Virginia State Legislative Election 2017 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. Should abortion be legal when the life of the woman is endangered?
- Yes

4. Do you support the prohibition of public funds for organizations that perform abortions?
- No

5. 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
- No

5. Other or expanded principles
- There are other ways to balance Virginia's budget other than cutting jobs or benefits. One of the ways to create new jobs and generate new revenue is by expanding Medicaid to the Commonwealth. It has been estimated that the expansion of Medicaid to Virginia will save our state budget by as much as $73 million dollars.

Campaign Finance & Government Reform

1. Individual
- Yes

2. Political Action Committee
- Yes

3. Corporate
- Yes

4. Political Party
- Yes

5. Do you support requiring full and timely disclosure of campaign finance information?
- Yes

6. Do you support the regulation of indirect campaign contributions from corporations and unions?
- Yes

7. Do you support the use of an independent AND/OR bipartisan commission for redistricting?
- Yes

8. Do you support requiring a government-issued photo identification in order to vote at the polls?
- No

1. Other or expanded principles
- Corporate money in politics undermines democracy, and it creates cracks in the foundation of a core democratic belief that our government is to be solely accountable to the people. In a perfect world, candidates for any office would only need to worry about honing their message and seeking out every voter in their jurisdiction. Although fundraising is never going away, there must be meaningful campaign finance reform, coupled with overturning Citizens United. These will be a major steps forward towards returning our democracy to the people and out of the hands of the bundlers and mega donors.

Crime & Public Safety

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

2. Do you support alternatives to incarceration for certain non-violent offenders, such as mandatory counseling or substance abuse treatment?
- Yes

3. Do you support legalizing the possession of small amounts of marijuana?
- 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. Do you support delaying the seizure of assets by law enforcement officials until after a conviction?
- Yes

7. Other or expanded principles
- No Answer

Economic

1. Do you support government spending as a means of promoting economic growth?
- Yes

2. Do you support lowering taxes as a means of promoting economic growth?
- Yes

3. Do you support reducing 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?
- Yes

7. Other or expanded principles
- The state minimum wage is criminally low. For decades, the Republican Party has made it clear about who they stand with and it is not with working Americans. From the Great Depression until the era of Stagflation, the national minimum wage largely kept pace with the rate of inflation. Since this time, inflation, along with worker productivity has rocketed upward, so has the cost of living. Meanwhile, the minimum wage, relative to inflation, has increased at a nominal pace. This is unacceptable. That is why I support a $15 minimum wage.

Education

1. Do you support the national Common Core State Standards initiative?
- Yes

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

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

4. Other or expanded principles
- My position on public education is that it is one of the most critical investments that we can make at the state level. Sadly, the state is not doing enough to fund public education and the burden is falling on the shoulders of the counties to pick up the slack. In Prince William County there are thousands of students in hundreds of trailer class rooms with porta-john outhouses, coupled with the fact our best teachers fleeing in droves to earn higher (and well deserved) pay in other counties is problematic. Improving education will be one of my highest priorities.

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 funding for open space preservation?
- Yes

3. Do you support government regulations of greenhouse gas emissions?
- Yes

4. Other or expanded principles
- Current climate science informs us that our energy policy must change. It is critical that officials at all levels of government provide the leadership required for an orderly, timely transition away from fossil fuels. People in our state are already living with the day to day impacts of climate change and the challenges it is bringing, including decreasing air quality, drought and sea-level rise.

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 citizens be allowed to carry concealed guns?
- Yes

4. Should a license be required for gun possession?
- Yes

5. Other or expanded principles
- No Answer

Health

1. Do you support a universally-accessible, publicly-administered health insurance option?
- Yes

2. Do you support Medicaid expansion under the Affordable Care Act ("Obamacare")?
- Yes

3. Do you support requiring individuals to purchase health care insurance?
- Yes

4. Do you support allowing doctors to prescribe marijuana to their patients for medicinal purposes?
- Yes

5. Other or expanded principles
- I support a single-payer national healthcare program so that everyone can afford healthcare despite his or her income.

Social

1. Do you support same-sex marriage?
- Yes

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

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

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

5. 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.
- If elected, my top priorities include expanding Medicaid, raising the minimum wage to $15 per hour, and supporting pro-equality legislation such as pay equity. Virginia is actually leaving money on the table in regards to Medicaid expansion. Because Virginia has not expanded Medicaid, the state has lost over $10 billion in federal funding. By expanding Medicaid, Virginia will increase revenue, create over 300,000 new jobs and have healthier communities.