California State Legislative Election 2016 Political Courage Test

Abortion & Reproductive

1. Do you generally support pro-choice or pro-life legislation?
- Pro-choice

2. Should abortions be illegal after the first trimester of pregnancy?
- No

3. Should abortion be legal when the pregnancy resulted from incest or rape?
- Yes

4. Should abortion be legal when the life of the woman is endangered?
- Yes

5. Do you support requiring parental notification before an abortion is performed on a minor?
- No

6. Do you support requiring parental consent before an abortion is performed on a minor?
- No

7. Do you support the prohibition of public funds for abortion procedures?
- No

8. Do you support the prohibition of public funds for organizations that perform abortions?
- No

9. Other or expanded principles
- No Answer

Budget, Spending, & Tax

1. Tapping into California's "rainy day" fund
- No

2. Decreasing funding for public universities
- No

3. Reducing state employee salaries AND/OR pensions
- No

4. Instituting mandatory furloughs AND/OR layoffs for state employees
- No

5. Reducing benefits for Medicaid recipients
- No

6. Other or expanded principles
- California does not need to take any of the budgeting cutting measures posed in the questions above because we have a balanced budget with Rainy Day and regular reserves. We have balanced the budget on time each of the past 6 years.

1. Education (higher)
- Greatly Increase

2. Education (K-12)
- Greatly Increase

3. Environment
- Greatly Increase

4. Health care
- Greatly Increase

5. Law enforcement/corrections
- Slightly Increase

6. Transportation/infrastructure
- Greatly Increase

7. Welfare
- Greatly Increase

8. Other or expanded categories
- These questions are difficult to answer in a vacuum. As a member of the Senate Budget Committee, we engage in a deliberate process informed by public committee hearings. Every budget requires balancing and working with available resources. Ultimately, to raise funding levels for many important programs will require a review of how revenues are generated and will be a function of the health of the state's economy.

1. Alcohol taxes
- Slightly Increase

2. Cigarette taxes
- Greatly Increase

3. Corporate taxes
- Greatly Increase

4. Small business taxes
- Maintain Status

5. Gas/Oil taxes
- Slightly Increase

6. Property taxes
- Maintain Status

7. Sales taxes
- Slightly Increase

8. Income taxes (low-income families)
- Greatly Decrease

9. Income taxes (mid-income families)
- Maintain Status

10. Income taxes (high-income families)
- Greatly Increase

11. Do you support applying sales taxes to all online purchases?
- Yes

12. Other or expanded principles
- Again, these questions have the potential of being greatly misleading as they are posed in a vacuum when any review of tax levels must be viewed through the lens of specifics, not generalities.

Campaign Finance & Government Reform

1. Individual
- Yes

2. Political Action Committee
- Yes

3. Corporate
- Yes

4. Political Party
- Yes

5. Should candidates for state office be encouraged to meet voluntary spending limits?
- Yes

6. Do you support requiring full and timely disclosure of campaign finance information?
- Yes

7. Do you support the use of an independent AND/OR bipartisan commission for redistricting?
- Yes

8. Do you support requiring a government-issued photo identification in order to vote at the polls?
- No

1. Other or expanded principles
- California already maintains contribution limits and also provides for voluntary spending limits. The challenge with voluntary spending limits is where a self financed (wealthy) candidate can distort balance in outreach to voters. In these circumstances a candidate must be free (under the current system) to abandon self-imposed spending limits to compete on a level playing field. California has a bipartisan/independent redistricting commission.

Crime & Public Safety

1. Do you support capital punishment for certain crimes?
- No

2. Do you support alternatives to incarceration for certain non-violent offenders, such as mandatory counseling or substance abuse treatment?
- Yes

3. Do you support legalizing the possession of small amounts of marijuana?
- Yes

4. Should a minor accused of a violent crime be prosecuted as an adult?
- No Answer

5. Do you support the enforcement of federal immigration laws by state and local police?
- No

6. Do you support delaying the seizure of assets by law enforcement officials until after a conviction?
- Yes

7. Should the minimum age for purchasing tobacco products be 21?
- Yes

8. Other or expanded principles
- Again, general questions are not a good guide to the discretion and deliberation that an elected official must apply. Regarding the question about prosecution of minors as adults.. this depends on the nature of criminal offense, prior record of juvenile, and available options in juvenile justice system.

Economic

1. Do you support government spending as a means of promoting economic growth?
- Yes

2. Do you support lowering taxes as a means of promoting economic growth?
- No

3. Do you support reducing government regulations on the private sector?
- No Answer

4. Do you support increased state funding for job-training programs that re-train displaced workers?
- Yes

5. Do you support expanding access to unemployment benefits?
- Yes

6. Do you support requiring welfare applicants to pass a drug test in order to receive benefits?
- No

7. Do you support providing financial incentives to the private sector for the purpose of job creation?
- Yes

8. Do you support providing direct financial assistance to homeowners facing foreclosure?
- No Answer

9. Do you support an increase of the minimum wage?
- Yes

10. Should employers be able to ask about applicants' criminal history before interviewing them?
- No

11. Other or expanded principles
- Re: reducing government regulations on the private sector question.. This can not be answered as posed. A better question would be to pose specific regulations that might be narrowed or streamlined. On the other hand, it would be against public health and policy to eliminate government regulations that protect the public health and safety. Similarly, the question on direct financial assistance to homeowners facing foreclosure--this would require more information to answer.

Education

1. Do you support the national Common Core State Standards initiative?
- Yes

2. Do you support a merit pay system for teachers?
- No

3. Is the tenure process for public school teachers producing effective teachers?
- Yes

4. Should parents be allowed to use vouchers to send their children to any school?
- No

5. Do you support state funding for charter schools?
- Yes

6. Do you support the state government providing college students with financial aid?
- Yes

7. Should illegal immigrants who graduate from California high schools be eligible for in-state tuition at public universities?
- Yes

8. Other or expanded principles
- SOme of these questions have answers rooted in existing law. Regarding state funding for charter schools. I support state funding for charter schools that are operated as non profits and where none of the board of directors have a financial interest in the school.

Environment & Energy

1. Do you support state funding for the development of renewable energy (e.g. solar, wind, thermal)?
- Yes

2. Do you support state funding for the development of traditional domestic energy sources (e.g. coal, natural gas, oil)?
- No

3. Do you support state funding for improvements to California's energy infrastructure?
- Yes

4. Do you support state funding for open space preservation?
- Yes

5. Do you support government regulations of greenhouse gas emissions?
- Yes

6. Do you support increased regulations of the hydraulic fracturing ("fracking") industry?
- Yes

7. Do you support permanent statewide water usage restrictions?
- Yes

8. Other or expanded principles
- By describing water use restrictions in the question there is an implied undue influence of government. What is the question had asked, "do you support permanent statewide water use conservation?"

Gun

1. Do you generally support gun-control legislation?
- Yes

2. Should background checks be required on gun sales between private citizens at gun shows?
- Yes

3. Should citizens be allowed to carry concealed guns?
- No

4. Should a license be required for gun possession?
- Yes

5. Other or expanded principles
- No Answer

Health

1. Do you support a universally-accessible, publicly-administered health insurance option?
- Yes

2. Do you support expanding access to health care through commercial health insurance reform?
- Yes

3. Do you support interstate health insurance compacts?
- No Answer

4. Do you support Medicaid expansion under the Affordable Care Act ("Obamacare")?
- Yes

5. Do you support requiring individuals to purchase health care insurance?
- Yes

6. Do you support monetary limits on damages that can be collected in malpractice lawsuits?
- Yes

7. Do you support allowing doctors to prescribe marijuana to their patients for medicinal purposes?
- Yes

8. Other or expanded principles
- No Answer

Social

1. Do you support same-sex marriage?
- Yes

2. Do you support the inclusion of sexual orientation in California's anti-discrimination laws?
- Yes

3. Do you support the inclusion of gender identity in California's anti-discrimination laws?
- Yes

4. Other or expanded principles
- No Answer

Legislative Priorities

In the following area, please explain in a total of 100 words or less, your top two or three priorities if elected. If they require additional funding for implementation, please explain how you would obtain this funding.
- 1. Expand public health and child obesity reduction through a sugar sweetened beverage tax.. revenue to support public health education in schools and public education campaigns;2. Establish greater enforcement against the underground (illegal) economy to capture more revenues for education, healthcare, transportation. 3. Expand justice reform to include greater access to drug and alcohol treatment for offenders and more access to education and arts to prisoners.