Pennsylvania 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
- Funding for women's reproductive health is vitally important. Family planning, birth control education and preventative care/screenings should be affordable and accessible for all women. Efforts to roll back access to these services are regressive and dangerous to the health and well being of women and families in the Commonwealth. Decisions about reproductive health should be made by women, their families, their doctors and their faith traditions, not politicians.

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
- We must increase revenue in order to properly fund state priorities. We could do this by closing the Delaware Loophole and by establishing a tax on Marcellus Shale drillers who are operating here in Pennsylvania. These measures should be effectively addressed before raising or instituting additional taxes.

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 allowing early voting in Pennsylvania?
- Yes

6. Do you support reducing the size of the Pennsylvania General Assembly?
- Yes

7. Other or expanded principles
- In order to take effective and meaningful action on any of these issues, we must control gerrymandering. If we fail to tackle this key element, while acting on others on this list, all we are really doing is reducing the impact and influence of individual voters. I would consider supporting photo ID if I were entirely confident that everyone would receive a photo ID and that the process would not be used to disenfranchise individuals or groups by depriving them of the right to involvement in our government.

Crime & Public Safety

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

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

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 school safety meetings be made available to the public?
- Yes

6. Other or expanded principles
- The primary focus of state and local police should be public safety, which means that they need good relations with the community, including immigrants, in order to obtain the cooperation and goodwill that's often needed in community policing efforts. There are certainly things that need to be addressed in our immigration system and many of the reforms are controversial and complex. However, we should be careful not to compromise our core American values as we look for solutions.

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?
- 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 Pennsylvania?
- Yes

7. Do you support increasing state funding for road repairs?
- Yes

8. Other or expanded principles
- Pennsylvania is the only Northeastern state maintaining a minimum wage of $7.25/hour. This is not a living wage and must be increased. We should also take steps to address our regressive tax system.

Education

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

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

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

4. Do you support providing virtual charter school alternatives to all K-12 students?
- Yes

5. Other or expanded principles
- A quality public education opens doors and provides opportunity for upward mobility. Pennsylvania must meet its constitutional obligations by fully funding our schools and making necessary changes to the funding formula in order to better serve under-resourced school districts. An educated, skilled workforce is vital to economic development and the long-term success of our local communities and our Commonwealth. Education and economic security are interconnected and must be treated as such.

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
- We must begin generating greater revenue from our natural gas resources. This additional revenue could be used to fund a number of important initiatives and priorities including research and development into alternative fuel sources and adequately funding the PA DEP allowing them to enforce regulations that are already on the books in order to protect our air, land, and water from pollutants and contamination.

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 support universal background checks and a repeal of the Dickey Amendment, which would allow the Centers for Disease Control to research firearms and study the causes and effects of gun violence in our country.

Health

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

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

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

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?
- No

6. Other or expanded principles
- Access to health care is a fundamental human right - not a privilege for those who can best afford it. Many other countries have figured out how to provide a single-payer healthcare system that benefits all citizens, improves outcomes, and costs less money. This should be our goal as well.

Social

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

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

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

4. Other or expanded principles
- I'm an equality voter. I support efforts toward greater inclusivity and equal opportunity for all of our citizens. I support the PA Fairness Act because I believe that everyone deserves freedom from discrimination.

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 priorities are on funding public education, economic security and living wages for working families, affordable healthcare, protecting our environment and promoting clean energy solutions, and working to increase revenue through effective tax policies.