Missouri 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
- Currently, states don't hold the ability to ban abortion since it is established by federal policy. I believe the best way to prevent abortions would be to work to prevent unplanned pregnancies from happening. This could be done at the state level by making sure that people who need them have access to contraceptives and by offering practical sexual education in schools. As a teacher, I have seen that many students leave school believing myths or having little idea about preventing pregnancy. I wish we could count on all parents to teach these things, but it is obvious we cannot.

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
- I support Missouri's required balanced budget, but layoffs and cuts to benefits will hurt people and the economy in the long run. Any income tax increase I would support would need to be an increase on the wealthy citizens instead of the working or middle class citizens.

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
- I believe that no limits and lack of regulation on campaign contributions create scenarios where politicians feel they must adhere more to wealthy donors and interest groups than to their constituents. Gerrymandering is another way to deny true democracy from the people, so an independent commission for redistricting is a must. Finally, the government should encourage voting in every way. While it may seem small, a photo ID may not be in the grasp of all people. There are many that do not live close to a DMV and this creates an extra burden to casting a ballot.

Crime & Public Safety

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

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

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 Answer

5. Other or expanded principles
- I believe that the goal of government should be to keep the population safe, and arresting a criminal has already made the population safe. Also, the government should not be in the business of killing people. I support the legalization of medical marijuana and I (personally) support recreational use too, but I know that not all people are ready to legalize recreational marijuana. I will adhere to the will of my constituents. I believe that state and local police should be able to enforce federal laws, but that immigrants who are not a threat to society should be left alone.

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 Answer

3. Do you support reducing state government regulations on the private sector?
- No Answer

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 Missouri?
- Yes

7. Do you support increasing state taxes on tobacco products?
- No

8. Do you support increasing funding for the Missouri Department of Agriculture?
- Yes

9. Do you support implementing tolling stations on Interstate 70 to increase transportation funding?
- No Answer

10. Other or expanded principles
- Promoting economic growth is important. I would support lowering state taxes as long as essential programs like education are still fully funded. In the past, states who have implemented drug testing for welfare actually spent more money administering tests than they saved by disqualifying welfare recipients. Currently about 1/4 of Missouri jobs are low wage and qualify for welfare. Nobody should work full time and still need government assistance. I believe that tobacco taxes are going to disproportionately target the working class. I would be open to looking at the statistics and arguments for tolls on I-70.

Education

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

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

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

4. Do you support increasing funding for the state education budget?
- Yes

5. Other or expanded principles
- As long as the immigrant families have paid their taxes and are in good community standing, them going to school has the potential to benefit the rest of the state. I believe that we need to reduce the stranglehold that standardized testing has on classrooms. We must put more emphasis on mental health in schools so that counselors can help struggling students as opposed to focusing on other areas like scheduling. I would like to see the expansion of quality programs like the A+ Scholarship program, Upward Bound, English Language Learners programs, mental health in schools, etc.

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
- All of these are things that will help keep citizens safe, so they are worthy causes for the government to undertake. Also, a switch to renewable energy will reduce pollution while also creating jobs and lowering energy costs for citizens.

Gun

1. Do you generally support gun-control legislation?
- No Answer

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 support the 2nd Amendment as I have taught it in my classroom for the last 7 years. I support an individual's right to bear arms. I would encourage people to practice safe and responsible gun ownership to be sure that accidental injuries do not occur. If people who purchase weapons from stores must pass background checks, I believe all gun purchasers should have to do the same. I believe that increasing resources for Student Resource Officers are a better option to keep schools safe. Nonuniform personal carrying firearms creates a large potential of mistaken identity and accidental shooting.

Health

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

2. Do you support Medicaid expansion through Missouri'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
- There is research to show that expanding the funding for treatment facilities overall gives the state a net savings on combating drug abuse. Currently, Missourians are paying federal taxes for the expansion of Medicaid across the country. However, since Missouri has not opted into the Medicaid expansion, our state is not seeing any benefit for those taxes we are already paying. One of America's central ideals is Liberty which means that you can do as you wish as long as it does not harm the well being or liberty of others. Choosing to die through euthanasia does not harm others.

Social

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

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

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

4. Do you support the removal of Confederate monuments from public spaces?
- No Answer

5. Other or expanded principles
- One of the central ideals that the U.S. has constantly struggled toward is equality. There is no reason that anyone should not be protected from discrimination. No matter the way that they choose to define themselves. There is also no reason that a wage gap should exist. I believe equal pay for equal work should be a belief of all Americans. Confederate monuments in public areas is a more complex question because I understand the arguments on both sides. I believe that the best compromise may be to move the monuments to a designated area for local Civil War history.

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.
- Currently, high stakes standardized testing drains large amounts of time, money, and energy from the state and schools. However, as a teacher, I do not believe that these actually do much to benefit the actual learning in the classroom and often end up actually hindering the classroom. By eliminating or possibly reducing the emphasis that Missouri places on standardized testing, we can free up large amounts of time, money, and creativity to improve student learning. I would propose that Missouri use that saved money to better mental health in schools, scholarship programs, ESL, programs like Upward Bound, etc.