New York State Legislative Election 2018 Political Courage Test

Abortion & Reproductive

1. Do you generally support pro-choice or pro-life legislation?
- No Answer

2. Should abortion be legal when the pregnancy resulted from incest or rape?
- No Answer

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

4. Other or expanded principles
- I believe abortion is a medical choice that is between a woman and her doctor, and support a woman's right to choose and access safe reproductive health services. I am proud to have been endorsed by the National Women?s Political Caucus, a multipartisan, pro-choice group that encourages and supports strong women leaders in politics and government.

Budget, Spending, & Tax

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

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

3. Reducing benefits for Medicaid recipients?
- No Answer

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

5. Other or expanded principles
- To strengthen NY's economy, create jobs and produce revenue to support government services, I believe we must reduce middle class taxes and cut red tape on businesses, more aggressively root out wasteful spending, fraud, abuse and duplication before asking taxpayers to dig deeper, or looking to cut vital services. I was proud to stop $3 billion in new taxes this year and to support doubling property tax rebates and child and dependent care income tax credits for the middle class, to reduce taxes on seniors and to preserve historic income tax cuts.

Campaign Finance & Government Reform

1. Do you support any limits on campaign contributions to state candidates?
- No Answer

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?
- No Answer

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

5. Other or expanded principles
- I support reasonable limitations on contributions, stronger laws on transparency, and bipartisan redistricting. I do not support using tax dollars to fund political campaigns. To help restore and strengthen trust in government, I voted to strip corrupt politicians of their taxpayer paid pensions, and on bills that increase accountability in state contracting, including enhanced oversight by the independent Comptroller, to prevent pay-to-play. Unfortunately, these reforms were blocked in the Assembly.

Crime & Public Safety

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

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

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?
- No Answer

5. Do you support replacing the cash bail system with a supervised release system for misdemeanor charges?
- No Answer

6. Other or expanded principles
- I support our hardworking and brave law enforcement officers and have worked to ensure that they have resources they need to keep our communities safe, including delivering special anti-crime and equipment grants to local departments. I have been endorsed by major law enforcement organizations in this campaign based on my record.

Economic

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

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

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

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

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

6. Do you support an increase of the minimum wage of New York ?
- No Answer

7. Other or expanded principles
- I support the use of targeted incentives to encourage job growth, but believe the best way to strengthen our economy is to reduce the cost of living and working in NY and making our state more affordable. I have worked to provide tax relief for hardworking New Yorkers, more control over spending and more accountability in state economic development programs. This year, I helped stop $3 billion in new state taxes, and doubled property tax rebates and income tax credits for dependent and child care expenses to provide more relief to middle class taxpayers.

Education

1. Do you support adopting federal education standards in New York ?
- No Answer

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

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

4. Should students' standardized test scores be used to evaluate teacher performance?
- No Answer

5. Other or expanded principles
- I am a champion for public schools, delivering record state funding two years in a row, in addition to more than $2 million in special discretionary grants to improve school security and support classroom enrichment in local districts I represent. I voted for record aid to public libraries. I am a sponsor of legislation that delinks student high-stakes test scores from the APPR performance standards. I am proud to be endorsed by two educators' groups in this campaign.

Environment & Energy

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

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

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

4. Other or expanded principles
- I'm a leader on protecting our environment, proudly voting for historic investment to protect clean drinking water, clean air and expanded open space and farmland protection. I support the Governor's renewable energy goals. I sponsored legislation to identify and remove toxic chemicals from drinking water, advocated for resources to study groundwater threats, and delivered millions of dollars in discretionary grants for water quality improvements in my district. I'm standing up to NYC's to stop the reopening of wells that would draw water from Nassau County's supply. I have twice been endorsed by the state's leading environmental group for my efforts.

Gun

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

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

3. Should teachers be allowed to bring guns into the classroom?
- No Answer

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

5. Other or expanded principles
- I support commonsense gun regulation, like enhanced background checks. I cosponsor legislation banning "bump stocks" and voted to approve "red flag" legislation to keep guns away from those who pose a danger to themselves and others. I was proud to sponsor NY's first new gun law in the five years to keep guns from the hands of domestic abusers. I supported a 15-point package of bills to improve school security and provided funding for school security among $2 million in discretionary grants I provided to schools I represent.

Health

1. Should the state government increase funding for treatment facilities to combat opioid abuse?
- No Answer

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

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

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

5. Do you support eliminating religious exemptions for vaccinations?
- No Answer

6. Other or expanded principles
- I strongly support efforts to expand access to health care and coverage. I sponsored legislation, passed by the Senate, to include coverage for contraception and IVF treatment in all policies. As a member of the Senate's Task Force on Opioid Abuse, I have been proud to support record funding to combat heroin addiction and abuse, and have partnered with leading providers to sponsor more than two dozen free health screenings for residents of my district to promote early detection and education on a range of health concerns.

Social

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

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

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

4. Should New York permit localities to adopt "Sanctuary City" immigration policies?
- No Answer

5. Other or expanded principles
- I believe that every citizen should be treated fairly and equally, in the workplace and community. I do not support sanctuary policies for illegal immigrants.

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.
- I have worked tirelessly to make NY more affordable by lowering taxes, opposing tax hikes and providing relief for residents and families. I want to continue to help create better opportunity so every New Yorker has the opportunity to succeed. I've established a strong record on environmental protection, and will continue to work in a bipartisan way with Democrats and Republicans to protect our air, open space and, especially, the quality of LI's drinking water that we depend on for good health and a growing economy.