Wyoming State Legislative Election 2014 Political Courage Test

Abortion & Reproductive

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

2. Should abortions be illegal after the first trimester of pregnancy?
- No

3. Should abortion be legal when the pregnancy resulted from incest or rape?
- Yes

4. Should abortion be legal when the life of the woman is endangered?
- Yes

5. Do you support requiring parental notification before an abortion is performed on a minor?
- Yes

6. Do you support requiring parental consent before an abortion is performed on a minor?
- Yes

7. Do you support the prohibition of public funds for abortion procedures?
- Yes

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

9. Other or expanded principles
- g) h) The exception for funding should be for those procedures that are permitted (eg., rape or incest)

Budget, Spending, & Tax

1. Education (higher)
- Maintain Status

2. Education (K-12)
- Slightly Increase

3. Environment
- Maintain Status

4. Health care
- Slightly Decrease

5. Law enforcement/corrections
- Slightly Increase

6. Transportation/infrastructure
- Slightly Increase

7. Welfare
- Slightly Decrease

8. Other or expanded categories
- Slight increases anticipate increased in general costs (utilities and salaries) and are not necessarily at expanding programs, initiating new programs, or increasing the number of employees. We need to increase efficiency through reform, review and prioritization of programs.

1. Alcohol taxes
- Maintain Status

2. Cigarette taxes
- Maintain Status

3. Gas/Oil taxes
- Maintain Status

4. Property taxes
- Maintain Status

5. Sales taxes
- Maintain Status

6. Other or expanded principles
- a) Beer tax is so small that it costs more to administer than it collects. It should be increased or repealed.

Campaign Finance & Government Reform

1. Individual
- No

2. Political Action Committee
- No

3. Corporate
- No

4. Political Party
- No

5. Should candidates for state office be encouraged to meet voluntary spending limits?
- No

6. Do you support requiring full and timely disclosure of campaign finance information?
- Yes

7. Do you support the use of an independent AND/OR bipartisan commission for redistricting?
- No

8. Do you support requiring a government-issued photo identification in order to vote at the polls?
- Yes

9. Other or expanded principles
- No Answer

Crime & Public Safety

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

2. Do you support alternatives to incarceration for certain non-violent offenders, such as mandatory counseling or substance abuse treatment?
- Yes

3. Do you support legalizing the possession of small amounts of marijuana?
- No

4. Should a minor accused of a violent crime be prosecuted as an adult?
- Yes

5. Should a minor who sends sexually-explicit or nude photos by cell phone face criminal charges?
- Yes

6. Do you support the enforcement of federal immigration laws by state and local police?
- Yes

7. Other or expanded principles
- d) Whether minors prosecuted as adults should depend upon aggravating and mitigating circumstances. I do not believe in a hard and fast rule

Economic

1. Do you support reducing government regulations on the private sector?
- Yes

2. Do you support increased state funding for job-training programs that re-train displaced workers?
- No

3. Do you support expanding access to unemployment benefits?
- No

4. Do you support providing financial incentives to the private sector for the purpose of job creation?
- Yes

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

6. Do you support providing direct financial assistance to homeowners facing foreclosure?
- No

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

8. Other or expanded principles
- e) Government spending for economic growth is economic development through assisting the private sector, not just increasing government spending.

Education

1. Do you support the national Common Core State Standards initiative?
- No

2. Do you support a merit pay system for teachers?
- Yes

3. Is the tenure process for public school teachers producing effective teachers?
- No

4. Should parents be allowed to use vouchers to send their children to any school?
- Yes

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

6. Do you support the state government providing college students with financial aid?
- Yes

7. Should illegal immigrants who graduate from Wyoming high schools be eligible for in-state tuition at public universities?
- Yes

8. Other or expanded principles
- g) If their families are taxpaying Wyoming residents, yes, otherwise, no.

Environment & Energy

1. Do you support state funding for the development of alternative energy?
- No

2. Do you support state funding for the development of traditional domestic energy sources (e.g. coal, natural gas, oil)?
- Yes

3. Do you support state funding for improvements to Wyoming's energy infrastructure?
- Yes

4. Do you support state funding for open space preservation?
- Yes

5. Do you support government regulations of greenhouse gas emissions?
- No

6. Other or expanded principles
- a), b) Wyoming needs to support applied research for its energy resources, and improving or enhancing the technologies for cleaner burning coal and other hydro-carbons, including CO2 capture and use (for products, EOR, etc.) c) I support continuing the work of the Wyoming Pipeline Authority and the Wyoming Infrastructure Authority

Gun

1. Do you support restrictions on the purchase and possession of guns?
- No

2. Should background checks be required on gun sales between private citizens at gun shows?
- No

3. Should citizens be allowed to carry concealed guns?
- Yes

4. Should a license be required for gun possession?
- No

5. Other or expanded principles
- a), c) I support the minimal restrictions related to mentally ill and convicted felons, and non-permitted concealed carry restricted to Wyoming residents

Health

1. Do you support a universally-accessible, publicly-administered health insurance option?
- No

2. Do you support expanding access to health care through commercial health insurance reform?
- Yes

3. Do you support interstate health insurance compacts?
- Yes

4. Do you support Medicaid expansion under the Affordable Care Act?
- No

5. Do you support requiring individuals to purchase health care insurance?
- No

6. Do you support monetary limits on damages that can be collected in malpractice lawsuits?
- Yes

7. Do you support allowing doctors to prescribe marijuana to their patients for medicinal purposes?
- No

8. Other or expanded principles
- No Answer

Social

1. Do you support same-sex marriage?
- No

2. Should same-sex couples be allowed to form civil unions?
- Yes

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

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

5. Other or expanded principles
- c), d) Some anti-discrimination in certain areas is appropriate, such as anything related to property interests, but I could not support anti-discrimination without significant exceptions for such as faith-based entities and private charitable organizations (such as churches, hospitals, adoption and social service agencies, etc.)

Legislative Priorities

In the following area, on an attached page, or via e-mail, 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.
- Controlling expenses with an eye toward future budget requirements, including education; Expanding and diversifying Wyoming's economy; Increasing government transparency; Increasing health care access and cost transparency through reform (as opposed to forcing people into Medicaid/single payor system)