Ohio 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 want solutions that reduce unwanted pregnancies and provide care for women's health and family planning. Women must have responsibility for and sovereignty over our bodies. Access to reproductive health care ensures birth control and education are available to reduce unwanted pregnancies a goal we agree on. The Supreme Court confirmed that safe, legal abortion is a constitutional right. We must stop using it as a wedge issue and implement meaningful programs that provide family planning.

Budget, Spending, & Tax

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

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
- I support closing tax loopholes and reforming tax laws that prevent the wealthy from paying their fair share. I do not support tax cuts for corporations on the backs of working and middle class citizens.

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
- Voter identification is important; however, government issued IDs must be easily obtainable especially for those with limited means or mobility. Restrictive photo identification must not become a means of voter suppression. I support automatic voter registration.

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?
- No

5. Other or expanded principles
- Federal laws need to be enforced by federal law enforcement. I am a no for capital punishment except in the case of terrorism that results in the loss of lives. Capital punishment does not make anyone involved with it better and there are too many past mistakes. I am not in favor of legalization of marijuana but feel that we headed that way and would sign legislation that's fair and reasonable to Ohioans and our court system.

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?
- 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 Ohio?
- Yes

7. Do you support matching the cost-of-living allowances to the Consumer Price Index (CPI) for the Ohio Public Employee Retirement System (OPERS)?
- Yes

8. Other or expanded principles
- The 2005 tax cuts were sold to Ohioans as means to spur the economy and create jobs. Today Ohio sports a measly 2.4% job growth rate which is well behind the national rate of 10%. Trickle-down economics failed.

Education

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

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

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

4. Other or expanded principles
- ECOT, the Online Classroom of Tomorrow stole $600 MILLION state-wide and $10.3 MILLION dollars from Clermont. That money belongs to Loveland, Goshen, CNE, Milford and West Clermont Schools. Even worse, ECOT failed to educate our children. Children enrolled in that scheme are repeating the years of school they missed. Republican elected officials received large campaign donations and looked the other way for years. Schools needs to be for kids not profits.

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
- Just as a diverse investment portfolio can protect people financially, a diverse energy portfolio protects ratepayers. Yet Ohio generates 59% of its electricity from coal, 24% from natural gas, about 13% from nuclear, 2% from renewable sources such as wind, solar, and hydropower, and 1% from oil. Energy efficiency and renewable energy play a key role in creating manufacturing jobs and revitalizing rural Ohio. Utilities need long-term contracts provide energy developers the certainty they need to move forward with projects and this increases new job opportunities.

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
- I grew up in a household with a responsible gun owner, and I believe in gun ownership for protection and hunting. However, each day, 96 people in America are killed with guns including suicide, domestic violence and accidental shootings. Firearms are the second leading cause of death for children and teens behind auto accidents. Cancer is the third. The majority of Ohioans and Americans support common sense firearms policies. We can support the Second Amendment AND work to create public policies that make our communities safer. We need legislators who are strong enough to do so.

Health

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

2. Do you support Medicaid expansion through Ohio'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. Should able-bodied citizens Medicaid recipients meet a work requirement to be eligible for benefits?
- Yes

7. Do you support repealing the state mandated Medicaid expansion?
- No

8. Other or expanded principles
- In Ohio an estimated 95% of current Medicaid recipients are already working. In Clermont County, Medicaid keeps the 20,000 working poor afloat. The work-requirement is a false narrative designed to drive a wedge along political divides.

Social

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

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

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

4. Other or expanded principles
- No Answer

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.
- Return funding to our local townships and municipalities. Our Local Government Fund must be restored to 2010 levels for local roads, communities, and public services. Restore excellence in education. In 2010, Ohio ranked 5th in the nation for education today we rank 22nd. It's time to reverse this trend with better school funding, less testing and innovative career/vocational training. Create good jobs and improve the infrastructure that is essential to our economic growth. Act to stop the opioid crisis. We must invest in prevention, treatment and rehabilitation.