Texas 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
- Women should have control over their bodies and their fate.

Budget, Spending, & Tax

1. Do you support the creation of a state income tax in Texas?
- Yes

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. Other or expanded principles
- Accept Medicaid. Large commercial properties should be taxed at full value or some fair value. The impact of any income tax should begin at incomes greater than $250,000. Luxury taxes should be assessed on residences selling over $3,000,000 (farmland excluded). Create impact fees on new residential structures that go to the local ISDs. . Create a progressive tax system that takes the burden off the middle and lower class. Raise the state gasoline tax to $0.21 per gallon up from $0.20. Tax oil an gas extraction appropriately. Reduce flaring and charge a tax on flared NGs.

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
- Generally accepted identifications should be expanded to those used prior to the present law. The present law serves to suppress the vote of minorities and the poor. The real voter fraud in the State of Texas was created by the new voter identification laws and by the horrific gerrymandering created by the Republicans.

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 mental health system should be expanded. The jail systems should not be the repository of mentally ill people. Mental illness is "ILLNESS" and it should be treated as illness. Housing the mentally ill in the prison systems is much more expensive than serving them through the medical systems/social services. Capital punishment is not a deterrent, a lifetime hard labor may be a better deterrent. The latest studies are against the efficacy of the death penalty.In difference to my "no" answer above about juvenile crimes, the person's history should be taken into account.

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 Texas?
- Yes

7. Other or expanded principles
- Increasing the minimum wage to $12 or $15 per hour will increase the gross productivity of the state. Everyone will benefit.The marginal propensity to spend (MPS)for those at the lower economic scale is much greater than for the rich and middle class. The gross state product and GDP grows much faster as a function of the MPS. The entire economy grows and the middle class and wealthy gain by helping those at the lower economic levels. This does not increase inflation, it increases growth.

Education

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

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

3. Should immigrants unlawfully present in the United States who graduate from Texas 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 an infrastructure item that serves as a public investment that lasts over 40 years. Educated immigrants , of any legal stature, improves the economy of the state.

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
- Texas brags that it is a business friendly state , but lack of environmental oversight kills Texans. The recent de-funding of the TCEQ harms the people of Texas. The bureaucratic crippling of the TCEQ harms the health and lives of Texans.

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?
- No

5. Other or expanded principles
- All gun transfers should be through an FFL and any transfers outside of FFL control should bear a liability on the person transferring the gun. Irresponsible gun transfers should be penalized. Anyone owning a gun should be required to have proven training. Non monetary transfers of guns should be through FFLs (the State should subsidize the transfer costs between family members - "estates").

Health

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

2. Do you support Medicaid expansion through Texas'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?
- Yes

6. Do you support increasing funding for state medical facilities and hospitals in rural areas?
- Yes

7. Other or expanded principles
- The expansion of Medicaid will ease the tax burden on state tax payers. The supporting of a healthy society serves the common good and it increases the productivity of society - of The State of Texas. The medical services are already being paid by Texans, accepting expanding Medicaid aids everyone. Vaccinations of all people in society helps those with diminished/impaired immune systems, the people that may not be able to be vaccinated. Harming others due to religious beliefs is not acceptable and is certainly not religious. Further, those harmed by not receiving vaccinations will be a burden on society.

Social

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

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

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

4. Should individuals be required to use a bathroom that corresponds with the gender listed on their birth certificate?
- No

5. Do you support the removal of Confederate statues from public spaces?
- Yes

6. Other or expanded principles
- Science has shown that there are chromosome differences that create non-standard genders and gender identification (xyx, xxx, etc). People should not be punished for having altered gender identities. The recent attempt at bathroom laws is a solution in search of a problem that does not exist.

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.
- To obtain additional funding, efforts should be made to close tax loopholes for businesses, and provide impact fees on new residential constructions that are dedicated to the local schools. Further, the expansion of Medicaid will reduce the tax burden on all Texans. The non November election dates for the ISDs and the school boards in general creates a situation where a small group of people control the school systems. The general population has enough trouble getting out to vote, it should not be made harder. My theory of governance is to work for the Common Good.