New York 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 am a co-sponsor of the Reproductive Health Act, which will modernize NY's abortion laws to make them consistent with Roe v. Wade. I am the prime sponsor of the Comprehensive Contraceptive Care Act, which extends to NYer's the same protections outlined in the ACA.I am a founding member of the NY Bipartisan Pro-Choice Legislative Caucus.

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

5. Other or expanded principles
- NY has taken steps to restore progressivity to state income taxes. Those measures should be made permanent. Real property tax reform is a priority. Real property taxes are the most inequitable, least affordable levy in our state and more should be done to reduce reliance on them.

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 co-sponsor numerous campaign and election reform proposals, including simplification of voter registration and same day registration, strict campaign contribution limits, public campaign financing and expanded disclosure.

Crime & Public Safety

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

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?
- No

5. Do you support replacing the cash bail system with a supervised release system for misdemeanor charges?
- Yes

6. Other or expanded principles
- b) The term "recreational" in association with the legalization of marijuana is a misnomer. Reputable surveys indicate that far fewer than 10 percent of people over 50 use or intend to use marijuana for recreational purposes. The percentages for the population generally are slightly higher, but not remarkably so. Using terms like "recreational" in this context risks encouraging the mis-use of marijuana if and when legalized. I am a co-sponsor of legislation to fully legalize adult use marijuana.

Economic

1. Do you support state government spending as a means of promoting economic growth?
- Yes

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?
- 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 New York ?
- Yes

7. Other or expanded principles
- It is not a contradiction to support both state spending and lowering taxes to promote economic growth. NY needs to have a variety of tools, used sparingly and as appropriate to achieve desired economic development outcomes. The proven means of fostering long term growth is investments in education.

Education

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

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

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

4. Should students' standardized test scores be used to evaluate teacher performance?
- No

5. Other or expanded principles
- Standardized test results may have a place in the evaluation of teachers, but so many variables come into the abilities of each student, it is not an accurate measure alone.

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
- a. I led the legislature on the creation of Green Jobs / Green NY, our clean energy/conservation initiative.b. I sponsor legislation to create a statewide carbon tax.c. Evidence mounts every single day that we are squandering and endangering one of our finest resources, plentiful, accessible drinking water. Most of the current concern surrounds antiquated delivery systems, but source issues are mounting, as well.

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?
- Yes

5. Other or expanded principles
- No Answer

Health

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

2. Do you support Medicaid expansion through New York '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?
- No

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

6. Other or expanded principles
- b. Medicaid as a means of expanding health insurance access allows for the infusion of needed federal dollars. A uniform "single payer" system is the ultimate answer. I am a co-sponsor of the NY Health bill.d. Assisted suicide and "right to die" legislation is pending, but needs work. I authored a bill that would require an in depth study of various aspects of this vexing issue, from assuring informed consent to the safety and viability of authorized means of concluding mortal life.

Social

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

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

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

4. Should New York permit localities to adopt "Sanctuary City" immigration policies?
- 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.
- 1. State takeover of funding for basic quality education. Means of funding: income taxes, carbon taxes, systemic savings.2. Campaign finance and election reform. This necessary corollary to public officer ethics reform has been neglected and is overdue.3. Health care reform. Protecting health insurance from the "death by a thousand cuts" approach of the US Congress and President is the first priority. Getting to a fair, quality, universally accessible heath care system (NY Health legislation) is also a major area of interest.