Georgia 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
- Organizations such as Planned Parenthood offer services beyond abortions. I do not support defunding such organizations because doing so ensures that women and families will lose access to a plethora of other unrelated healthcare options.

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
- Multinational corporations and the wealthy should pay their fair share.

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
- In response to a & b) As long as we allow the private financing of elections, we will endure elected officials that work exclusively for private interests. In response to c) and d) I do not support any measure that further suppresses voter turnout or that calls into question the right of the US electorate to cast their ballots.

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?
- No

4. Do you support the enforcement of federal immigration laws by state and local police?
- No

5. Other or expanded principles
- In response to b) I wholeheartedly the legalization of cannabis in the state of Georgia. In response to d) Police departments carrying out the duties of ICE are essentially acting as strong arms for the private-prison-industrial complex: GEO Group or CoreCivic. There are serious ethical and moral problems with the 287 (g) program. It may look good on paper, but in practice, it's unbecoming of this great state and this great nation.

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 Georgia?
- Yes

7. Other or expanded principles
- In response to a) I believe the problems that policymakers ignore demand immediate action. This action demands a robust workforce. In response to c) Regulations are often consumer protections. Dialing back protections precipitates consumer abuse. In response to f) Had wages grown at the same rate as fat cat bonus pay, the federal minimum wage would be $22.50/hour. My proposal is simple: raise Georgia?s minimum wage to half that amount ? $11.25/ hour. This rate is more than fair and workers shouldn?t settle for a penny less.

Education

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

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

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

4. Other or expanded principles
- In response to d) High school students can't help where they came from. Let them live their lives. They are here by no choice of their own. They too should be allowed to meaningfully integrate into the workforce by receiving a stellar education.

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
- In response to a) & b) Yes. I vow to introduce and promote legislation that provides safe and sustainable alternative clean-energy solutions so that we can protect our air, water, and land while simultaneously reaching greater economic heights. In response to c) Without the planet that sustains our species, all other political issues become irrelevant. Protecting our environment ? including our water ? is non-negotiable.

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
- In response to a) The second amendment is our right, but it is also our responsibility. It should be treated as such. We need common sense gun laws ? not laws that prop up a 501(c)(4) that bribed its way to complete legislative control over gun laws. In response to b) I ? along with 90% of Americans ? support universal background checks; the operative word being "universal." In response to d) My approach to reforming gun laws includes a tiered licensing system for all gun owners.

Health

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

2. Do you support Medicaid expansion through Georgia'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. Do you support increasing funding for state medical facilities and hospitals in rural areas?
- Yes

7. Other or expanded principles
- In response to b) & f) It's time to stop pushing $33.7 billion ? that could massively improve Georgia's health care system ? off the table like children. Accepting these funds will extend coverage to 473,000 low-income Georgians. It will also prevent more hospitals in rural communities from closing their doors. Expanding the program would even create 56,000 new jobs. All this and Georgia is only liable for 10% of the cost.

Social

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

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

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

4. Should faith-based organizations be permitted to deny services based on religious beliefs?
- Yes

5. Do you support the removal of Confederate monuments from public spaces?
- Yes

6. Other or expanded principles
- In response to e) I do NOT support the destruction of Confederate monuments. I, however, do not think they are inappropriate for public grounds and should be professionally relocated. For example, I believe that the Confederate statues and monuments in my hometown of Calhoun, Georgia should be moved to the Confederate cemetery.

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.
- Halting the corrosive influence of money in politics is the issue to fix the issues. Money in politics has compromised representative democracy, and thus destabilized our Republic. Between 2010 and 2015, the 200 most politically active American corporations spent $5.8 billion influencing our government with lobbying and campaign donations. What they got in return was $4.4 trillion in taxpayer support ? or 750 times their investment. If we wish to restore sanity to the policies we must adhere to, we must first take legislative outcomes off of the corporate auction block.