Colorado State Legislative Election 2012 Political Courage Test

Abortion & Reproductive

1. Do you generally support pro-choice or pro-life legislation?
- Pro-choice

2. Should abortions be illegal after the first trimester of pregnancy?
- No

3. Should abortion be legal when the pregnancy resulted from incest or rape?
- Yes

4. Should abortion be legal when the life of the woman is endangered?
- Yes

5. Do you support requiring parental notification before an abortion is performed on a minor?
- No

6. Do you support requiring parental consent before an abortion is performed on a minor?
- No

7. Do you support the prohibition of public funds for abortion procedures?
- No Answer

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

9. Other or expanded principles
- Reporting to parents of minors requesting abortions needs to be balanced with the safety of that minor if the parent is notified or is an incestous relationship with the child.

Budget, Spending, & Tax

1. Education (higher)
- Greatly Increase

2. Education (K-12)
- Greatly Increase

3. Environment
- Slightly Increase

4. Health care
- Maintain Status

5. Law enforcement/corrections
- Slightly Decrease

6. Transportation/infrastructure
- Slightly Increase

7. Welfare
- Slightly Increase

8. Other or expanded categories
- Eliminate

1. Alcohol taxes
- No Answer

2. Cigarette taxes
- No Answer

3. Corporate taxes
- No Answer

4. Gas/Oil taxes
- No Answer

5. Property taxes
- No Answer

6. Sales taxes
- No Answer

7. Income taxes (low-income families)
- No Answer

8. Income taxes (mid-income families)
- No Answer

9. Income taxes (high-income families)
- No Answer

10. Other or expanded categories
- All Colorado taxes are voted on by the people not the legislature

1. Tapping into Colorado's "rainy day" fund
- No

2. Increasing tuition rates at public universities
- No

3. Reducing or eliminating public worker collective bargaining
- No

4. Reducing state employee salaries AND/OR pensions
- No

5. Instituting mandatory furloughs AND/OR layoffs for state employees
- No

6. Reducing benefits for Medicaid recipients
- No

7. Other or expanded principles
- We need to close corporate tax loopholes in the form of enterprise zone credits when they are mis-used. We also need sensible criminal sentences that reduce recidivism and save tax dollars.

Campaign Finance & Government Reform

1. Individual
- Yes

2. Political Action Committee
- Yes

3. Corporate
- Yes

4. Political Party
- Yes

5. Should candidates for state office be encouraged to meet voluntary spending limits?
- Yes

6. Do you support requiring full and timely disclosure of campaign finance information?
- Yes

7. Do you support the use of an independent AND/OR bipartisan commission for redistricting?
- Yes

8. Do you support requiring a government-issued photo identification in order to vote at the polls?
- No

1. Other or expanded principles
- We need to encourage our federal government to overturn the Citizens United ruling which allows an unaccountable amount of money and donors into the process.

Crime & Public Safety

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

2. Do you support alternatives to incarceration for certain non-violent offenders, such as mandatory counseling or substance abuse treatment?
- Yes

3. Do you support the legalization and regulation of small amounts of marijuana?
- Yes

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

5. Should a minor who sends sexually-explicit or nude photos by cell phone face criminal charges?
- No Answer

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

7. Other or expanded principles
- We should allow judicial review of minors being charged as adults. We should also see what intent a minor has when sending sexually explicit or nude photos before charging them

Economic

1. Do you support reducing government regulations on the private sector?
- Yes

2. Do you support increased state funding for job-training programs that re-train displaced workers?
- Yes

3. Do you support expanding access to unemployment benefits?
- Yes

4. Do you support providing financial incentives to the private sector for the purpose of job creation?
- Yes

5. Do you support increased spending on infrastructure projects for the purpose of job creation?
- Yes

6. Do you support providing direct financial assistance to homeowners facing foreclosure?
- Yes

7. Other or expanded principles
- We need to first have a balanced budget. All expansion of programs or benefits need to be proven effective and eliminated if ineffective.

Education

1. Do you support the national Common Core State Standards initiative?
- No

2. Do you support a merit pay system for teachers?
- No Answer

3. Is the tenure process for public school teachers producing effective teachers?
- No Answer

4. Should parents be allowed to use vouchers to send their children to any school?
- No

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

6. Do you support the state government providing college students with financial aid?
- Yes

7. Should illegal immigrants who graduate from Colorado high schools be eligible for in-state tuition at public universities?
- No

8. Other or expanded principles
- Merit pay should be only one component of pay raises for teachers. Tenure encourages teachers to grow in their position and prevents high turnover. I support a third tuition tier for undocumented children - higher than in-state. Lower than out of state.

Environment & Energy

1. Do you support state funding for the development of alternative energy?
- Yes

2. Do you support state funding for the development of traditional domestic energy sources (e.g. coal, natural gas, oil)?
- Yes

3. Do you support increased regulations on hydraulic fracturing of "fracking"?
- Yes

4. Do you support state funding for improvements to Colorado's energy infrastructure?
- Yes

5. Do you support state funding for open space preservation?
- Yes

6. Do you support enacting environmental regulations aimed at reducing the effects of climate change?
- Yes

7. Other or expanded principles
- We need to allow local communities to decide how they want to implement standards in regards to fracking. Part of developing traditional sources in assuring there are enough inspectors to enforce existing laws protecting our air, water, and land.

Gun

1. Do you support restrictions on the purchase and possession of guns?
- Yes

2. Should background checks be required on gun sales between private citizens at gun shows?
- Yes

3. Should citizens be allowed to carry concealed guns?
- Yes

4. Should a license be required for gun possession?
- Yes

5. Other or expanded principles
- Criminals who have committed violent crimes need to have their licence to carry revoked. Also domestic violence perpetrators should have their gun rights limited.

Health

1. Do you support a universally-accessible, publicly-administered health insurance option?
- Yes

2. Do you support expanding access to health care through commercial health insurance reform?
- Yes

3. Do you support interstate health insurance compacts?
- Yes

4. Do you support requiring individuals to purchase health care insurance?
- No

5. Do you support monetary limits on damages that can be collected in malpractice lawsuits?
- Yes

6. Do you support allowing doctors to prescribe marijuana to their patients for medicinal purposes?
- Yes

7. Other or expanded principles
- Unfortunately a health insurance mandate is the only way to make the current system work. All options should be on the table. Including Colorado's bi-partisan health insurance exchange.

Social

1. Should marriage only be between one man and one woman?
- No

2. Should same-sex couples be allowed to form civil unions?
- Yes

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

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

5. Other or expanded principles
- No Answer

Legislative Priorities

In the following area, on an attached page, or via e-mail, 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 top priorities include job creation, strengthening our schools and universities, protecting our environment and making sure health care is affordable.I will continue working towards middle of the road cooperation between the parties as opposed to blantant partisan ideology. I will do everything I can to make sure ar schools are no longer losing funding. I also pledge to continue my open-door policy for constituents and stake holders that want to share their ideas for a better, more efficient, more responsive government.