Texas 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
- I believe a pregnancy, and all it entails, should be between the patient, patient's family, and their doctor.

Budget, Spending, & Tax

1. Do you support the creation of a state income tax in Texas?
- No

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. Other or expanded principles
- I believe there are many ways we can bring additional tax dollars to Texas, without a state income tax. Fully Expanding Medicaid in the state of Texas, would bring an additional $60 - $100 billion of our tax dollars, back to Texas over a ten year period. Our current healthcare system is the most expensive way to be taking care of the people here in Texas. Decriminalization and legalization of Marijuana is showing real promise across the country as a tax revenue stream. I think it's time Texas stops the hypocrisy, and start regulating marijuana like we do alcohol.

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 believe it's time we move to publicly funded elections, in order to level the playing field. For too long we have been allowing corporations and special interest groups to buy our politicians, to represent big money interest, and not the interest of the people. Politicians sell our values cheap and then they spend all their time trying to get re-elected. All while the people of Texas are dealing with the rising cost of healthcare, education, childcare, and property taxes. It's time we stand up for each and every Texan and fight for what is important to us all.

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 absolutely support the regulation of marijuana. I believe that it is a public safety issue to do so. Prohibition of marijuana has cost countless lives, it has only lead to stronger strains of marijuana. We have been here before, when we had a prohibition on alcohol, people turned to moonshine. Good people are still to this day arrested, and labeled as criminals for selling a plant that grows from the ground. States that have started regulating marijuana sales have been reporting that marijuana use is down among children, as well as opiate overdoses are down.

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?
- 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 Texas?
- Yes

7. Other or expanded principles
- It definitely time to increase the minimum wage in Texas. It's a joke to think anyone can make it with an hourly wage of seven dollars and change.

Education

1. Do you support adopting federal education standards in Texas?
- Yes

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

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

4. Do you support increasing funding for the state education budget?
- Yes

5. Other or expanded principles
- I absolutely believe we need to begin shifting the burden of the state education budget back to the state. Property taxes in Texas have been skyrocketing, because the responsibility of funding education has been shifted from the state to homeowners.

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
- Texas is leading the nation in wind energy and I hope we continue to do so. The price of solar and wind has fallen so much, it is now competitive with coal, fossil fuels, and natural gas. Renewable energy is just smart, its cleaner for the environment which will pay dividends forward in terms of climate change. To combat our ever growing energy needs, switching to renewable energy is the most fiscally conservative and the most environmentally friendly approach.

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?
- No

5. Other or expanded principles
- I believe that we should have background checks on firearm purchases, and we should remove any gun show loopholes that allows someone to purchase a firearm without a background check.

Health

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

2. Do you support Medicaid expansion through Texas'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?
- Yes

6. Do you support increasing funding for state medical facilities and hospitals in rural areas?
- Yes

7. Other or expanded principles
- I support Medicaid's full expansion in Texas. We have a Texas legislature that is working to take away peoples healthcare, when they should be trying to find a way to cover all Texans and keep cost down. Our representatives have sold us out to the insurance providers and the pharmaceutical companies. We currently have legislation, that allows for pharmaceutical companies to make huge profits without limitations and insurance providers have protections that keep them from paying. These two industries make record profits, while people are swamped in debt and hospitals struggle to keep their doors open. We deserve better representation.

Social

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

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

3. Do you support greater efforts by Texas state government in closing the pay gap between men and women?
- Yes

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

5. Do you support the removal of Confederate statues from public spaces?
- Yes

6. Other or expanded principles
- I firmly believe no person should be treated differently based on race, gender, sexual orientation, religion, or creed. When it comes to the removal of the confederate statues on public property, my belief is the same when it comes to any piece of public property. If the public votes to remove the property, than they have the right to have it removed.

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.
- If elected my focus will be expanding healthcare in Texas. Our people deserve to be healthy and strong enough to help make Texas a better place. I will be working hard to make sure that we have a fully funded public education system. I believe the government is responsible for providing the people with a great education. A good way to help pay for education, would be the decriminalization, legalization, and regulation of marijuana. I believe it is time we ended the prohibition on marijuana in Texas, and use the tax money to help fund our public schools.