Montana State Legislative Election 2018 Political Courage Test

Abortion & Reproductive

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

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?
- Yes

4. Other or expanded principles
- The radical expansion of abortion beyond cases of rape or incest or cases when the mother's life is actually at risk has diminished respect for the value of human life. This in turn has played a significant role in the coarsening of our society, and I would argue has contributed to a culture of nihilism and violence. Abortion should be exceedingly rare in a civilized country.

Budget, Spending, & Tax

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

2. Instituting mandatory furloughs AND/OR layoffs for state employees?
- Yes

3. Reducing benefits for Medicaid recipients?
- Yes

4. An income tax increase on any tax bracket?
- No

5. Eliminating block grants to public school districts?
- No

6. Decreasing funding to the Montana Department of Health and Human Services?
- Yes

7. Other or expanded principles
- My responses to these questions are provisional because it is imprudent outside the context of an actual comprehensive budget debate to automatically rule out potential spending or tax options. That said, my approach to budgeting is to fund essential programs first and to consider raising taxes only as a last resort. To determine which programs are "essential," legislators need state agencies to transparently reveal the benefits and costs of the programs they administer. Once this information is known, the tradeoffs needed to balance the state budget can be thoughtfully debated.

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?
- No Answer

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?
- Yes

5. Other or expanded principles
- With respect to the "regulation of indirect campaign contributions," two fundamental principles are in play: freedom of political speech and transparency in our political process. I support greater transparency but am very concerned about inhibiting free speech, so I would need to see the specific language of such proposed regulations before taking a position on this issue.

Crime & Public Safety

1. Do you support capital punishment for certain crimes?
- Yes

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 Answer

4. Do you support the enforcement of federal immigration laws by state and local police?
- Yes

5. Other or expanded principles
- Trying a minor as an adult should remain an option, the exercise of which being dependent on the circumstances of a given case. It should be rarely employed. State and local law enforcement should cooperate with federal authorities on the enforcement of immigration laws. Federal funding should be withheld from "sanctuary cities," and state or local officials who aid and abet illegal immigration should be prosecuted.

Economic

1. Do you support state government spending as a means of promoting economic growth?
- No

2. Do you support lowering state taxes as a means of promoting economic growth?
- Yes

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?
- Yes

6. Do you support an increase of the minimum wage of Montana?
- No

7. Other or expanded principles
- State government should create a tax/regulatory environment that promotes economic development. Economic development is key to helping all people have a chance at improving their quality of life. State policy should promote the dignity of work, e.g., by establishing work requirements as a condition for receiving state benefits. Minimum wage increases limit the number of jobs available for young and/or inexperienced workers. Better policy would be to encourage economic development that creates high-paying jobs for people in low-paying, entry-level jobs to aspire to.

Education

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

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

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

4. Other or expanded principles
- I think that the federal government might suggest non-binding guidelines but that it is up to the state to adopt education standards. For over thirty years, the federal government has been promising to improve education in this country. The time has come to quit expecting "enlightened" experts to solve our problems. Instead of waiting for miracles, we at the state and local levels need to commit ourselves to the hard work of improving our children's education. Public charter schools deserve state funding. Illegal immigrants should not receive the benefits and privileges afforded citizens and others who are here legally.

Environment & Energy

1. Do you support state funding for the development of renewable energy (e.g. solar, wind, thermal)?
- No

2. Do you support state government regulations of greenhouse gas emissions?
- No

3. Do you support increasing state funding for clean drinking water initiatives?
- No

4. Other or expanded principles
- No Answer

Gun

1. Do you generally support gun-control legislation?
- No

2. Should background checks be required on gun sales between private citizens at gun shows?
- No

3. Should teachers be allowed to bring guns into the classroom?
- Yes

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

5. Other or expanded principles
- Arming adequately trained teachers should be an option left to the discretion of local school boards. Such programs should be developed in coordination with local law enforcement. A license should never be required for the exercise of any of our constitutional rights.

Health

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

2. Do you support Medicaid expansion through Montana's health care programs?
- No

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. Do you support increasing state funding for tracking and reporting opioid usage and overdoses?
- Yes

7. Other or expanded principles
- I cannot support Medicaid expansion for able-bodied people unless rigorous means testing and work requirements are put in place. Beyond treatment programs for opioid abuse, we must address the over-prescription of opioids that is a significant driver of this problem.

Social

1. Do you support the inclusion of sexual orientation in Montana's anti-discrimination laws?
- No

2. Do you support the inclusion of gender identity in Montana's anti-discrimination laws?
- No

3. Do you support greater efforts by Montana state government in closing the pay gap between men and women?
- No

4. Should individuals be required to use a bathroom that corresponds with the gender listed on their birth certificate?
- Yes

5. Other or expanded principles
- Two people with exactly the same experience, skill, capability, and willingness to do a job ought to be paid the same, regardless of gender. Studies that purportedly reveal a "gender gap" fail to adequately account for factors other than gender that contribute to pay differentials. Carefully crafted studies that control for all significant factors indicate that the "gender gap" is virtually nonexistent.

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.
- Government services should be delivered at the local level whenever feasible. For example, providing state funding to county veterans service centers would improve services for our veterans while allowing local voters to determine how much they wish to augment state funding. Montana does not have an effective vocational/technical education system. This leaves many Montanans underserved and hampers economic development. We must start addressing this problem now. To adapt to Montana's changing demographics, we need a long-term legislative strategy that integrates tax, regulatory, and education policy. I'd like to be part of a team that tackles this issue.