Kentucky 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
- The Hyde Amendment has been law for decades, which prohibits the expenditure of public funds for the performance of abortions. This is different from the prohibition of public funds for organizations, such as Planned Parenthood, that do perform abortions but which also perform other critical services, such as family planning. I am comfortable with prohibiting public funds from paying for abortions but I am not comfortable with denying public funds to organizations that perform other vital services, such as the provision of family planning services to low income women, that would pay for such services.

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
- Kentucky has a structural deficit in its tax structure, documented by Bill Fox a decade ago. Once the Republicans took over the Senate in the early 2000's they blocked legislation that would address this deficit. Instead the legislature has had to cut and shift funds to seek balance. Per-pupil spending levels adjusted for inflation are now 16% lower than a decade ago. The latest tax bill gave a huge tax cut to wealthy Kentuckians while increasing taxes on poor Kentuckians. A graduated income tax must be restored, fair taxes on appropriate services imposed, and unnecessary tax expenditures eliminated.

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
- Existing limits on contributions to state candidates are fair. Dark money must be regulated. Citizens United was wrongly decided and must be overturned, if we are to maintain a democracy rooted in the populace. Gerrymandering has become a rampant problem which must be addressed in an objective way, such as an independent commission. The Court and national and state Republican majorities are depriving minorities and the poor from voting through strategies such as eliminating Voting Rights Act protections, imposing ID requirements, and purging voters from the voting lists for not voting. These must be stopped.

Crime & Public Safety

1. Do you support capital punishment for certain crimes?
- No

2. Do you support the legalization of marijuana for medical purposes?
- Yes

3. Do you support the legalization of marijuana for recreational purposes?
- 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 alternatives to incarceration for certain non-violent offenders, such as mandatory counseling or substance abuse treatment?
- Yes

7. Other or expanded principles
- Capital punishment is too uncertain to be effective, and offends our professed values. Medical Marijuana should be legalized quickly, recreational marijuana more slowly. We should learn from other states' experiences. Minors charged with violent crimes are still minors, and should be treated as such. This does not prohibit the imposition of appropriate sentences for guilty verdicts. Immigration law is a federal matter and should be enforced by federal authorities. Re-categorizing non-violent offenses would get many people out of prisons, thereby saving much money while offering them a better route to re-entry into society. Savings should fund counseling and treatment.

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 Kentucky?
- Yes

7. Do you support the legalization of casino gambling in order to fund Kentucky's pension system?
- Yes

8. Other or expanded principles
- Research shows that reduced taxes are not a major factor in business decisions whether to come to or leave a jurisdiction. Workforce, infrastructure, quality of education, culture and quality of life count more. Government needs the tools for appropriate circumstances, but not always - it reduces economic development to a race to the bottom. Reduced taxes exacerbate the diminution of services that ordinary citizens depend on, especially education. Drug tests are useless, as other states' experiences show. The minimum wage of $7.25 is 60% of the poverty level. It must be increased so working Kentuckians can stabilize their families' lives.

Education

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

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

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

4. Other or expanded principles
- While education is largely a state and local matter, there are national norms and principles that deserve uniform treatment around the country. Charter schools siphon off desperately needed state money for public education, and are generally not accountable. I strongly oppose them. Undocumented immigrants are generally not eligible for many programs and services. I am ambivalent about providing them in-state tuition at our public universities. Having made the investment in their elementary and secondary education, it would make sense to maximally support their continued education. Yet there are distinctions. Are they DACA's or other? What benefits Kentucky the most?

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 decreasing compensation for citizens who generate excess energy from personal solar panels ("net-metering")?
- No

5. Other or expanded principles
- We must encourage the development and use of clean, renewable energy sources. As we utilized public funds to support energy enterprises over time, it is appropriate to continue to do so, for those that provide a clean, sustainable lifestyle. Government should regulate for a clean environment that supports health, whether gas emissions or dirty water or air. It is absurd to decrease compensation to citizens who utilize self-generated solar energy. It is simply a gratuitous bone to the fossil fuel energy industries. It incentivizes exactly the wrong thing.

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?
- No

5. Other or expanded principles
- The 2nd Amendment must be adhered to, but as Justice Scalia said in the Heller case, reasonable regulation is appropriate. We must develop and enforce more reasonable gun regulation. Their proliferation and their ever-increasing destructive power threatens our society. There should be universal background checks. Semi-automatic weapons should be banned. Mechanisms (bump stocks) that can convert a weapon into an automatic weapon should be banned. Large volume ammunition clips should be banned. There is no panacea in this arena. But there can be and should be common sense improvements. Licenses would be an intrusive step that is unwarranted.

Health

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

2. Do you support Medicaid expansion through Kentucky's health care programs?
- Yes

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

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?
- Yes

6. Other or expanded principles
- Health care is needed by all, should be available to all, and all should pay for it as they are able. Medicaid is an efficient health care payment program, with roughly 150 variations for specific situations and conditions. The expansion, which provides care for almost half a million Kentuckians, should be left intact without the waiver. Medicaid is an effective work program, providing health care to individuals who must take low-wage jobs without benefits. Those above eligibility should purchase insurance on a sliding scale basis. Vaccinations are in the public interest and should be required without exemption.

Social

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

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

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

4. Other or expanded principles
- Equality means equality. All means all. This is not a mysterious area. When we say in the Pledge, "with liberty and justice for all," we commit ourselves to an equality-based society.

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 three priorities are education, health care and employment. All require money. Education has long been underfunded. We must increase salaries and stabilize defined benefit pensions for teachers and other public employees. We must maintain the Medicaid expansion, which provides care for half a million Kentuckians and significant funds for opioid treatment. We must increase the minimum wage so working Kentuckians can establish stable households. Tax reform is critical. We must re-establish a graduated income tax with a higher bracket for the very wealthy. We must tax services whose recipients can pay. We must eliminate unnecessary abatements and exemptions.