South Dakota State Legislative Election 2018 Political Courage Test

Abortion & Reproductive

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

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

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

4. Other or expanded principles
- I?m pro-life. I deeply value human life and dignity, as does every sane South Dakotan. My respect for life and dignity also makes me pro-choice. It?s not my place as a man or a legislator to impose reproductive choices on any woman or on all women by force of law.

Budget, Spending, & Tax

1. Reducing state employee salaries AND/OR pensions?
- No

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

3. Reducing benefits for Medicaid recipients?
- No

4. Other or expanded principles
- We need a progressive tax system that taxes wealth where it is instead of placing an unfair burden on the poor and exempting some of the wealthiest beneficiaries of South Dakota's services.

Campaign Finance & Government Reform

1. Do you support any limits on campaign contributions to state candidates?
- Yes

2. Do you support the regulation of indirect campaign contributions from corporations and unions?
- Yes

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

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

5. Do you support South Dakota transitioning to an open primary election system?
- Yes

6. Do you support prohibiting out-of-state contributions to state ballot initiative committees?
- No

7. Other or expanded principles
- No Answer

Crime & Public Safety

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

2. Do you support the legalization of marijuana for recreational purposes?
- No

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

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

5. Other or expanded principles
- (b) I take a neutral stance. Using any drugs recreationally wastes brain cells. I do not actively campaign for legalization of recreational marijuana, because there are many other more pressing issues for the state to resolve. However, I do not block others who want to campaign for that issue, and if presented with evidence that the cost of enforcing anti-marijuana laws outweighs the benefits (as with the prohibition of alcohol), I will consider voting aye. (c) is too simplified a question. I am open to arguments that some minors accused of some crimes should be prosecuted as adults.

Economic

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

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

3. Do you support reducing state government regulations on the private sector?
- Yes

4. Do you support expanding access to unemployment benefits?
- No

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

6. Do you support an increase of the minimum wage of South Dakota?
- Yes

7. Do you support legalized state-sponsored sports betting in South Dakota?
- No

8. Other or expanded principles
- (a)...but not to the extent or in the pro-corporate, poorly targeted manner SD does it now. (b)...but I recognize that sometimes taxes can get in the way of growth and need to be reduced or retargeted. (c)... as with (b), sometimes deregulation is good, sometimes it leads to Russian anarcho-capitalism. (d) not as a blanket policy, only if needed. (g) not eager for it, but open to evidence and debate.

Education

1. Do you support adopting federal education standards in South Dakota?
- No

2. Do you support state funding for charter schools?
- No

3. Should immigrants unlawfully present in the United States who graduate from South Dakota high schools be eligible for in-state tuition at public universities?
- No

4. Other or expanded principles
- (c) I don't support breaking the law, but as the Regents explained last winter, the ill-advised bill on this topic made a mountain out of a molehill and is not enforceable. The Regents aren't immigration police.

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 government regulations of greenhouse gas emissions?
- Yes

3. Do you support increasing state funding for clean drinking water initiatives?
- Yes

4. Other or expanded principles
- No Answer

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 teachers be allowed to bring guns into the classroom?
- No

4. Should a license be required for gun ownership?
- No

5. Other or expanded principles
- No Answer

Health

1. Should the state government increase funding for treatment facilities to combat opioid abuse?
- Yes

2. Do you support Medicaid expansion through South Dakota's health care programs?
- Yes

3. Do you support requiring individuals to purchase health care insurance?
- No

4. Do you support legislation that grants citizens the right to choose to die through euthanasia?
- No

5. Do you support eliminating religious exemptions for vaccinations?
- Yes

6. Other or expanded principles
- (c) I don't like the individual mandate, but I tolerate it as better than the pre-ACA system in which millions couldn't get insurance. I would prefer a single-payer system, which would save money and save lives. (d) Not an avid supporter, but I'm open to arguments that some individuals in some hard situations may deserve to make that choice rather than the state.

Social

1. Do you support the inclusion of sexual orientation in South Dakota's anti-discrimination laws?
- Yes

2. Do you support the inclusion of gender identity in South Dakota's anti-discrimination laws?
- Yes

3. Do you support greater efforts by South Dakota state government in closing the pay gap between men and women?
- 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.
- Education: raise teacher pay to regional median, increase state share of K-12 and higher education (university and vo-tech) funding Initiative & Referendum: repeal legislative restrictions on petitioning and other hurdles to exercising direct democracyEquality: oppose all culture-war bills designed to exclude people from full participation in South Dakota's education, economy, family life, and politics.