Colorado 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?
- Yes

4. Other or expanded principles
- I believe that the decision to abort a pregnancy is a private decision to be made between a woman, her family and her medical provider. In that this is a ?private? decision it should be kept ?private? and no public funding should be involved. I believe that public funds should be used for the public good and not for the enrichment nor benefit of private citizens unless it is for compensation for goods and services rendered to the State of Colorado

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?
- Yes

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

5. Other or expanded principles
- I support Colorado's Taxpayer's Bill of Rights and that any increase in taxes has to be approved by a vote of the people. I appreciate the Colorado income tax flat rate. I oppose any taxation that punishes citizens for being successful in business, successful in investing or for going through the time and expense of enhancing their earning potential through higher education.

Campaign Finance & Government Reform

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

2. Do you support the regulation of indirect campaign contributions from corporations and unions?
- No

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?
- Yes

5. Other or expanded principles
- Colorado's current campaign finance regulations divorces the candidate from the message which may be presented in support of the candidate or in opposition to their opponent. It also gives small donor committees, especially union based small donor committees excessive influence on the financing of a campaign. I support the creation of a bipartisan commission in attempting to take party politics out of redistricting. Since the majority of ballots in Colorado are mailed in, photo id isn't a problem

Crime & Public Safety

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

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?
- Yes

4. Do you support the enforcement of federal immigration laws by state and local police?
- Yes

5. Other or expanded principles
- Per an article in the 1/29/2018 edition of USA Today more than 175 citizens will die today due to drug overdoses. We have an opioid epidemic on our hands. We must get control of our borders. As an extension of controlling our borders, we must control who we allow into our country. I work with and individuals who have gone through the long and expensive process of becoming citizens. Not only do they expect for our immigration laws to be enforced by state and local police but they expect it.

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?
- Yes

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

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 Colorado?
- No

7. Do you support increasing state funding for improving Colorado's roads and bridges?
- Yes

8. Other or expanded principles
- The most discussed topic of my neighbors is the poor state of the roads, highways and bridges in Colorado and City of Aurora. My position would be to submit to the voters, per the Taxpayer?s Bill of Rights a bond measure to expand and repair our roads without an increase in taxes. I oppose the increase in minimum wages. Wages must be determined by supply and demand. There are instances where hamburger restaurants have invested in automation after an increase in the minimum wage and reduce staff.

Education

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

2. Do you support state funding for charter schools?
- Yes

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

4. Other or expanded principles
- There are young adults who consider themselves "Americans" but due to the illegal manner which they were brought here by their parents they aren't citizens. They had no say in the determination of where they were raised. I believe that they should be given the same consideration that their classmates receive. They should start the process of becoming citizens prior to entering into public universitiesCharter schools are public schools.

Environment & Energy

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

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

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

4. Do you support increased regulations on the hydraulic fracturing ("fracking") industry?
- No

5. Other or expanded principles
- Development of renewable energy should be left up to the private sector.Greenhouse gas emissions is a interstate issue and should be left to the Federal GovernmentClean drinking water is a local issue and not a state issueColorado already has stringent rules and regulations for oil and gas development.

Gun

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

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?
- Yes

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

5. Other or expanded principles
- The right to defense of person is a fundamental right of being a citizen of the United States and of Colorado. The incremental criminalization of firearm ownership only harms law abiding citizens and puts our lives at risk. School shootings in Israel came to an end after teachers and school staff armed themselves. The Government is supposed to be the servant of the citizen and as such, citizens should ask permission of Government for a license for the right to defend themselves. Firearm safety training should be allowed in schools to remove the mystique around firearms.

Health

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

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

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

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

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

6. Other or expanded principles
- I am a proponent of personal responsibility. Citizens must have the right to choose the type of health insurance they want and not be forced by government to buy insurance. I believe in health care cost transparency. Medical providers should put their fees on the internet so that consumers can shop for the best care at the best price. I believe in the "school nurse" to insure that our children have a professional available to monitor their physical and psychological well-being.

Social

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

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

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

4. Other or expanded principles
- The wise employer hires employees based on the merits that each individual brings to an organization regardless of sexual orientation, or gender. Should an organization present a clear case of compensation discrimination based on gender then that organization should be taken to civil court and sued for damages. I also believe that an overwhelming number of people do a disservice to themselves by not continually shopping around and seeking a better compensation package for themselves. If you can drive across town and make another $10k then do it. Don't wait for charity from your current employer.

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.
- When looking at a pie chart of the 2017-2018 Colorado Budget there is only less than six percent of the budget going to "transportation." The primary responsibility of state government is the safety of its citizens, the education of its children and insuring that we have adequate transportation infrastructure to facilitate commerce. My focus is on restricting government over-extension into our lives and to increase state spending on transportation infrastructure