Virginia State Legislative Election 2017 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. Should abortion be legal when the life of the woman is endangered?
- Yes

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

5. Other or expanded principles
- No Answer

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
- No Answer

Campaign Finance & Government Reform

1. Individual
- Yes

2. Political Action Committee
- Yes

3. Corporate
- Yes

4. Political Party
- Yes

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

6. Do you support the regulation of indirect campaign contributions from corporations and unions?
- 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
- In order for photo ID laws to not disenfranchise people from voting, we must have a system in place to guarantee that every eligible voter has a valid photo ID free of cost. Anything less makes it impossible for some otherwise-eligible voters to exercise their right to vote.

Crime & Public Safety

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

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

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. Other or expanded principles
- The purpose of our criminal justice system is to keep the public safe. As such, I believe that the default sentence for capital offenses should be life in prison without the possibility of parole, and that capital punishment should be reserved only for those who prove that incarceration is insufficient to guarantee public safety - i.e. those who continue to commit capital offenses while incarcerated.

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

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?
- Yes

7. Other or expanded principles
- No Answer

Education

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

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

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

3. Do you support government regulations of greenhouse gas emissions?
- 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 citizens be allowed to carry concealed guns?
- Yes

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

5. Other or expanded principles
- I support universal background checks for firearm purchases, but do not support restrictions on the availability of firearms for those who can pass a background check.

Health

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

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

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

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

5. Other or expanded principles
- I support expansion of Medicaid as a first step toward implementing a single payer system that will insure all Virginians regardless of their economic means.

Social

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

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

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

4. Should individuals be required to use a bathroom that corresponds with the gender listed on their birth certificates?
- No

5. 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.
- My top three priorities are worker's compensation reform, Medicaid expansion, and creation of a state level single payer healthcare system. All three of these are aimed at making Virginia a place where nobody has to worry about being one injury or illness away from bankruptcy.