New Hampshire 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?
- No

3. Do you support the prohibition of public funds for organizations that perform abortions?
- Yes

4. Other or expanded principles
- Abortion permissible only in cases where the life of the mother is directly at risk. Abortions for rape or incest still destroy an innocent life and do not reverse or address the wrongful actions of the perpetrator. The Guttmacher Institute, the research arm of Planned Parenthood, itself has acknowledged that less than 1% of all abortions in the U.S. are the result of rape, incest, or life of the mother, combined. That means 99% of the others are discretionary.

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
- Focus on other possible forms of revenue generation, like adding a Capital Gains component to the NH Interest and Dividends Tax, slightly increasing the rate and lowering the exemption threshold of the Business Profits/Enterprise tax to broaden the contribution base, user and timber fees for State natural resources, regulation of marijuana if ever further decriminalized to provide taxes, fees, and regulations on use, growing, sales and distribution. Infrastructure projects like Portsmouth seaport and power and utility lines can also provide local and state tax revenues.

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?
- Yes

5. Do you support imposing penalties on state legislators who fail to attend legislative sessions?
- No

6. Other or expanded principles
- State House legislators are only paid their mileage and $100 a year! That would be laughable if not so sad! Such an under-valued compensation serves only to limit representation to those who can "afford it" and thereby excludes potentially good people who might otherwise run and serve to represent their communities! Penalties for failed attendance and limits on campaign spending should be commensurate to some reasonable compensation for service, otherwise should not be imposed.

Crime & Public Safety

1. Do you support capital punishment for certain crimes?
- Yes

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?
- Yes

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

5. Other or expanded principles
- I could support the legalization of small amounts of marijuana for medical and personal usage under a regulatory framework to preclude open sourcing of this drug from untested or dangerous sources. Possession of minor amounts like one ounce or less, could help reduce costly law enforcement, prosecution and court time and expense, better utilized for more pressing and serious crimes.

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?
- No

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 New Hampshire?
- Yes

7. Other or expanded principles
- While "e) Requiring welfare applicants to pass a drug test..." may seem like a good and logical idea, it may be unconstitutional and also present administrative problems and costs. But as a prohibition or limiting factor, along with other criteria for the awarding of welfare benefits might be a better way to go.

Education

1. Do you support adopting federal education standards in New Hampshire?
- No

2. Do you support state funding for charter schools?
- Yes

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

4. Other or expanded principles
- Re "c) unlawful immigrants..": Why should we encourage and enable people to come and stay here illegally and then also reward them for continued illegal presence? What does that say to the legal immigrants who follow the rules, and do the work to become citizens? Illegal immigration does not serve our State or Country, is a disservice to the very individuals we so enable, is an incentive for crime and human trafficking, and "Sanctuary Cities" are disgraceful, misguided and counterproductive!

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?
- Yes

4. Other or expanded principles
- Re: a) Prefer to let the market and facilitating legislation be incentive drivers for new energy sources.Re: b) Prefer to follow Federal guidelines instead of the cost and burden of independent standards like California.Re: c) We should protect clean drinking water and work to eliminate and remediate lead, PCB's, PFC's, etc in our water resources.

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?
- Yes

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

5. Other or expanded principles
- Re: b) Believe background checks should be required at gun shows same as for sales from licensed gun dealers. And private sales or "straw sales" should not be permitted "on the sidelines" to skirt this requirement by individuals.Re: c) Only if trained and qualified in safe firearm usage, concealed-carry permitted, and on approval of school administrators.

Health

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

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

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

6. Other or expanded principles
- Re: e) Once you permit one exemption, you open that up to others. I do not favor this approach of exemptions, except perhaps for physician-certified allergic reaction. Better to follow absolute enforcement for only major disease vaccinations and prohibit student attendance within general classroom school population that would endanger others.

Social

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

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

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

4. Other or expanded principles
- Re: a) and b): ALL people are due Respect, Protection, and Fair Opportunity. But changing our safe and established social protocols in private and public facilities for special minorities is disordered, costly, unnecessary, problematic, and dangerous by enabling opportunists and abusers. Let's stay with what has worked for a long time and is common sense!

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.
- 1.) Our State Funding of education dilemma needs to be resolved, the State funding be restored in the annual capacity adjustments, and a formula developed that passes Judicial muster. Lack of funding and resolution is hurting our local education quality and hammering local property owners who have to make up the difference.2.) Continue to develop school safety standards and protocols against shooting, violence and bullying.3.) Strive to improve education effectiveness and expand Technical Training for Trades and technology. Find further means and ways to fund these with earmark programs and legislation like we've done with Lottery, Keno, etc.