Colorado 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
- I believe a woman, her family, and her doctor make these choices based on what is right for them. Strangers have no place in making those decisions for them. While I prefer that public funds do not go to abortions, I don't believe we should hold those organizations hostage.

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?
- No

5. Other or expanded principles
- Colorado's economy is absolutely booming right now, and we have to take advantage of that. However, with our booming economy comes the high cost of living we are seeing. Middle class and low income families should not have to shoulder that burden. We have a 4.63% income tax across the board. If we raised it by 2% on earners over $1M, we would still be one of the lowest states while also bringing in an extra $2B per year.

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
- Frankly, I don't believe candidates should take money from any entity outside of their district unless it is coming strictly from individuals. Gerrymandering has been an issue for Colorado for far too long and must be addressed. Finally, the constitution affords citizens the right to vote. I see no mention of a government issued ID being required in that constitution.

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?
- No

5. Other or expanded principles
- I support capital punishment under strict conditions. We have seen too many innocent people executed, and once it is done there's no going back. However, for people like James Holmes, we should consider an exception. We should also tread lightly when prosecuting minors, but violent crimes must be seriously looked at. Finally, I believe in enforcing immigration laws. However, studies have shown that sanctuary cities at worst pose no threat to society. I believe people should feel comfortable reporting crimes without fear of deportation.

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 Colorado?
- Yes

7. Do you support increasing state funding for improving Colorado's roads and bridges?
- Yes

8. Other or expanded principles
- We have seen that government spending can help jump start the economy. It should not be a primary means, though. Lowering taxes does not promote economic growth, as we have seen with the current tax cuts that took effect this year. The economy has remained the same. Unemployment continues to fall slightly and we should make sure that we are helping the unemployed catch up. I believe municipalities should set minimum wages.

Education

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

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

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

4. Other or expanded principles
- The federal government does not know the needs of Colorado students. Colorado knows the needs of its students. We should set the standards. I work at a charter school, and many of the students are low income, non traditional students. We have a duty to ensure we don't leave them behind. Likewise, we should not punish immigrant children who are putting in the work to be productive members of society.

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. Do you support increased regulations on the hydraulic fracturing ("fracking") industry?
- Yes

5. Other or expanded principles
- Renewable energy is the future of energy. In fact, Colorado has more renewable energy workers than any other energy industry. I want a program in place to help retrain traditional energy workers in renewables. I also prefer to keep energy in the communities that have relied on the industry. We have seen the results that fracking has on our beautiful state. We have seen the disasters it has caused in other states, too. Just look at Kansas and Oklahoma. Coloradans deserve clean drinking water. Our children deserve clean drinking water.

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 diverge here from many of my progressive peers. I believe we have an accessibility problem, not a type of gun problem. Weapons that can cause so much destruction should be sold to those who have gone through the proper training and background check. If you want a gun, own a gun! Let's just make sure you're trained to properly use and store it first. The private seller background check loophole is just silly and I'm not sure how that is still around.

Health

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

2. Do you support Medicaid expansion through Colorado'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
- The opioid situation is a health emergency. There is no way to word it other than calling it what it is. Opioids have been over prescribed and now it's our duty to right the wrong. Let's learn from this, fix it, and move forward. Until healthcare is affordable, I cannot support requiring everyone to purchase it. Finally, I believe vaccinations should be required to attend public school. We cannot risk diseases being passed on to students who took the appropriate steps. However, I am not going to be part of removing anyone's religious freedoms.

Social

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

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

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

4. Other or expanded principles
- People are people. You don't need to agree with someone's life choices in order to treat them like human beings. If you cannot do that, I feel that you have broken anti-discrimination laws. Be good people and you don't have to worry about it.

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 top priority would be to require schools teach students about dating violence. I want students to understand the signs and resources available to them. This is easily implemented in current sex ed classes. I will also continue fighting for better funding for our schools. "Adequate funding" should never be our goal. We should be striving for the great education system in the country. We rank bottom 5 in graduation rates across the board. Let's address these issues with long term solutions.