North Carolina State Legislative Election 2018 Political Courage Test

Abortion & Reproductive

1. Do you generally support pro-choice or pro-life legislation?
- No Answer

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 Answer

4. Other or expanded principles
- When it comes to the pro-choice vs. pro-life debate, we have been forced into a false dichotomy. The flaw of the pro-life debate is in it?s name. Much of the pro-life movement actually only represents a pro-birth thought process. As a country and as a movement, that discourages women in taking ownership of their own bodies and once they do give birth, refuses them the services and care they and their child deserves ? leaving women and their families high and dry.

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?
- No Answer

5. Other or expanded principles
- I pledge to root out and eliminate wasteful spending while also supporting public servants in the police, fire, EMS, and military branches, along with our gifted school teachers. I will take steps to encourage small business expansion and create new partnerships with universities and community colleges to foster creativity, innovative thinking and investment in new technologies in our district. Job creation and identifying ways to improve and expand existing infrastructure investment in roads, bridges, airports, and both passenger and freight rail lines are vital in building and maintaining a thriving local economy.

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
- The number one issue we are faced with as Americans and North Carolinians is campaign finance reform. The effect of unregulated corporate PAC money is all too prevalent in not just Washington but in our state legislature right here in Raleigh. When elected officials speak from the pockets of obscene corporate donations, they don't speak for their constituents.

Crime & Public Safety

1. Do you support capital punishment for certain crimes?
- No Answer

2. Do you support the legalization of marijuana for recreational purposes?
- No Answer

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 Answer

5. Other or expanded principles
- No Answer

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 Answer

3. Do you support reducing state government regulations on the private sector?
- No Answer

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

5. Do you support requiring welfare applicants to pass a drug test in order to receive benefits?
- Yes

6. Do you support an increase of the minimum wage of North Carolina?
- Yes

7. Other or expanded principles
- No Answer

Education

1. Do you support adopting federal education standards in North Carolina?
- No Answer

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

3. Should immigrants unlawfully present in the United States who graduate from North Carolina high schools be eligible for in-state tuition at public universities?
- No Answer

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

5. Do you support North Carolina's "Innovative School District" program?
- No Answer

6. Other or expanded principles
- Every child should have an equal opportunity to achieve academic excellence. I also support alternative paths and respect individual parental choices in education through charter schools and other accountable means, while understanding that we must fully fund our public schools before we consider funding public charter schools. A one-size-fits-all approach cannot and does not work when meeting the needs of children, including children with special needs. I will ensure that standardized testing not be the focus of teacher?s instruction. It must inform and guide, rather than become the curriculum itself.

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
- The future of our coastline and the jobs it provides depends on us, its caretakers. Our oceans, rivers, and waterways are teeming with jobs?not through the exploitation of the environment, but through preserving its incredible natural beauty and the vastly diverse ecosystems that sustain our coastline and inland through our beautiful waterways. Fishing and tourism investments are a prime way to secure our economic future and expand our infrastructure while supporting the small businesses that thrive off of them. These vital industries face imminent danger if we do not limit offshore drilling and seismic blasting.

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
- I grew up in Central North Carolina where hunting is not just a way of life, but a way of survival. I recognize and respect the hunting culture in which I was raised & participated in. It is a culture that appreciates and responsibly uses firearms. It is also time we adopt common sense gun reform that respects heritage but protects citizens and keeps weapons out of the hands of those who should not have them.

Health

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

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

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

4. Do you support legislation that grants citizens the right to choose to die through euthanasia?
- No Answer

5. Do you support eliminating religious exemptions for vaccinations?
- No Answer

6. Other or expanded principles
- It has been my professional duty as a healthcare provider working with people in chronic pain for 20 years to help people overcome their opioid addiction through physical therapy and integrative medicine. The opioid crisis is a public health crisis. The opioid epidemic presents a clear and present danger to our children, families, our economy, and to our communities. Families are broken and destroyed, children are hurting and the family members who are addicted have few options for viable, affordable, and dignified care. This access to care is a right not only in health, but in quality of life.

Social

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

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

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

4. Do you support the removal of Confederate monuments from public spaces?
- Yes

5. Other or expanded principles
- One of my greatest priorities is to create a North Carolina that works for everyone -- because of, rather than despite of, their differences. That means pushing to close the pay gap not just between men and women but between racial lines, as well. It's on us to create an inclusive North Carolina that celebrates differences in sexuality, gender, and race.

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.
- The future of our coastline and the jobs it provides depends on us. Our oceans, rivers, and waterways are our lifeblood & we can both work to preserve its natural beauty and the diverse ecosystems that sustain our coastline and inland waterways and create jobs from them. I will ensure that our children receive nonpartisan advocacy to pursue their education and achieve academic excellence on all levels. Every child has an equal opportunity to achieve excellence. We can improve access to healthcare and services, and I intend to place healthcare improvements & the opioid crisis among my primary concerns.