New Hampshire State Legislative Election 2016 Political Courage Test

Abortion & Reproductive

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

2. Should abortions be illegal after the first trimester of pregnancy?
- No

3. Should abortion be legal when the pregnancy resulted from incest or rape?
- Yes

4. Should abortion be legal when the life of the woman is endangered?
- Yes

5. Do you support requiring parental notification before an abortion is performed on a minor?
- No

6. Do you support requiring parental consent before an abortion is performed on a minor?
- No

7. Do you support the prohibition of public funds for abortion procedures?
- No

8. Do you support the prohibition of public funds for organizations that perform abortions?
- No

9. Other or expanded principles
- I checked 'No' on questions e and f, because there are situations where parental notification might put the minor's life or welfare in danger, i.e., if the pregnancy was the result of incest or rape by a relative or family friend. In other situations the minor is not in such danger, but to "require" parental notification or consnt allows for no discretion whatever.

Budget, Spending, & Tax

1. Tapping into New Hampshire's "rainy day" fund
- No

2. Decreasing funding for public universities
- No

3. Reducing state employee salaries AND/OR pensions
- No

4. Instituting mandatory furloughs AND/OR layoffs for state employees
- No

5. Reducing benefits for Medicaid recipients
- No

6. Other or expanded principles
- No Answer

1. Education (higher)
- Maintain Status

2. Education (K-12)
- Greatly Increase

3. Environment
- Maintain Status

4. Health care
- Maintain Status

5. Law enforcement/corrections
- Maintain Status

6. Transportation/infrastructure
- Slightly Increase

7. Welfare
- Maintain Status

8. Other or expanded categories
- No Answer

1. Cigarette taxes
- Greatly Increase

2. Corporate taxes
- Slightly Increase

3. Small business taxes
- Maintain Status

4. Gas/Oil taxes
- Slightly Increase

5. Property taxes
- Maintain Status

6. Income taxes (low-income families)
- Maintain Status

7. Income taxes (mid-income families)
- Maintain Status

8. Income taxes (high-income families)
- Maintain Status

9. Other or expanded principles
- Please note that New Hampshire has no income tax at present, so "maintain status" in response to items f, g and h indicates I am opposed to instituting any such taxation at this time. I would not rule out instituting income tax or increasing property tax in the case of a serious need that arises in the future.

Campaign Finance & Government Reform

1. Individual
- Yes

2. Political Action Committee
- Yes

3. Corporate
- No

4. Political Party
- Yes

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?
- Yes

8. Do you support requiring a government-issued photo identification in order to vote at the polls?
- No

9. Other or expanded principles
- No Answer

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?
- Yes

4. Should a minor accused of a violent crime be prosecuted as an adult?
- No

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

6. Do you support delaying the seizure of assets by law enforcement officials until after a conviction?
- No

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

8. Other or expanded principles
- Regarding item f, I would qualify my answer by saying "under certain circumstances." For example, the seizure of firearms from a person who is charged with a crime involving a firearm, or a violent crime, or domestic violence (which frequently occurs when no one else is around to see it). For most other seizures of assets, the question might best be resolved by a judge at the time of arraignment, OR, a prosecutor might request a special hearing in cases where dissipation or removal of assets is likely.

Economic

1. Do you support government spending as a means of promoting economic growth?
- Yes

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?
- No

4. Do you support increased state funding for job-training programs that re-train displaced workers?
- Yes

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?
- No

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?
- Yes

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

11. Other or expanded principles
- No Answer

Education

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

2. Do you support a merit pay system for teachers?
- No

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

4. Should parents be allowed to use vouchers to send their children to any school?
- No

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

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

7. Should illegal immigrants who graduate from New Hampshire high schools be eligible for in-state tuition at public universities?
- Yes

8. Other or expanded principles
- Item c strikes me as a more complicated issue than a yes-or-no answer could address. There are many factors that enter into the question of a teacher's effectiveness. The effectiveness of individual teachers, in the particular circumstances of their employment, should be assessed on a case-by-case basis.

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 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 New Hampshire's energy infrastructure?
- Yes

4. Do you support state funding for open space preservation?
- Yes

5. Do you support government regulations of greenhouse gas emissions?
- Yes

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

7. Other or expanded principles
- No Answer

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 citizens be allowed to carry concealed guns?
- Yes

4. Should a license be required for gun possession?
- Yes

5. Other or expanded principles
- Regarding item c, I qualify my "Yes" answer with the caveat, "under certain circumstances, and with a special permit."

Health

1. Do you support a universally-accessible, publicly-administered health insurance option?
- Yes

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

3. Do you support interstate health insurance compacts?
- No

4. Do you support Medicaid expansion under the Affordable Care Act ("Obamacare")?
- Yes

5. Do you support requiring individuals to purchase health care insurance?
- Yes

6. Do you support monetary limits on damages that can be collected in malpractice lawsuits?
- No

7. Do you support allowing doctors to prescribe marijuana to their patients for medicinal purposes?
- Yes

8. Other or expanded principles
- No Answer

Social

1. Do you support same-sex marriage?
- Yes

2. Do you support the inclusion of sexual orientation in New Hampshire's anti-discrimination laws?
- Yes

3. Do you support the inclusion of gender identity in New Hampshire's anti-discrimination laws?
- Yes

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.
- 1. The state is required to adequately fund public schools. In the past, spending was approved by the legislature for his purpose, but held up when the time came to disburse the funds. Before considering tax breaks for corporations, our schools must be our top priority.2. Our police, first responders, and treatment facilities need adequate resources to deal with drug use and addiction in the state. This is an issue for which I would support increased taxes, perhaps on a temporary basis, in order to bring the problem under control and provide proper care to those affected.