Virginia State Legislative Election 2019 Political Courage Test

Education

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

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

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

4. Other or expanded principles
- By third grade, I had lived in three states and attended three different school divisions. More importantly, I couldn't read. Every state and school division had adopted their own standards, which left a military dependent, like me, confused and falling behind. For the sake of our military families, I support national level standards. Public dollars must be spent on the public education system. If we spent less time breaking our public schools and more money investing in them, we would not need to consider alternatives.

Legislative Priorities

1. In the following area, please explain in a total of 100 words or less, any additional priorities of your campaign that have not been covered in these questions.
- Student loan repayment programs for all Virginia - and any locality within Virginia - employees. The state budget has programs carved out in various parts of the budget. Some of these programs are even provided to private companies to provide scholarships or offer loan repayments. If the General Assembly combined these programs into one, the money could be used to create a loan repayment program for those serving our communities. Furthermore, I believe Virginia needs to be more proactive in protecting Virginians from the federal government's predatory student loan programs.

2. In the following area, please explain in a total of 100 words or less, your top legislative priority and how you plan to fund it.
- Restoring over $1Billion to public education is my number one priority. Public schools are the largest employers in almost every locality. Funding more positions and increasing state salaries will positively impact local economies. To fund this initiative, I propose the General Assembly evaluates priorities and re-appropriates money already contained within the budget. Personally, I want to remove earmarks to special interest groups and remove mandates for public dollars to fund private schools. Finally, I would look to re-appropriate economic development money toward local school divisions. Education must come first!

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
- Additionally, I believe in wait periods between when someone purchases a firearm and when that firearm goes home. I believe that family and friends should be able to petition the courts to have fire arms removed from a home. I do not believe out of state residents should be allowed to purchase a firearm in Virginia. I believe that the government should explore prohibiting the purchase of firearms with cash, money order or pre-paid debit accounts.

Health

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

2. Do you support Medicaid expansion through Virginia'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. Other or expanded principles
- I want to see medicaid become a single payer system in Virginia. I want to remove the work requirement. I want to see more mental health beds and addiction treatment centers specifically for pregnant women and/or new moms. I want to see treatment facilities take a active role in supporting our LGBTQ community.

Social

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

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

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

4. Other or expanded principles
- YES! YES! YES!

Environment & Energy

1. Do you support state funding for the development of renewable energy (e.g. solar, wind, thermal)?
- Yes

2. Do you support 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
- And to pay for their initiatives, Virginia should enact a tax on single use plastic and prohibit the use of styrofoam.

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
- In December 2011, I was that woman talking to my doctor about my "options." I was 26 years old, in the middle of graduate school and my son's father (and high school sweetheart) decided he wasn't ready to be a father. Thanks to politics, my doctor sent me to receive a transvaginal ultrasound, which my insurance company did not cover. In fact, thanks to VA laws, my insurance company did not cover any of my pregnancy or delivery. My healthcare decisions should be a conversation between and my doctor. Politics have no place in my uterus.

Budget, Spending, & Tax

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

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

3. An income tax increase on any tax bracket?
- Yes

4. Other or expanded principles
- I will never support balancing the budget using the checkbooks of our teachers, law enforcement, fire fighters, or any public servant. First, I will look to cut out earmarked set asides for private companies (and non-profits). Then, if necessary, I will seek to raise taxes. At this time, however, I do not believe VA needs to raise taxes - I think we need to prioritize our spending.

Campaign Finance & Government Reform

1. Do you support a limit 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. Do you support automatic voter registration?
- Yes

6. Other or expanded principles
- By today's standards, I have no business running for political office. I am a single mother from an intergenerational military family. My friends grew up in working class families. They have student loan debt and bills to pay. Regardless, I run for office with the donations I receive; I work hard knocking on doors; I listen to people; and I know the issues better than anyone else running. However, it would be nice if I could run in a fairly drawn districts against opponents working off of the same campaign budget.

Crime & Public Safety

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

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

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

4. Do you support the legalization of recreational marijuana?
- Yes

5. Do you support banning the use of cell phones and other handheld communication devices while driving?
- No

6. Other or expanded principles
- No Answer

Economic

1. Do you support state government spending as a means of promoting economic growth?
- Yes

2. Do you support lowering state income taxes as a means of promoting economic growth?
- No

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

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 Virginia?
- Yes

7. Do you support requiring employers to provide paid family leave?
- Yes

8. Other or expanded principles
- Public school divisions are the largest employers in almost every locality throughout Virginia. Increased state spending on public education and public safety will improve local economies. History has shown that lowering taxes does not do anything for the average household. I do support reducing government regulations on the private sector particularly on healthcare providers, which include hospitals, doctors, and other medical professionals - not insurance companies. I would like to see the state government reduce the certificate of public need program.