Tennessee 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
- No Answer

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
- First, the budget is balanced, with a surplus. I am convinced there are plenty of inefficiencies in numerous departments that can be corrected to save or generate a significant amount of money. For (d) aove, temporarily closing unfilled positions in areas that are overstaffed should be considered as well.

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?
- No

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

5. Other or expanded principles
- No Answer

Crime & Public Safety

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

2. Do you support the legalization of marijuana for recreational purposes?
- No

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
- (C) under certain circumstances, for older minors, following proper psychiatric evaluation to determine maturity.

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?
- Yes

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?
- Yes

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

7. Other or expanded principles
- (a) though I am not aware of all instances included in this question, there may be certain circumstances where this is justified. (d) I?m not sure what ?expanding access? means, but changing the rules about who is eligible is not likely a sound idea.

Education

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

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

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

4. Other or expanded principles
- (a) I am unfamiliar with what these standards would be, but I would want to consult with teachers as well as & administrators to know their positions on this subject. (b) Out of funding already directed to the school districts.

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
- (b) no more than are currently regulated by TDEC(c) my position will greatly depend on the fine details of these initiatives

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 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
- No Answer

Health

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

2. Do you support Medicaid expansion through Tennessee's health care programs?
- No

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?
- No

6. Other or expanded principles
- No Answer

Social

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

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

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

4. Should Tennessee permit localities to adopt "Sanctuary City" immigration policies?
- No

5. 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. Look for and promote efficiencies in all departments. 2. Reduce or illiminate the tax on groceries & possibly all foods. This would be paid for by revenue generated from the new sales tax on out of state Internet sales. It would be revenue-neutral since food tax reduction would equal Internet sales revenue.3. Continually assess whether state programs are needed or can better be served by the private sector.