Oregon 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
- I believe that as with other individual rights women should be in charge of their reproductive rights. That being said I strongly advocate for sex education, contraception and other means of birth control with abortion as a last resort. I also would prohibit late term abortion except in dire circumstances. On the issue of government funding, I would say yes unless the life of the mother is at risk or the pregnancy is a product of rape or incest.

Budget, Spending, & Tax

1. Reducing state employee salaries AND/OR pensions?
- Yes

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?
- No

5. Other or expanded principles
- In our State the current retirement program is guaranteeing benefits that are not competitive and that have had a very negative effect on our ability to fund infrastructure and staffing for public safety, education and other critical areas.The formula's need to be re-examined and be fair to not only the beneficiaries, but the taxpayers. Utilizing unpaid sick time, vacation time and other compensation to inflate final average earnings is inappropriate.For future recipients I would like to see us implement defined contribution style plans like the private sector.

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?
- Yes

5. Other or expanded principles
- While I don't feel it necessary to completely eliminate indirect contributions from corporations and unions I believe those contributions should be subject to an appropriate limit that doesn't allow those dollars to negate citizen/taxpayer representation.

Crime & Public Safety

1. Do you support capital punishment for certain crimes?
- Yes

2. Do you support the legalization of marijuana for recreational purposes?
- Yes

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?
- Yes

5. Other or expanded principles
- A "minor" means technically anyone under 18. I am not prepared to advocate applying adult sentences to children/minors under 15. At the same time I think we need to look at crimes case by case. While I woudn't impose life on a 14 year old, I wouldn't release them at 18 either.

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?
- Yes

3. Do you support reducing state 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?
- Yes

6. Do you support an increase of the minimum wage of Oregon ?
- No

7. Should landlords be required to provide relocation assistance to tenants displaced by a terminated lease or rent increase?
- No

8. Other or expanded principles
- If there is a significant economic downturn I would be willing to consider a temporary extension of unemployment benefits to address that particular situation.Given current unemployment and the fact that we have 150,000 unfilled jobs the solution to the wage gap is worker training or retraining and improving high school graduation rates not artificially increasing wages.Most minimum wage jobs are intended to be transitional.

Education

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

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

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

4. Other or expanded principles
- If you are in fact an illegal resident of the United States and are interested in enjoying the benefits of citizenship then you should pursue a path to legal citizenship.

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. Do you support implementing cap-and-trade policies in Oregon that require in-state businesses to pay a carbon emissions tax?
- No

5. Other or expanded principles
- I think that there is an opportunity to create initiatives that both promote sensible environmental protections and encourage compliance. The key is in execution and implementation.We need collaboration and well thought out initiatives that take into account the big picture not just one sided solutions.

Gun

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

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?
- No

5. Other or expanded principles
- Responsible gun ownership and the ability to own firearms is guaranteed by the second amendment. That being said that right is not in my mind unlimited and needs to take into consideration the rights and safety of others.Arming teachers is to me a drastic solution. I would prefer to see enhanced security, better training for teachers and parents on recognizing at risk individuals, additional mental health services, etc.I would like to see firearms/gun safety training required to own a firearm.

Health

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

2. Do you support Medicaid expansion through Oregon '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
- The Opioid situation has become epidemic and needs to be addressed systemically. Providing a base line of health insurance and requiring/engaging individuals in the management of their own health is the key to managing health and health care expenditures long term. Without both education on health and wellness and a mandate people will opt out and society bears the cost.We should not except under the strictest of circumstances violate the tenets of a persons religious beliefs unless they affect the health and safety of others. If you choose not to vaccinate schools should be able to exclude you.

Social

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

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

3. Do you support greater efforts by Oregon state government in closing the pay gap between men and women?
- No

4. Other or expanded principles
- As a human resources professional by training I am fundamentally opposed to non performance based discrimination on any basis. Individuals should be evaluated on the merits of their performance.I have taught leadership and performance management for almost 30 years. The most successful organizations recognize that capable, engaged employees are their greatest asset.We have issues based on history and culture that are best addressed by the market, not governmental mandates.Much of our legal infrastructure is adversarial and outdated.

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.
- My most significant legislative priorities are economic growth and stability, improving our k through 12 educational infrastructure significantly addressing our health care crisis.A strong economic foundation provides security and infrastructure. We have 150,000 unfilled jobs. Our high school graduation rate is unacceptable and k-12 performance isn't much better. We need aggressive investment in CTE/Vocational ED.We are underfunded in public safety at the State, County, and local levels.A thriving economy addresses part of the funding shortfall so does fixing the PERS unfunded liabilities that prevent funding education, public safety and infrastructure.