Montana 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 all life should be protected. However, I do not believe that it is my place or any other persons place to tell a woman what she may or may not do with her body. The choice is hers to make and the decisions made are hers to live with. I support the right to choose and will not infringe on that right no matter what.

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?
- Yes

5. Eliminating block grants to public school districts?
- No

6. Decreasing funding to the Montana Department of Health and Human Services?
- No

7. Other or expanded principles
- I support raising the income tax according to a progressive scale with the highest income earners paying up to 65% of the annual adjusted gross income. I also believe that we must find new sources of revenue for the state and that one such source is the legalization and taxation of marijuana for recreational purposes.

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
- I believe that voting and the political process in general is far more complicated than it needs to be. With that in mind I believe that all campaigns should be funded through an election fund set up and run by the state and federal elections commission and that all public campaigns be funded not by private funds but through a public clearinghouse. I also believe that advertising should be limited to candidates and not special interests on behalf of the candidates.

Crime & Public Safety

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

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
- I do not believe that Death should be a penalty for a crime committed against another person or society. The premise of sentencing a person to die for their crimes seems antithetical in that there is no punishment after the sentence. In regard to a minor accused of a violent crime I do not believe that they ought to be tried as an adult with the exception of cases where the minor can be proven to be of sound and mature mind at the time the offense was committed.

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 Montana?
- Yes

7. Other or expanded principles
- The economy relies on the principled and constant flow of capital from one source to another. As a piece of the economy and a major source and terminus of revenue I believe that it is incumbent on the state government to see that capital continues to flow. To do that I believe that the state has a responsibility to invest and spend money on projects that will put people to work and drive private industry to support state programs.

Education

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

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

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

4. Other or expanded principles
- I believe that we should continue to follow federal guidelines for education, however, I also believe that the "standards" adopted by the state should reflect a more clear and concise curriculum that provides a widely diverse and rich base of knowledge. I also believe that we should refocus our STEM platform to include the Arts. Science, Technology, Engineering, Arts and Mathematics are all important to secure a robust and progressive society in the global economy.

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
- We must do all we can to protect our environment. I believe that even minor regulations are better than none at all and I don't believe that ignoring renewable energy sources or underfunding them is an acceptable course of action. I believe we have a responsibility to do everything we can to move away from fossil fuel dependence.

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?
- No

5. Other or expanded principles
- The Second Amendment clearly states that the right to bear arms shall not be infringed. I believe that by committing a major crime or domestic violence a person forfeits that right along with many others. Background checks are our way of ensuring that criminals are not allowed to exercise rights they have forfeited, I support all background check legislation. I do not believe that a person should be required to get a "license" to own a firearm but that they prove basic understanding of the proper handling before being allowed to purchase one.

Health

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

2. Do you support Medicaid expansion through Montana's health care programs?
- Yes

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

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?
- Yes

6. Do you support increasing state funding for tracking and reporting opioid usage and overdoses?
- Yes

7. Other or expanded principles
- No Answer

Social

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

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

3. Do you support greater efforts by Montana 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

5. Other or expanded principles
- I believe that each and every person deserves the right to be treated equally. In terms of gender, sexual orientation and identity I believe that every person should have the ability to act, think, feel and be who they are without barriers placed by others who disagree or who are afraid of the differences between one another. Let's not make a crime out of being one way or another where no real crime is or has been committed.

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 top priorities are to ensure that every Montanan has health care and access to a quality education. To fund this my plan is to prioritize the legalization and taxation of Marijuana, to expand our tourism industry and eliminate the roadblocks to new industry. I also believe that we must change the way we do things in government and I will work hard to see that Citizens United is overturned and campaign finance is reformed to work for the people not the corporations.