Texas 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?
- No Answer

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

4. Other or expanded principles
- Sims understands that Doctors are the experts in medical care and that, in consultation with their Doctors, women should direct their own health care choices.

Budget, Spending, & Tax

1. Do you support the creation of a state income tax in Texas?
- No Answer

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. Other or expanded principles
- Texas is a wealthy state and should be able to balance its budget without creating a state income tax. Closing business tax loopholes will generate the needed funds for necessary government programs.

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 Answer

5. Other or expanded principles
- Texas should enact automatic voter registration for all eligible voters. Texas should also move toward a vote-by-mail paper ballot system to make sure every citizen is able to exercise his/her right to vote. This would eliminate the need for cumbersome voter ID checks at the polls, provide voting paper trails, and would provide more opportunities for working Texans to vote during hours convenient for them.

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?
- No Answer

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

5. Other or expanded principles
- Texas sentences many nonviolent offenders. Effective rehabilitation can improve community safety for much less, while creating opportunities for young people to achieve their potential instead of entering ?criminal training? in prison.? A ?therapeutic? approach to corrections has potential to reduce re-incarceration by helping offenders acquire problem-solving and coping skills needed to overcome the conditions that originally put them at risk of criminal conduct. ? End state incarceration for small-amount non-sale marijuana possession.? Expand access to mental health services in prisons.? Reform the bail system that abuses poor offenders. ? End costly for-profit prisons that encourage repeat re-entry.

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?
- No Answer

5. Do you support requiring welfare applicants to pass a drug test in order to receive benefits?
- No Answer

6. Do you support an increase of the minimum wage of Texas?
- Yes

7. Other or expanded principles
- Every Texan who is willing to work should benefit from the state?s economic growth. Texas must invest in training, certification, and apprenticeship/internship programs to allow Texans to fill the demand for increasingly specialized professions. Markets should be fair and transparent. Texas must encourage businesses to leverage their resources locally through Strategic Community Investments, and by supporting the development and transfer of skills--and access to social services--to help field a readier and more adaptable workforce. Texas must also support stronger health, safety and wage regulations that protect workers and deceptive trade practice regulations to protect consumers

Education

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

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

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

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

5. Other or expanded principles
- Texas property taxes are too high and public school funding insufficient. The State of Texas should pay at least 50% of school funding and stop forcing local property tax increases. Sims wants to: end voucher discussions and high stakes testing, restore retired teacher benefits, protect active teacher retirement, increase compensation for teachers and support staff, reduce class size, increase special education teachers, fully invest in Pre-K, restore trade and technical training, and invest in school safety. Sims' plan provides more funding by closing corporate loopholes to recover $5 billion per year from large commercial/industrial interests that currently avoid paying taxes.

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
- Texas energy policies should optimize its powerful fossil fuel economic engine while incentivizing safe renewable energy development. By 2050 Texas? population may double, impacting everything from education, labor, environment, transportation, water, electricity and other infrastructures. UT is researching the effects of population growth on the Texas environment. Understanding what Texas is realistically facing based on integrated data about Texas? future, especially concerning water resources, energy resources and climate change, can be used as a ?toolbox? to help communities make improvements to local population and environmental issues over the coming decades. This will be an important ongoing work for decades.

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
- Sims is a gun owner and believes in preserving the 2nd amendment. He also believes the US needs to engage in a serious debate about what weapons are restricted to which individuals (much like we already do with military-style weapons). He supports comprehensive background checks for any potential gun buyer; licensing and continuous training for gun owners; prohibiting gun ownership and possession by individuals convicted of violent offenses including but not limited to stalking, restraining orders, domestic and family violence; and prohibiting the carry of loaded guns at schools, colleges and university campuses.

Health

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

2. Do you support Medicaid expansion through Texas'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
- Sims wants to: 1) Increase healthcare access, 2) Cover pre-existing conditions, and 3) Halt exploding cost of medical insurance and out of pockets. Specifics include:Get Texans Covered ? Encourage Texans who can afford insurance to buy on the healthcare exchange and provide assistance in signing up.Close the Coverage Gap ? Use federal dollars, estimated at $9 billion per year, to provide coverage for hard-working Texans who are priced out of insurance markets.Use Technology to Improve Outcomes and Lessen Down Patient Financial Bill of Rights ? Insurance for Texans with pre-existing conditions and transparency of billing

Social

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

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

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

4. Should individuals be required to use a bathroom that corresponds with the gender listed on their birth certificate?
- No Answer

5. Do you support the removal of Confederate statues from public spaces?
- No

6. Other or expanded principles
- We have a responsibility to protect the most vulnerable residents of this state. All Texas individuals and families must be treated equally, no matter their background, gender or orientation. Bathrooms that accommodate the needs of everyone must be provided. Historical statues and sites that represent troubling history should be presented with disclaimers that offer the context of the person or event. We cannot wipe away our history by destroying monuments; but can use them to help us understand how to proceed differently in the future.

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.
- Sims knows what it?s like to work hard yet struggle with school loans and health insurance debt. Assisted by small business loans, he wants to ensure available funding for small businesses. Sims? IT troubleshooting problem-solving skillset is perfect for addressing legislative issues in Austin. Jeromey Sims believes every Texan should: 1) Have access to quality public education, training, and work. 2) Be able to get and stay well, with access to reasonably priced medical services and prescription drugs. 3) Be treated with respect and dignity. 4) Know that raising their individual voices matters in their communities.