South Dakota State Legislative Election 2018 Political Courage Test

Abortion & Reproductive

1. Do you generally support pro-choice or pro-life legislation?
- Pro-life

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?
- Yes

4. Other or expanded principles
- I am pro-life, from conception to natural death. This means not just the life of the baby, but the life of the mother. According to the Guttmacher Institute, 60% of abortions are performed on women who don't want to have the procedure, but feel like they have no other choice. The first fight must be to protect, empower, and support women to not feel that they have to make this choice. This support must continue after the baby is born. If we are to be pro-life, we must not be simply pro-birth.

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. Other or expanded principles
- I support reducing benefits for medicaid recipients by empowering people to get off medicaid and to have affordable health care with benefits that they can custom taylor to their needs. Benefits need to be realigned in an effort to reduce the medicaid rolls.

Campaign Finance & Government Reform

1. Do you support any limits on campaign contributions to state candidates?
- No

2. Do you support the regulation of indirect campaign contributions from corporations and unions?
- No

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?
- Yes

5. Do you support South Dakota transitioning to an open primary election system?
- Yes

6. Do you support prohibiting out-of-state contributions to state ballot initiative committees?
- No

7. Other or expanded principles
- I am a supporter of democracy and the right of the people to be heard and for free and fair elections by all registered voters.

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?
- Yes

4. Do you support the enforcement of federal immigration laws by state and local police?
- Yes

5. Other or expanded principles
- No Answer

Economic

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

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

3. Do you support reducing state government regulations on the private sector?
- Yes

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?
- No

6. Do you support an increase of the minimum wage of South Dakota?
- No

7. Do you support legalized state-sponsored sports betting in South Dakota?
- No

8. Other or expanded principles
- No Answer

Education

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

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

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

4. Other or expanded principles
- No Answer

Environment & Energy

1. Do you support state funding for the development of renewable energy (e.g. solar, wind, thermal)?
- No

2. Do you support state government regulations of greenhouse gas emissions?
- No

3. Do you support increasing state funding for clean drinking water initiatives?
- No

4. Other or expanded principles
- I believe the fund for drinking water is adequate, though legislation and oversight is lacking. There are federal tax credits for renewable energy which are adequate inducements.

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?
- No

3. Should teachers be allowed to bring guns into the classroom?
- Yes

4. Should a license be required for gun ownership?
- No

5. Other or expanded principles
- No Answer

Health

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

2. Do you support Medicaid expansion through South Dakota's health care programs?
- No

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?
- No

5. Do you support eliminating religious exemptions for vaccinations?
- No

6. Other or expanded principles
- No Answer

Social

1. Do you support the inclusion of sexual orientation in South Dakota's anti-discrimination laws?
- No

2. Do you support the inclusion of gender identity in South Dakota's anti-discrimination laws?
- No

3. Do you support greater efforts by South Dakota state government in closing the pay gap between men and women?
- No

4. Other or expanded principles
- There are federal and state statutes that ban discrimination based on pre-determined factors. These should be strictly adhered to and violations should be punished. While I agree that there is a pay gap between men and women, state legislation is not the place for this to be corrected.

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 main objective and the reason I entered this race is to expand oversight, transparency, and accountability. Most issues can be fairly and equitably addressed if there are no secrets and honest open discussion can be presented to the public. This includes the rights of Independents to vote in the primary of their choice and the reasonable redrawing of district boundaries. The state budget must also be submitted with adequate time for discussion, debate, and dissent. Holding the largest and most expensive piece of legislation for the final moments of session should not be tolerated.