West Virginia 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
- c) Organizations such as Planned Parenthood provide vital health services to help reduce abortions. Prohibiting funds for HIV testing and counseling, contraception, pap smears and mammograms would be detrimental to public health.

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
- d) Possibly looking at upper tax brackets.e) West Virginia needs to look at sales tax on internet purchases.

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 expanding existing medical marijuana laws to include edible and/or respiratory forms of marijuana?
- Yes

3. Do you support the legalization of marijuana for recreational purposes?
- Yes

4. Should a minor accused of a violent crime be prosecuted as an adult?
- No

5. Do you support the enforcement of federal immigration laws by state and local police?
- No

6. Other or expanded principles
- c) I support decriminalization and conditional legalization, looking to lessons learned from states who have legalized recreational marijuana.

Economic

1. Do you support state government spending as a means of promoting economic growth?
- No Answer

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?
- 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 West Virginia?
- Yes

7. Other or expanded principles
- a) b) and c) - Support would be conditional depending on the how specific spending, taxation and regulation would promote economic growth as well as the health, safety and well-being of West Virginia residents.

Education

1. Do you support adopting federal education standards in West Virginia?
- No Answer

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

3. Should immigrants unlawfully present in the United States who graduate from West Virginia 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. Other or expanded principles
- a) I support standards that put West Virginia high school graduates on a level playing field with those from other states and countries, when it comes to entry to higher education and career readiness.c) Children of immigrants (i.e., "Dreamers") who have been raised as West Virginian Americans and wish to contribute to West Virginia's future should have access to equitable educational opportunities. This is not the same as free tuition.

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
- No Answer

Gun

1. Do you generally support gun-control legislation?
- No Answer

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 Answer

5. Other or expanded principles
- a) I support the Second Amendment, and do not consider background checks to violate this freedom. I particularly would look to other states for sensible guidance on restricting gun sales to those with misdemeanor domestic violence convictions or restraining orders.d) I believe a permit should be required for concealed carry, to reduce the rate of gun deaths and better equip our law enforcement officers to fight crime as they did before the law was changed.

Health

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

2. Do you support Medicaid expansion through West Virginia'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?
- No

5. Do you support eliminating religious exemptions for vaccinations?
- Yes

6. Other or expanded principles
- No Answer

Social

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

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

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

4. Other or expanded principles
- No Answer

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.
- My first consideration in any legislative decision will be its potential impact on the health, education, safety and well-being of ALL West Virginia's children.I will persistently advocate for the full array of solutions to effectively treat and prevent opioid addiction, and would support a per-milligram fee on pharmaceutical companies for prescription opioids as one avenue for funding.I will work to eliminate the state tax on Social Security benefits, and would consider progressive revenue measures such as an increase in the corporate net income tax and/or upper bracket adjustments on personal income tax to pay for it.