Montana State Legislative Election 2018 Political Courage Test

Abortion & Reproductive

1. Do you generally support pro-choice or pro-life legislation?
- Pro-life

2. Should abortion be legal when the pregnancy resulted from incest or rape?
- No Answer

3. Do you support the prohibition of public funds for organizations that perform abortions?
- Yes

4. Other or expanded principles
- Question b: This is a heart-wrenching and emotionally trying situation. Abortions due to rape or incest make up about 1% of abortions in the US. Compassion for both the baby and the mother is clearly needed. I believe we should do our best to support any woman in this situation with the help she needs to make an informed decision.

Budget, Spending, & Tax

1. Reducing state employee salaries AND/OR pensions?
- Yes

2. Instituting mandatory furloughs AND/OR layoffs for state employees?
- Yes

3. Reducing benefits for Medicaid recipients?
- No

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

5. Eliminating block grants to public school districts?
- Yes

6. Decreasing funding to the Montana Department of Health and Human Services?
- Yes

7. Other or expanded principles
- Questions A-F: Spending reductions of all kinds should be considered and nothing should be taken off the table. I support priority-based budgeting where you increase high priorities and decrease or eliminate low priorities. There will always be places to cut in government budgets with low impact on state citizens. I don't see where Montana has a revenue problem, therefore I don't support tax increases. Question C: There are also places to cut in Medicaid, for example, there are nearly 3,000 residents of OTHER states receiving MT Medicaid benefits. This should stop.

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?
- Yes

5. Other or expanded principles
- No Answer

Crime & Public Safety

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

2. Do you support the legalization of marijuana for recreational purposes?
- No

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?
- Yes

5. Other or expanded principles
- Question C: It will depend on age and crime, This could also be a yes, depending on the situation. Question D: When the state or local police interdict an illegal, they then notify Federal authorities and they then take over the case.

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?
- Yes

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?
- Yes

6. Do you support an increase of the minimum wage of Montana?
- No

7. Other or expanded principles
- Question D: Montana already has the most generous unemployment benefits in the nation. Question F: Increasing minimum wages pushes low skilled workers out of jobs. For example, McDonald's now has kiosks to order and pay for your food. Supermarkets have self-checkout isles. These technologies develop due to the cost of labor. The higher the cost of unskilled labor, the more companies innovate to eliminate these jobs which teach basic jobs skills such as showing up on time, following directions and hard work etc.

Education

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

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

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

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)?
- No

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
- Question B: Yes, but they must balance with the industries ability to comply financially and the need for inexpensive energy and Montana jobs. Question C: I support funding for infrastructure needs such as water and water treatment facilities.

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?
- No

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
- There are obvious gun laws I support: Tax stamp for automatic weapons etc. Felons can't own guns, mentally unstable or drug addicts can't own guns. These are examples of existing laws that I support. Question c: This is a local issue. If the local school board allows qualified teachers to carry a weapon, I would support their decision.

Health

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

2. Do you support Medicaid expansion through Montana'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. Do you support increasing state funding for tracking and reporting opioid usage and overdoses?
- No

7. Other or expanded principles
- Question A: I support effective treatment programs for opioid and meth abuse. I support additional funding if they are able to track their results to show they are worthy of additional funding. I support reduced funding for ineffective treatment and increased funding for effective treatment facilities or programs.

Social

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

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

3. Do you support greater efforts by Montana 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?
- Yes

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.
- I support a mandatory minimum prison sentence for child rape of 25 years (Jessica's law). I support reforming current DUI laws for longer prison terms for a felony (4 or more) DUI and effective treatment options for 1-3 DUI. I support priority-based budgeting where high priority concerns are increased in funding and lower decreased or eliminated. I support access to public lands and the protection of public lands by aggressive weed and invasive aquatic species management. I support civil discourse in the politics. I support the Montana oil, gas and coal industries and their billions in payroll.