Montana 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
- Having a baby is one of the most personal events in a woman's life. Starting or growing a family brings with it huge responsibility and comes at both a financial and personal cost to a woman. My position is based on two strongly held beliefs: 1. It is a personal issue and decisions should be confined to the woman, her doctor, her spiritual counselor, and her partner. Having the government interfere is an invasion of privacy. 2. If a woman is not in control of her own body, she will never be free or an equal member of our society.

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. Eliminating block grants to public school districts?
- No

6. Decreasing funding to the Montana Department of Health and Human Services?
- No

7. Other or expanded principles
- Cost savings can be found when you have a thoughtful analytical approach to meeting an objective. Medicare and programs provided by the DHHS deliver life saving assistance. If the goal is to simply reduce cost, then how to achieve that depends on the consequences of the reductions. You just can't answer a complicated question with a Yes or No answer. In general I would not balance the budget on the backs of the most vulnerable, but there may be some programs that could be reduced without devastating consequences, but you don't know that unless you can have an honest discussion.

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
- I support any and all programs that make it easier for voters and citizens to exercise their rights to vote and be involved citizens. The cost of elections has become obscene and definitely influence voters. Organizations and candidates with the most money often win regardless of whether they are good candidates. I absolutely support redrawing boundaries for the purpose of fair representation of our populace, not for the benefit of one party over another. We have the brains and technology to do it. We just don't have the political will.

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. Other or expanded principles
- a) I don't support capital punishment mostly because I have seen too many cases where someone was accused of the crime who ended up being found non-guilty with new DNA testing.b) I don't think marijuana should be legalized for recreational use until the Federal law changes and we put in place regulations that would govern it's sale and taxation. Eventually I think it should be legalized and taxed. d) I don't think our local police officers should be saddled with the job of enforcing our Federal immigration laws.

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

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 Montana?
- Yes

7. Other or expanded principles
- It has been shown that cutting taxes is only a short term economic stimulus. Long term tax cuts just lower the revenues to the state and lower the state's ability to deliver needed services. It's also well known that government spending can stimulate the economy. It a balancing act. Some government regulations could be streamlined, but it depends on the details. In general regulations come out of the failure of our economic system to self regulate when it comes to protecting the health and safety of consumers and citizens. If a person works, they should be paid a living wage.

Education

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

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

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

4. Other or expanded principles
- Public education is the cornerstone of our democracy. If someone wants to teach their child religious studies or some other curriculum not taught in the public schools, it can be done at home. It is a parent's responsibility to round out their children's education. Public education brings everyone together from all walks of life and teaches children to learn and get along with people who are not like them. That is critical to the future of a diverse nation.

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 government has a role to play to provide incentives and a leg up to industries and programs that benefit us all that need help getting started and that are not inherently profitable at the start. Montana's Constitution says we have a right to a clean and healthful environment and if private industry can't do it, then the government needs to step in.

Gun

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

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
- Guns are a huge part of our culture in Montana and the right to own a gun unfettered of regulation is a deeply held right by most Montanans and is protected by the 2nd amendment. We have too many other big issues and challenges in the State to use up our collective legislative energy to fight for gun sense in this country. Until we can have an intelligent conversation about it, I say leave it alone.

Health

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

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

6. Do you support increasing state funding for tracking and reporting opioid usage and overdoses?
- Yes

7. Other or expanded principles
- Having access to health care shouldn't be based on a person's ability to pay. The whole system is a mess. We confuse health insurance with health care. It is not one and the same. Yes there are services that could and should be provided using a for profit model, but a for profit model shouldn't be a barrier to providing the health care people need. However, I do believe that individuals need to do their part too and live a healthy life and not pass on the consequences of the cost of bad decisions on to tax payers.

Social

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

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

3. Do you support greater efforts by Montana 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 Answer

5. Other or expanded principles
- I just wish we didn't have to have any laws about this. If people would mind their own business and be tolerant of other people's differences, then we wouldn't have to have laws to protect them.

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.
- Create new jobs by attracting industries that benefit from the quality of the environment in Montana. Expanded Broadband internet access to support in home businesses. Require the State to work support Counties to develop integrated public/private land fire and fuels plans with their neighboring National Forests to reduced risk of wildfires. Infrastructure Funding with priority to go to Schools, Sewer and Water improvements paid through state and local bonding. We need to modernize our tax code and capture revenue from sources currently not being adequately or fairly taxed. Fully use tax incentives and tax credits were applicable and appropriate.