Ohio State Legislative Election 2016 Political Courage Test

Abortion & Reproductive

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

2. Should abortions be illegal after the first trimester of pregnancy?
- Yes

3. Should abortion be legal when the pregnancy resulted from incest or rape?
- No

4. Should abortion be legal when the life of the woman is endangered?
- No

5. Do you support requiring parental notification before an abortion is performed on a minor?
- Yes

6. Do you support requiring parental consent before an abortion is performed on a minor?
- Yes

7. Do you support the prohibition of public funds for abortion procedures?
- Yes

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

9. Other or expanded principles
- There is no more fundamental purpose of government than to secure our rights, foremost among them being the right to life. Unless life is protected and we work toward a culture that respects all human life, no other liberties or freedoms are truly protected.

Budget, Spending, & Tax

1. Tapping into Ohio's "rainy day" fund
- Yes

2. Decreasing funding for public universities
- Yes

3. Reducing state employee salaries AND/OR pensions
- Yes

4. Instituting mandatory furloughs AND/OR layoffs for state employees
- Yes

5. Reducing benefits for Medicaid recipients
- Yes

6. Other or expanded principles
- Ohio spends too much money, at a pace that threatens family incomes, small businesses, and our overall economic climate. All options must be on the table when it comes to protecting the hard earned dollars of Ohio's citizens.

1. Education (higher)
- Maintain Status

2. Education (K-12)
- Maintain Status

3. Environment
- Greatly Decrease

4. Health care
- Slightly Decrease

5. Law enforcement/corrections
- Maintain Status

6. Transportation/infrastructure
- Maintain Status

7. Welfare
- Greatly Decrease

8. Other or expanded categories
- These are broad categories, but again, we must be willing to look at all avenues to make government more lean, more efficient, and more effective for taxpayers.

1. Alcohol taxes
- Maintain Status

2. Cigarette taxes
- Maintain Status

3. Corporate taxes
- Slightly Decrease

4. Small business taxes
- Slightly Decrease

5. Gas/Oil taxes
- Maintain Status

6. Property taxes
- Maintain Status

7. Sales taxes
- Maintain Status

8. Income taxes (low-income families)
- Eliminate

9. Income taxes (mid-income families)
- Eliminate

10. Income taxes (high-income families)
- Eliminate

11. Do you support applying sales taxes to all online purchases?
- No

12. Other or expanded principles
- Spending drives the equation, not revenue. I support efforts to phase out and eliminate Ohio's income tax. We must focus on generating revenues that are least disruptive to economic activity and family stability.

Campaign Finance & Government Reform

1. Individual
- No

2. Political Action Committee
- No

3. Corporate
- No

4. Political Party
- No

5. Should candidates for state office be encouraged to meet voluntary spending limits?
- No

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

7. Do you support the use of an independent AND/OR bipartisan commission for redistricting?
- No

8. Do you support requiring a government-issued photo identification in order to vote at the polls?
- Yes

1. Other or expanded principles
- Campaign contributions are political speech and it does not serve our Republic well to chill political participation by placing arbitrary financial limits on political participation. The best way to counter political activity we do not support is with political activity we do support.

Crime & Public Safety

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

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?
- No

4. Should a minor accused of a violent crime be prosecuted as an adult?
- Yes

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

6. Do you support delaying the seizure of assets by law enforcement officials until after a conviction?
- Yes

7. g Do you support additional funding for programs intended to reduce drug addiction in Ohio?
- Yes

8. Other or expanded principles
- The opiate epidemic is wrecking Ohio families and communities. We must empower law enforcement and the legal system with the tools they need to keep us safe. We must also work with families, schools, churches, and the recovery, prevention, and treatment communities to ensure that we are equipping hurting individuals to make healthier choices.

Economic

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

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?
- Yes

4. Do you support increased state funding for job-training programs that re-train displaced workers?
- No

5. Do you support expanding access to unemployment benefits?
- No

6. Do you support requiring welfare applicants to pass a drug test in order to receive benefits?
- Yes

7. Do you support providing financial incentives to the private sector for the purpose of job creation?
- No

8. Do you support providing direct financial assistance to homeowners facing foreclosure?
- No

9. Do you support an increase of the minimum wage?
- No

10. Should employers be able to ask about applicants' criminal history before interviewing them?
- Yes

11. Other or expanded principles
- The job of government is to create the conditions and environment favorable to economic growth, not to create jobs or pick winners and losers. I trust families, small business owners, and other job creators to create the kind of growth that Ohio needs.

Education

1. Do you support the national Common Core State Standards initiative?
- No

2. Do you support a merit pay system for teachers?
- Yes

3. Is the tenure process for public school teachers producing effective teachers?
- No

4. Should parents be allowed to use vouchers to send their children to any school?
- Yes

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

6. Do you support the state government providing college students with financial aid?
- Yes

7. Should illegal immigrants who graduate from Ohio high schools be eligible for in-state tuition at public universities?
- No

8. Other or expanded principles
- At the end of the day, the best educational decisions are made by parents. We need to keep decision making in families and communities with minimal interference from state government.

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 funding for the development of traditional domestic energy sources (e.g. coal, natural gas, oil)?
- No

3. Do you support state funding for improvements to Ohio's energy infrastructure?
- No

4. Do you support state funding for open space preservation?
- No

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

6. Do you support increased regulations of the hydraulic fracturing ("fracking") industry?
- No

7. Other or expanded principles
- Ohio has a dynamic energy economy and state government should provide a framework that allows Ohioans access to affordable and reliable sources of energy.

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 citizens be allowed to carry concealed guns?
- Yes

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

5. Other or expanded principles
- The Second Amendment not only gives us the ability to protect our families and property, it ensures that freedom-loving Ohioans will always have a last line of defense against all forms of tyranny.

Health

1. Do you support a universally-accessible, publicly-administered health insurance option?
- No

2. Do you support expanding access to health care through commercial health insurance reform?
- Yes

3. Do you support interstate health insurance compacts?
- Yes

4. Do you support Medicaid expansion under the Affordable Care Act ("Obamacare")?
- No

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

6. Do you support monetary limits on damages that can be collected in malpractice lawsuits?
- Yes

7. Do you support allowing doctors to prescribe marijuana to their patients for medicinal purposes?
- No

8. Other or expanded principles
- Health care decisions should be made between patients and providers within a system that maximizes choice, competition, quality, and affordability.

Social

1. Do you support same-sex marriage?
- No

2. Do you support the inclusion of sexual orientation in Ohio's anti-discrimination laws?
- No

3. Do you support the inclusion of gender identity in Ohio's anti-discrimination laws?
- No

4. 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.
- First, it is critical that state leaders begin the work of restoring the balance of power in America. Namely, we must pull power and authority out of Washington and back into the hands of states, communities, and citizens where they rightfully belong. Second, Ohio must focus on becoming more economically competitive. That means focusing on spending, taxes, regulations, energy, health care, and other factors that effect growth. We must do the hard work of ensuring that our state is the best place to live, work, raise a family, start a business, and live the American Dream.