Maine 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
- No Answer

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. Other or expanded principles
- Since the current governor,Republican Paul LePage has been in office (almost 8 Years), tax brackets for the wealthiest individuals and most profitable businesses have dropped repeatedly, leaving more of a burden on lower income citizens and insufficient revenue for essential programs.

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. Do you support prohibiting out-of-state contributions to state ballot initiative committees?
- Yes

6. Do you support repealing Maine's ranked-choice primary election system?
- No

7. Other or expanded principles
- Ranked choice is useless unless and until it is extended to state general elections by constitutional amendment. If that does not occur within a reasonable time, I would support repeal. The use in the primaries helped reassure voters clerks, and the Secretary of State that it is a very workable system.

Crime & Public Safety

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

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

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. Should the legal age for purchasing tobacco products be twenty-one years of age?
- Yes

6. Other or expanded principles
- By Referendum, recreational marijuana is now legal in Maine. I voted for the bill that rationalized the regulatory process under that law. However, I do not support recreational legalization but so long as it is the people's will, I will not move to repeal it.

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?
- No Answer

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 Maine?
- No

7. Other or expanded principles
- Since we must balance our budgets, lowering taxes to stimulate the economy is not the same option it is for the federal government, which makes sense in a recession.I am not aware of gaps in our unemployment benefits, since it is not in my committees and has not come up on the floor, so I have no position on that.We enacted, by referendum, graduated raises in the minimum wage which is indexed for future needs. Ithink this is sufficient.

Education

1. Do you support adopting federal education standards in Maine?
- No

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

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

4. Other or expanded principles
- One size fits all does not apply to education. Maine has its unique problems and challenges. Federal standards would add nothing.Eligibility for state funding for charter schools should be strict and case by case. We have some excellent ones. Others are profit-driven and inadequate and should not be funded.

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
- Our governor has opposed all efforts to support solar and wind energy. As a result, we hare far behind our neighboring states in jobs and renewable energy per capita. This is our great loss.Our planet is dying faster than we thought. We must take meaningful action immediately at the state level, since the federal government is stepping back.Maine has an arsenic in wells problem. We have lots of water but there are silent killers that must be tested for and remediated.

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
- Teachers overwhelming do not want to be armed. Safe schools does not mean creating a prison-like atmosphere. That is the wrong message for our students. Instead, we must change the gun culture. All gun owners should be required to be trained in safe use and storage. Maine children too often die because weapons are left unloaded in a place they find. In addition to training,I favor universal background checks for purchases and bans on assault type weapons and high capacity magazines. They are not needed for self--protection or hunting. They are weapons of mass destruction.

Health

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

2. Do you support Medicaid expansion through Maine'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. Other or expanded principles
- I have changed my position on Death by Dignity based on the tales of people suffering unnecessarily. However, the practice must be regulated and monitored to avoid abuse, such as family pressuring ill elders. Children who have not been vaccinated put people at rish who, for medical reasons, cannot be vaccinated. I believe fear of vaccination is based on group think and junk science. Unless I learn otherwise, that is my position.

Social

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

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

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

4. Other or expanded principles
- I also support greater transparency in pay. Most discriminated against women and others have no idea they are being paid less. See Ledbetter case . (RBG dissent)

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.
- Commitment to renewable energy. Payment from carbon tax or other mechanism that puts cost on large carbon emission industries in the State.A mu=ore just tax code. This should be revenue neutral.Greater effort to stabilize medical costs and reduce the cost of health insurance administration, perhaps through asingle payer system.