Georgia 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
- Like millions of pro-choice advocates across the country, I believe abortion should be safe, legal and rare, and the best way to make them rare is to provide access to comprehensive sex education, contraception and prenatal medical care.

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?
- Yes

5. Other or expanded principles
- Georgia is constitutionally required to pass a balanced budget, and we must not neglect our responsibility to fulfill our most important obligations, such as educating students, providing healthcare for needy children, fixing our roads and bridges, and funding our police departments.

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
- I believe it is reasonable to require identification at the polls; however, I would like to see less restrictive laws regarding the types of acceptable identification and requirements for registration. In addition to driver's licenses, I would support the singular or combined use of student IDs, passports, hardship exemptions with affidavits, same-day registration and other measures to make voting more accessible for eligible citizens.

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?
- No

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

5. Other or expanded principles
- The death penalty is ineffective as a crime deterrent and is inequitable in its application. The citizens of Georgia should be given an opportunity to vote on whether or not they support legalizing recreational marijuana. Children should not be prosecuted as adults, though their sentences should be commensurate with the seriousness of their crimes. I do not support unfunded mandates requiring state and local police to act as federal immigration officials, as such mandates threaten the trust and safety between the police and the communities they serve.

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 Georgia?
- Yes

7. Other or expanded principles
- I believe the Medicaid expansion in Georgia will help promote economic growth in medically under-served areas of the state. I believe economic growth is a means to lowering state taxes. I support reforming ineffective regulations and retaining those that work. Access to unemployment benefits in Georgia should reflect market trends, accounting for periods of recession and increases in cost of living. Drug tests for welfare recipients are costly and ineffective. I would like to see Georgia's state minimum wage match the federal minimum wage.

Education

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

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

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

4. Other or expanded principles
- While Georgia should aspire to meet and exceed national education standards, I believe local school systems should adaptive to the communities they serve. I would like to see Georgia's public schools fully funded before taxpayer dollars are further directed to privately operated charter schools, which tend to have higher administrative costs without better academic outcomes. Georgia students who are eligible for DACA status, meet the residency requirements, and received admission to a Georgia public university should be permitted to attend at the same cost as all other qualified in-state residents.

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
- As a responsible gun owner and concerned citizen, I join the millions of Americans who are in favor of reasonable, sensible gun reform that protects our right to own a gun in defense of ourselves and our homes and for recreational sport, while also curbing the spread of deadly weapons to children, criminals and the mentally ill.

Health

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

2. Do you support Medicaid expansion through Georgia'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. Do you support increasing funding for state medical facilities and hospitals in rural areas?
- Yes

7. Other or expanded principles
- If Georgia implements legislative changes to make health insurance more affordable and accessible, I believe more Georgians will voluntarily seek and acquire health insurance coverage. Uninsured Georgians, who are more likely to receive uncompensated care, paid for by taxpayers, should be held responsible for the increased cost of healthcare by participating in the funding of public health programs through the tax code.

Social

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

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

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

4. Should faith-based organizations be permitted to deny services based on religious beliefs?
- No

5. Do you support the removal of Confederate monuments from public spaces?
- No

6. Other or expanded principles
- While I do not support the wholesale removal of Confederate monuments, I believe they should include contextual information to explain the monuments' connection to slavery and Jim Crow era discrimination. Such monuments should serve as a tribute to the progress we've made and as a reminder not to repeat the sins of our forefathers.

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 legislative priority is to expand Medicaid for 240,000 working Georgians, which would be paid for by drawing down $3 billion per year in available federal funding and redirecting state dollars currently being spent on uncompensated care. I will also propose the creation of a state-based health market exchange to offer qualified health insurance plans to small businesses, their employees and independent contractors to help spur small business economic development. I will also propose a bill to permit in-state cultivation of medical cannabis to provide much needed relief to Georgia patients.