Republican Austin Scott toured Newton County Monday with local state Rep. Doug Holt and Sen. John Douglas, as he makes his final push to best Democratic incumbent Rep. Jim Marshall for the Eighth District seat on Nov. 2.

The Covington News was one of Scott’s stops, where he answered questions from staff and a few questions submitted by readers.

When asked how legislators could work to turn around the economy and stem the tide of foreclosures, Scott said banks will be hesitant to lend until they discover the effects of the massive financial reform bill signed into law in July. Scott said the Dodd-Frank Wall Street Reform and Consumer Protection Act is similar to the health care bill, in that its effects will not be determined until the bill has been fully analyzed and the resulting tens of thousands of pages written.

However, he said he didn’t agree with the federal government telling a bank that it can or cannot foreclose a property.

Scott said he is not in favor of extending unemployment benefits. He gave an example of how unemployment benefits were prompting people to turn down jobs because they were making enough between unemployment checks and doing odd jobs on the side.

Scott said he would work to repeal the health care law and supported tax code reform, though he was not convinced the Fair Tax was the answer.