Tennessee 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
- Everyone agrees we should reduce abortions; therefore, the issues causing them should be dealt with way before the woman arrives at the doctor's office. With better access to education and birth control options, we can reduce these medical procedures. As such, it is a serious medical decision that should be left up to a woman, her partner, and her faith.

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. Other or expanded principles
- Eliminating time spent by legislators on unnecessary and trivial matters. Discussing a luxury tax on certain goods could add revenue. Ensuring tax incentives for out-of-state employers are fair to TN communities and will result in a positive balance.

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
- Considering TN is one of the lowest states for voter turnout, I believe that simplifying the process and facilitating the right of citizens to vote is paramount. We should explore avenues to expand voter turnout rather than shut them down. Big donors and unintelligible practices used for redistricting make voters feel disenfranchised.

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. Other or expanded principles
- The International Association of Chiefs of Police issued a public statement on March 27th, 2017, which I whole-heartedly agree with, saying that "State and local law enforcement agencies depend on the cooperation of immigrants, legal or not, in solving a wide array of crimes. Striking the proper balance between enforcement and cooperation requires the full participation of elected officials, community leaders, and their law enforcement agencies."

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?
- 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 Tennessee?
- Yes

7. Other or expanded principles
- No Answer

Education

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

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

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

4. Other or expanded principles
- We need to start working towards educational standards; it doesn't seem that we have found a federal solution to that, but I think Tennessee should play a strong role in developing standards that can work for everyone. We also need to make certain that our public schools are fully funded, and that no funds are diverted for charter schools, in order to make sure already under-funded TN public schools do not fall further behind.

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
- 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 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
- I firmly believe in 2nd amendment rights, but also in common sense gun safety, like background checks to keep weapons out of the hands of known criminals.

Health

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

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

6. Other or expanded principles
- No Answer

Social

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

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

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

4. Should Tennessee 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.
- Expanding Medicaid by accepting already-allocated funds from the federal governmentFully fund public education by not diverting educational funds to charter schoolsRaise the state minimum wage