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
- No Answer

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

9. Other or expanded principles
- No Answer

Crime & Public Safety

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

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
- No Answer

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
- I support making the Virginia Earned Income Tax Credit (EITC) refundable. In addition to being the country?s most successful and proven anti-poverty tool for children, lifting over 3 million kids out of poverty each year, it also helps low-income families get the resources they need to get to their jobs, keep the lights and heat on, and put food on the table.

Education

1. Do you support the national Common Core State Standards initiative?
- No

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?
- No

4. Should a license be required for gun possession?
- Yes

5. Other or expanded principles
- No Answer

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
- No Answer

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.
- One of my first priorities will be Medicaid expansion so that 400,000 Virginians who do not currently have health care will be covered. Another top priority will be women?s reproductive rights. We need to educate folks about the importance of women?s rights to birth control and legal and safe abortion. The final of my top priorities is funding public education. 82% of Virginia?s students are educated in the public school. The students who lose when public school is defunded are the ones who are already at risk. Our public school system needs to be protected from corporate interests and profiteering.