Maryland 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
- Women's autonomy should not be a political issue and study after study proves that access to education, contraception, and safe termination methods reduce the rate of abortions and STIs.

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. An income tax increase on any tax bracket?
- Yes

5. Other or expanded principles
- Taxes are not the enemy. We need to ensure our spending meets the needs of our community but also that we are good and honest stewards of public funds.

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. Other or expanded principles
- I think we should be making voting and running for office more accessible. As an artist and educator, I understand how challenging it can be to run a competitive campaign with moderate means. Our elective process shouldn't be left in the hands of a few wealthy donors.

Crime & Public Safety

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

2. Do you support the legalization of marijuana for recreational purposes?
- Yes

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
- I think questions c is more complicated as it does depend on the severity of the crime as to whether a minor should be moved out of family court however, I believe in most cases family court and juvenile court are the more appropriate arenas.

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?
- No

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

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 Maryland?
- Yes

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

8. Do you support increasing state regulatory oversight of ride-sharing drivers (e.g. Uber, Lyft)?
- No

9. Other or expanded principles
- No Answer

Education

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

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

3. Should immigrants unlawfully present in the United States who graduate from Maryland high schools be eligible for in-state tuition at public universities?
- Yes

4. Other or expanded principles
- No Answer

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?
- Yes

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 Maryland's health care programs?
- Yes

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

4. Do you support legislation that grants citizens the right to choose to die through euthanasia?
- Yes

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

6. Other or expanded principles
- We do not want to eliminate religious exemptions because we already have the "compelling state interest" precedent should we find ourselves in a crisis. However we must vehemently make the case for vaccination even as we work to preserve those who believe vaccination in violation of their religious principles. I would rather work with religious leaders to make the case for why it isn't a violation, than permanently to rewrite the law and alienate our voters.

Social

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

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

3. Do you support greater efforts by Maryland 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.
- I will focus on education, establishing universal pre-k, and early arts education, hiring additional mental health professionals at the middle school level when students are their most vulnerable, and at the high school level encouraging trade school and vocational training programs as a path equal to college for career success. We have several paths to fulfilling these campaign promises. Our top priority needs to be fixing the fund, and lock boxing those funds so that we are receiving the full funding promised us when we legalized casinos in Maryland. Additionally we partner with vocational schools.