2020

Abortion

What is your stance on abortion?
- Pro-life

Gun Control

Should there be more restrictions on the current process of purchasing a gun?
- No

Gay Marriage

Do you support the legalization of same sex marriage?
- Yes

LGBT Adoption Rights

Should gay couples have the same adoption rights as straight couples?
- Yes, as long as they pass the same background checks as straight couples

Equal Pay

Should employers be required to pay men and women the same salary for the same job?
- No, the government should never determine what a private business should pay employees

Stay At Home Order

Should the government enforce a "stay-at-home" order to combat the coronavirus?
- Yes

Climate Change

Should the government increase environmental regulations to prevent climate change?
- No

Planned Parenthood Funding

Should the government continue to fund Planned Parenthood?
- No

Trump Impeachment

Do you support the impeachment of President Donald Trump?
- No

Mandatory Vaccinations

Should the government require children to be vaccinated for preventable diseases?
- No

Marital Rape

Should marital rape be classified and punished as severely as non-marital rape?
- Yes, and consentual sex with a spouse under the age of 18 should be classified as statutory rape

Pre-Existing Conditions

Should health insurers be allowed to deny coverage to individuals who have a pre-existing condition?
- Yes, and the government should not be involved in health insurance

Police Body Cameras

Should police officers be required to wear body cameras?
- Yes

Gun Buyback

Should the federal government institute a mandatory buyback of assault weapons?
- No

Religious Freedom Act

Should a business be able to deny service to a customer if the request conflicts with the owner’s religious beliefs?
- Yes

Drug Price Regulation

Should the government regulate the prices of life-saving drugs?
- No, and the government should never regulate prices of private businesses

Gender Identity

Should "gender identity" be added to anti-discrimination laws?
- No

Armed Teachers

Should teachers be allowed to carry guns at school?
- Yes

Government Mandates

Should health insurance providers be required to offer free birth control?
- No

Immigrant Children

Should adults that are illegally attempting to cross the U.S. border be separated from their children?
- No, but immediately deport them and their children

Taxes

Should the U.S. raise taxes on the rich?
- No

Mental Health

Should the government increase funding for mental health research and treatment?
- No, incentivize private companies to address this issue instead

Stay-At-Home Order

When should your state end the "Stay at Home" order and reopen its economy?
- May 1st

Border Wall

Should the U.S. build a wall along the southern border?
- No, this would be too costly and ineffective

Immigration Ban

Should there be a temporary ban on all immigration into the United States?
- No

Student Loans

Do you support increasing taxes for the rich in order to reduce interest rates for student loans?
- No

Minimum Wage

Should the government raise the federal minimum wage?
- No

Muslim Immigrants

Should Muslim immigrants be banned from entering the country until the government improves its ability to screen out potential terrorists?
- No, banning immigrants based on their religion is unconstitutional

Muslim Surveillance

Should local police increase surveillance and patrol of Muslim neighborhoods?
- No

Free College for All

Should the federal government pay for tuition at four-year colleges and universities?
- No

Gerrymandering

Should the redrawing of Congressional districts be controlled by an independent, non-partisan commission?
- Yes

Women in Combat

Should the military allow women to serve in combat roles?
- Yes, as long as they can pass the same physical tests as men

Paid Sick Leave

Should businesses be required to provide paid leave for full-time employees during the birth of a child or sick family member?
- No

Iran

Should the U.S. go to war with Iran?
- No

Immigration Healthcare

Should illegal immigrants have access to government-subsidized healthcare?
- No

No-Fly List Gun Control

Should people on the "no-fly list" be banned from purchasing guns and ammunition?
- No, it is unconstitutional to deny someone’s rights without due process

Immigration

Should children of illegal immigrants be granted legal citizenship?
- Yes, but it should not grant their parents citizenship

Mandatory Military Service

Should every 18 year old citizen be required to provide at least one year of military service?
- No

Deporting Criminal Immigrants

Should immigrants be deported if they commit a serious crime?
- Yes

United Nations

Should the U.S. remain in the United Nations?
- No, and remove the U.N. headquarters from the U.S.

Drug Policy

Are you in favor of decriminalizing drug use?
- Yes

Foreign Lobbying

Should foreign lobbyists be allowed to raise money for American elections?
- Yes, as long as all donations are public knowledge to ensure there is no conflict of interest

Medicaid

Should the federal government increase funding of health care for low income individuals (Medicaid)?
- No

Obamacare

Do you support the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act (Obamacare)?
- No

Term Limits

Should there be term limits set for members of Congress?
- Yes

Marijuana

Do you support the legalization of Marijuana?
- Yes

Electoral College

Should the electoral college be abolished?
- No

Corporate Tax

Should the U.S. raise or lower the tax rate for corporations?
- Lower

Illegal Immigrant Detainment

Should local law enforcement be allowed to detain illegal immigrants for minor crimes and transfer them to federal immigration authorities?
- Yes

Death Penalty

Do you support the death penalty?
- No

Campaign Finance

1. Should there be a limit to the amount of money a candidate can receive from a donor?
- No

Fracking

Do you support the use of hydraulic fracking to extract oil and natural gas resources?
- Yes

Foreign Elections

Should the government attempt to influence foreign elections?
- No

NSA Domestic Surveillance

Should the NSA (National Security Agency) be allowed to collect basic metadata of citizen’s phone calls such as numbers, timestamps, and call durations?
- No

Single-Payer Healthcare

Do you support a single-payer healthcare system?
- No

Immigrant Assimilation

Should immigrants be required to learn English?
- No

Israel Boycott

Should it be illegal to join a boycott of Israel?
- No, this is a violation of free speech

Immigrant Laborers

Should working illegal immigrants be given temporary amnesty?
- Yes, but only if they pay taxes

Sanctuary Cities

Should sanctuary cities receive federal funding?
- No

Transgender Athletes

Should transgender athletes be allowed to compete in athletic events?
- No

NATO

1. Should the U.S. remain in NATO?
- Yes, but NATO should focus more on counter-terrorism strategies

Gun Liability

Should victims of gun violence be allowed to sue firearms dealers and manufacturers?
- No

Alternative Energy

Should the government give tax credits and subsidies to the wind power industry?
- Yes, wind power is the best alternative to coal and natural gas

Military Congressional Approval

Should the President be able to authorize military force against Al-Qaeda without Congressional approval?
- No

Confederate Flag

Should states be allowed to display the Confederate flag on government property?
- Yes, each state should have the right to display any flag they choose

Right of Foreigners to Vote

Should foreigners, currently residing in the United States, have the right to vote?
- No

Torture

Should the military be allowed to use enhanced interrogation techniques, such as waterboarding, to gain information from suspected terrorists?
- No

Soleimani

Do you support the killing of Iranian Major General Qassem Soleimani?
- No, this could unnecessarily start another war in the Middle East

In-State Tuition

Should illegal immigrants be offered in-state tuition rates at public colleges within their residing state?
- No

Social Media Regulation

Should the government regulate social media sites, as a means to prevent fake news and misinformation?
- No

Border Security

Should the U.S. increase restrictions on its current border security policy?
- No, make it easier for immigrants to access temporary work visas

Voter Fraud

Should a photo ID be required to vote?
- Yes

Gender Workplace Diversity

Should businesses be required to have women on their board of directors?
- No, board members should be the most qualified regardless of gender

Private Prisons

Should the government hire private companies to run prisons?
- No, private prisons will sacrifice quality of care and rehabilitation services for profit

Corporate Mega Mergers

Should the government prevent "mega mergers" of corporations that could potentially control a large percentage of market share within its industry?
- No, and the government should not interfere with the free market

Net Neutrality

Should internet service providers be allowed to speed up access to popular websites (that pay higher rates) at the expense of slowing down access to less popular websites (that pay lower rates)?
- No, treat all traffic equally and continue the openness of the internet

Plastic Product Ban

Should disposable products (such as plastic cups, plates, and cutlery) that contain less than 50% of biodegradable material be banned?
- No

Welfare Drug Testing

Should welfare recipients be tested for drugs?
- Yes, test anyone receiving money from the government including employees and politicians

Oil Drilling

Should the U.S. expand offshore oil drilling?
- Yes

Israel

Should the U.S. continue to support Israel?
- Yes

Citizenship Test

Should immigrants be required to pass a citizenship test to demonstrate a basic understanding of our country’s language, history, and government?
- Yes

Euthanasia

Should terminally ill patients be allowed to end their lives via assisted suicide?
- Yes

Candidate Transparency

Should political candidates be required to release their recent tax returns to the public?
- No

Government Spending

Should the government make cuts to public spending in order to reduce the national debt?
- Yes

Campaign Finance

1. Should corporations, unions, and non-profit organizations be allowed to donate to political parties?
- Yes

Skilled Immigrants

Should the US increase or decrease the amount of temporary work visas given to high-skilled immigrant workers?
- Increase

Patriot Act

Do you support the Patriot Act?
- No

Medicaid Work Requirement

Should people be required to work in order to receive Medicaid?
- Yes

Universal Basic Income

Do you support a universal basic income program?
- No

Medicare Drug Prices

Should the federal government be allowed to negotiate drug prices for Medicare?
- No, the government should not interfere with the free market

Safe Spaces

Should universities provide "trigger warnings" and "safe spaces" for students?
- No, college is meant to challenge students thoughts and opinions so they are prepared for real life

Flag Burning

Should it be illegal to burn the American flag?
- No, I don’t respect anyone who does but they should have the right to do so

Lobbyists

Should there be a 5-year ban on White House and Congressional officials from becoming lobbyists after they leave the government?
- Yes, and make it a lifetime ban

North Korea Military Strikes

Should the U.S. conduct military strikes against North Korea in order to destroy their long-range missile and nuclear weapons capabilities?
- No

Minimum Voting Age

Should the minimum voting age be lowered?
- No

Welfare

Should there be fewer or more restrictions on current welfare benefits?
- More

Labor Unions

Do you believe labor unions help or hurt the economy?
- Hurt

Whistleblower Protection

Should the government pass laws which protect whistleblowers?
- Yes

Yemen

Should the U.S. provide military aid to Saudi Arabia during its conflict with Yemen?
- No

Niqab

Should women be allowed to wear a Niqab, or face veil, to civic ceremonies?
- Yes, but their identity must be privately verified by a female staff member

Military Spending

Should the government increase or decrease military spending?
- Decrease

Supreme Court Reform

Should the Supreme Court be reformed to include more seats and term limits on judges?
- No

Solitary Confinement for Juveniles

Should prisons ban the use of solitary confinement for juveniles?
- Yes

Free Tax Filing

Should the IRS create a free electronic tax filing system?
- Yes

Syrian Refugees

Should the U.S. accept refugees from Syria?
- Yes, but only after extensive background checks and continuous monitoring to ensure they have no terrorist connections

Affirmative Action

Do you support affirmative action programs?
- No

Common Core

Do you support Common Core national standards?
- No

Foreign Assassination

Should the US assassinate suspected terrorists in foreign countries?
- No

First Amendment

Should the government support a separation of church and state by removing references to God on money, federal buildings, and national monuments?
- No

Capital Gains Tax

Should the government increase the tax rate on profits earned from the sale of stocks, bonds, and real estate?
- No

Animal Testing

Should researchers be allowed to use animals in testing the safety of drugs, vaccines, medical devices, and cosmetics?
- Yes

Safe Haven

Should cities open drug "safe havens" where people who are addicted to illegal drugs can use them under the supervision of medical professionals?
- No, but legalize drugs

Dakota Access Pipeline

Should the government stop construction of the Dakota Access pipeline?
- No

Foreign Aid

Should the US increase or decrease foreign aid spending?
- Decrease

ISIS Ground Troops

Should the U.S. send ground troops into Syria to fight ISIS?
- No

Overtime Pay

Should the government require businesses to pay salaried employees, making up to $46k/year, time-and-a-half for overtime hours?
- No

Eminent Domain

Should the government be allowed to seize private property, with reasonable compensation, for public or civic use?
- No

Drones

Should the military fly drones over foreign countries to gain intelligence and kill suspected terrorists?
- No, only to gather intelligence, not to kill suspected terrorists

Terrorism

Should foreign terrorism suspects be given constitutional rights?
- No

Economic Stimulus

Should the government use economic stimulus to aid the country during times of recession?
- No

VA Privatization

Should there be more or less privatization of veterans’ healthcare?
- More

Social Security

Should the government raise the retirement age for Social Security?
- Yes, but I would prefer to privatize it instead

GMO Labels

Should producers be required to label genetically engineered foods (GMOs)?
- Yes, consumers have a right to know what is in their food

Universal Pre-K

Should the federal government fund Universal preschool?
- No

Criminal Voting Rights

Should convicted criminals have the right to vote?
- Yes

Afghanistan

Should the United States pull all military troops out of Afghanistan?
- Yes

Dual Citizenship

Should immigrants to the United States be allowed to hold dual citizenship status?
- Yes, but they should not be able to claim citizenship status of more than two nations

Criminal Politicians

Should a politician, who has been formerly convicted of a crime, be allowed to run for office?
- Yes

Mandatory minimum prison sentences

Do you support mandatory minimum prison sentences for people charged with drug possession?
- No

Estate Tax

Should the current estate tax rate be decreased?
- Yes

NAFTA

Should the U.S. continue to participate in the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA)?
- Yes, NAFTA helps lower the prices of consumer products

Nuclear Energy

Do you support the use of nuclear energy?
- Yes

Drug Trafficking Penalties

Should drug traffickers receive the death penalty?
- No

Space Exploration

Should the government fund space travel?
- No, the government should leave human space travel to private companies

War on ISIS

Should the U.S. formally declare war on ISIS?
- No

Cuba

Do you support President Obama’s move to lift the trade and travel embargo on Cuba?
- Yes

Tariffs

Should the government add or increase tariffs on products imported into the country?
- No

China Tariffs

Should the U.S. increase tariffs on imported products from China?
- No

Ukraine

Should the U.S. provide military assistance to defend Ukraine from Russia?
- No

Domestic Jobs

Should the President offer tax breaks to individual companies to keep jobs in the U.S.?
- No, the government should not interfere with the free market

Tech Monopolies

Should the government break up Amazon, Facebook and Google?
- No

NATO

1. Should the U.S. defend other NATO countries that maintain low military defense budgets relative to their GDP?
- No

Federal Reserve

Should the Federal Reserve Bank be audited by Congress?
- Yes

Farm Subsidies

Should the government subsidize farmers?
- No

Political Advertising on Social Media

Should social media companies ban political advertising?
- No

Property Taxes

Would you favor an increased sales tax in order to reduce property taxes?
- No

NSA Surveillance

Should the U.S. continue NSA surveillance of its allies?
- No

Pension Reform

Should pension plans for federal, state, and local government workers be transitioned into privately managed accounts?
- Yes

Offshore Banking

Should U.S. citizens be allowed to save or invest their money in offshore bank accounts?
- Yes

Edward Snowden

Should the U.S. government grant immunity to Edward Snowden?
- Yes

Charter Schools

Do you support charter schools?
- Yes

Russian Airstrikes in Syria

Should the U.S. prevent Russia from conducting airstrikes in Syria?
- No

Prison Overcrowding

Should non-violent prisoners be released from jail in order to reduce overcrowding?
- Yes

Trans-Pacific Partnership

Do you support the Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP)?
- No

India Arms

Should the U.S. sell military weapons to India in order to counter Chinese and Russian influence?
- No, and we should increase diplomatic efforts to resolve conflicts peacefully

Government Pensions

Should pension payments be increased for retired government workers?
- No

Public Transportation

Should the government increase spending on public transportation?
- No

Jerusalem

Should Jerusalem be recognized as the capital of Israel?
- Yes

Online Sales Tax

Should an in-state sales tax apply to online purchases of in-state buyers from out-of-state sellers?
- No

School Truancy

Should the government decriminalize school truancy?
- Yes

Hong Kong Fugitive Extradition

Should the Chinese government be able to extradite fugitives from Hong Kong?
- No

Corporate Subsidies

Should cities be allowed to offer private companies economic incentives to relocate?
- Yes

F-35

Should the government cancel production of the F-35 fighter?
- No

Bitcoin

Should the government classify Bitcoin as a legal currency?
- No, classify it as a commodity

State Ownership

Should the government acquire equity stakes in companies it bails out during a recession?
- No, the government should never own shares of private companies

Greenland

Should the United States acquire Greenland?
- No, and the U.S. should close its military base there

Air Force One

Should the military upgrade Air Force One?
- No, not until the cost ($4B) is dramatically reduced

Sports Betting

Should sports betting be legal?
- Yes

Insurrection Act

Should the President of the United States have the power to deploy military troops in order to stop protests?
- No

South Dakota 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

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

4. Other or expanded principles
- No Answer

Budget, Spending, & Tax

1. Reducing state employee salaries AND/OR pensions?
- No Answer

2. Instituting mandatory furloughs AND/OR layoffs for state employees?
- No Answer

3. Reducing benefits for Medicaid recipients?
- No Answer

4. Other or expanded principles
- I support a general reduction in size and scope of state government.

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. Do you support South Dakota transitioning to an open primary election system?
- No

6. Do you support prohibiting out-of-state contributions to state ballot initiative committees?
- No

7. Other or expanded principles
- No Answer

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?
- Yes

4. Do you support the enforcement of federal immigration laws by state and local police?
- No

5. Other or expanded principles
- No Answer

Economic

1. Do you support state government spending as a means of promoting economic growth?
- No Answer

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?
- No

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

7. Do you support legalized state-sponsored sports betting in South Dakota?
- Yes

8. Other or expanded principles
- As a general rule, I oppose government spending as a means of promoting economic growth, but I do support the tourism tax which was overwhelmingly sought by the tourism industry and almost exclusively impacts tourism businesses.

Education

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

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

3. Should immigrants unlawfully present in the United States who graduate from South Dakota 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?
- No

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

4. Other or expanded principles
- I believe that the United States EPA should have never been created, and that the role of protecting landowners and the general public from legitimate harm by their neighbors (through force or fraud) should fall to the state.

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
- No Answer

Health

1. Should the state government increase funding for treatment facilities to combat opioid abuse?
- No

2. Do you support Medicaid expansion through South Dakota'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?
- 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 South Dakota's anti-discrimination laws?
- Yes

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

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

4. 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.
- My top priority if elected will be to oppose and overturn any law which restricts personal freedoms and economic liberty of South Dakotans.