Oklahoma 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
- We have seen time and time again that restricting access to abortion care does not reduce the number of abortions performed. It only reduces the number of safe abortions performed. We need to provide women the ability to safely make their own decisions.

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. Selling the Grand River Dam Authority?
- No

6. Other or expanded principles
- There are better ways to improve our budget than taxing the middle class and cutting benefits and social services. We don't tax corporations fairly and we have a veritable flax tax system which unfairly favors the rich. We need to work for all people in Oklahoma, not just the 1%

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
- 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?
- No

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

5. Other or expanded principles
- Oklahoma has the highest incarceration rate on the planet Earth. We pay, on average, $10,000 more per inmate than we do per student. It's time we brought our criminal justice system into the 21st century.

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 Oklahoma?
- Yes

7. Other or expanded principles
- We have got to stop blaming the poor and disenfranchised for their situation while giving handouts and indulgences to corporations and the super rich.

Education

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

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

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

4. Do you support increasing funding for the state education budget?
- Yes

5. Other or expanded principles
- Education is the bedrock upon which a healthy society is built. It creates business, economic growth, new technologies, and new opportunities. We could be leading the nation in education, instead our legislature is content to drag behind. This is unacceptable.

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. Do you support increased regulations on the hydraulic fracturing ("fracking") industry?
- Yes

5. Other or expanded principles
- Climate change is happening even faster than our previous models predicted. Beyond that, fossil fuels are not an infinite resource. We will need to come up with something better sooner rather than later. As with education, we have all the resources here to be leaders in this field. I am too competitive to pass up that opportunity.

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
- In Oklahoma it is easier to buy a gun than it is to register to vote. It's not unreasonable to suggest that guns should be regulated at least as well as cars. It won't take away anyone's freedoms to require that one prove that they are competent, sane, and trained in basic safety before owning a gun.

Health

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

2. Do you support Medicaid expansion through Oklahoma's health care programs?
- Yes

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
- Health care is a human right and no one should be too poor to live. We are the only first world country to not guarantee health care for our citizens. America is too great to not be able to take care of our own people. We can and must do better.

Social

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

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

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

4. Other or expanded principles
- It really sucks that we're still having to have a conversation about who it is and isn't okay to discriminate against. That's all I'm going to say about this right now.

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.
- 1) Increase funding for education - this includes funding for updated materials, cost of living adjustments for teachers and ancillary staff, and making us nationally - not regionally - competitive.2) Combined Tax Reporting for Corporations - multi-state corporations should pay their fair share just like everyone else. The people should not be pulling the weight for billionaires.3) Criminal Justice Reform - Oklahoma is the least free place on the planet because of our outdated and myopic justice system. This is an embarrassment.4) Medicare for All - No one should be too poor to live.