Idaho 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?
- Yes

3. Should abortion be legal when the pregnancy resulted from incest or rape?
- No

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
- The life of the woman should truly be life or death to receive an abortion. Although it is a very difficult circumstance with incest or rape; the baby is still a life in the womb that can be adopted out. I would allow the abortion pill within the first two weeks for rape or incest to be taken without knowledge of any life in the victim's womb.

Budget, Spending, & Tax

1. Education (higher)
- Slightly Increase

2. Education (K-12)
- Maintain Status

3. Environment
- Slightly Decrease

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
- The slightly increase in higher education would be based on the creation of more professional and trade schools; possibly in the Junior Colleges. More high school students need to have an opportunity to learn a career that does not take four years of basic college education. Even training to be accessed while in high school would be a benefit.We also need the ability for more choice in the k-12 education.

1. Alcohol taxes
- Maintain Status

2. Cigarette taxes
- Slightly Increase

3. Corporate taxes
- Greatly Decrease

4. Gas/Oil taxes
- Slightly Increase

5. Property taxes
- Slightly Decrease

6. Sales taxes
- Slightly Increase

7. Income taxes (low-income families)
- Greatly Decrease

8. Income taxes (mid-income families)
- Greatly Decrease

9. Income taxes (high-income families)
- Slightly Decrease

10. Other or expanded principles
- I would actually prefer the elimination of the income tax and increase the sales tax so every one visiting or living in Idaho support the infrastructure, highways, police, fire, and emergency medical.

1. Tapping into Idaho's "rainy day" fund
- Yes

2. Increasing tuition rates at public universities
- Yes

3. Reducing or eliminating public worker collective bargaining
- Yes

4. Reducing state employee salaries AND/OR pensions
- No

5. Instituting mandatory furloughs AND/OR layoffs for state employees
- No

6. Reducing benefits for Medicaid recipients
- Yes

7. Other or expanded principles
- Medicaid is a failed system of health care. For the same reason we must not expand Medicaid; but return to more patient/physician health care like Direct Primary Care paid on a monthly program; even to the effect that Medicaid low income persons and families would have access to that care rather than access of expensive hospital emergency room coverage at no cost to patient.

Campaign Finance & Government Reform

1. Individual
- Yes

2. Political Action Committee
- Yes

3. Corporate
- Yes

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?
- Yes

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

1. Other or expanded principles
- Based on the salary Idaho State legislators receive; the amount some legislators pay out for political campaign expenses is way out of line. It should not be the elected is the one who received the most campaign funds. I know that is not always the case; but it is still a hardship on those qualified candidates that have very limited funds for their campaign. If there was a maximum campaign expenditure per candidate; it would enable more qualified candidates to be able to run for state office.

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?
- Yes

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?
- No

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

7. Other or expanded principles
- I would not introduce legalizing small amounts of marijuana; but I see no difference in alcohol drinking for legal aged adults and use of small amounts of marijuana; therefore I would not vote against it if it came up.

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?
- Yes

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?
- No

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
- Financial incentives to the private sector for job creation must be equally fair and available to small, large, existing, and new employers in the State of Idaho.

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?
- No

7. Should illegal immigrants who graduate from Idaho high schools be eligible for in-state tuition at public universities?
- No

8. Other or expanded principles
- Since there is a possible Idaho State Constitution article against vouchers; i would be agreeable to other methods encouraging school choice like Education Savings Accounts or tax credits.

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)?
- No

3. Do you support state funding for improvements to Idaho's energy infrastructure?
- No

4. Do you support state funding for open space preservation?
- No

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

6. Other or expanded principles
- I am not opposed to increasing traditional domestic energy sources or even alternative energy in Idaho; but I am opposed to state funding of it. That should be a private enterprise venture with reasonable oversight by an Idaho energy department.

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
- No Answer

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?
- Yes

8. Other or expanded principles
- The federal government needs to stay out of our Idaho citizens' health care. There are certainly other needed improvements like "transparency in claims costs" accessible by patients for cost comparison; computerized medical records that the patient can take with them to other medical providers which will reduce duplication of medical procedures; elimination of mandated coverages like the ObamaCare plans require; accessibility of health care plans across state lines.

Social

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

2. Should same-sex couples be allowed to form civil unions?
- No

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

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

5. Other or expanded principles
- No Answer

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.
- The transfer of Federal Public lands in Idaho to the State. Idaho can better care for the lands, reduce wildfire hazard, provide multiple use access, boost funding for government services like education, respond to local desires, and bring jobs back to our state. The elimination of the federal government involvement in our Idaho health care and our education. Idaho can create a better health care system like the addition of Direct Primary Care with a wrap around system for more critical medical care similar to a large deductible Health Savings Account. Eliminate Idaho Core and create an Education Savings Account.