Georgia 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
- No Answer

Budget, Spending, & Tax

1. Reducing state employee salaries AND/OR pensions?
- No Answer

2. Instituting mandatory furloughs AND/OR layoffs for state employees?
- No Answer

3. Reducing benefits for Medicaid recipients?
- No Answer

4. An income tax increase on any tax bracket?
- No Answer

5. Other or expanded principles
- On the whole, I don't support any of the above unless absolutely necessary, and this necessity would depend on the state's economic outlook. We should always govern with an eye toward an economic downturn and save enough each year so that the State can avoid reducing salaries, furloughs, reducing benefits, or raising taxes.

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
- 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 Answer

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

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

5. Other or expanded principles
- As to (b), it would depend on what the legislation looked like. But I completely I support the legalization of medical marijuana. As to (c), it depends on the aggravating and mitigating factors. The law currently has certain requisites that play into whether or not a minor should be prosecuted as an adult.

Economic

1. Do you support state government spending as a means of promoting economic growth?
- No Answer

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?
- Yes

4. Do you support expanding access to unemployment benefits?
- No Answer

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 Georgia?
- Yes

7. Other or expanded principles
- For (a), (b), and (d), these are not subject to easy yes or no responses. Under the right circumstances, I would support all three. But under the wrong circumstances, I would not.

Education

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

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

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

4. Other or expanded principles
- (a) It depends. It would be important to know if the federal standards were tied to the receipt of federal funds. (b) It depends. I support some state funding for Georgia's public charter schools governed by a nonprofit board, but not charter schools run by private companies. (c) It depends. I believe that immigrants who were brought here as infants and have complied with all requirements imposed by federal law to register with the federal government should be eligible for in-state tuition.

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
- 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 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
- 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 Georgia'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?
- No

6. Do you support increasing funding for state medical facilities and hospitals in rural areas?
- Yes

7. Other or expanded principles
- No Answer

Social

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

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

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

4. Should faith-based organizations be permitted to deny services based on religious beliefs?
- No

5. Do you support the removal of Confederate monuments from public spaces?
- Yes

6. Other or expanded principles
- First, I believe that these decisions should be left to local governments. Many, if not most, Confederate monuments were built to push the Lost Cause myth. We need to present these monuments/statues with a more comprehensive and complete narrative, contextualizing the post-Reconstruction era and what happened through an understanding of 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.
- 1. Medicaid Expansion. We have to cover the working poor in this state. Access to adequate and affordable healthcare is not only the right thing to do, but it is the only way to say our rural communities/hospitals and improve maternal mortality rates in this state. 2. Public Education. Universal 3s/Pre-K, access to 529 college savings accounts for all Georgia children, and fully funding public schools will support our teachers/students. 3. Pass commonsense gun safety laws. Requiring universal background checks, banning bump stocks, preventing domestic abusers from owning guns, and repealing campus carry will reduce gun violence and save lives.