.
(C) Long Term Zoning and Multifamily Housing – should zoning be changed to limit multi-family housing
or other “undesirable” property usages?
I believe local authorities should have planning and zoning plans that align with their vision for
their district’s future. The constituents will hold them accountable at the ballot box. So from the
state level, I do not see a need to impose limits on local authorities in this subject.