Indiana 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 would like to see evidence-based sex education in our schools and better access to birth control. In Colorado, which strongly supports family planning initiatives, abortions and teen pregnancies have been cut in half. (https://www.5280.com/2017/09/end-free-birth-control/) With that said, I also believe in supporting women who choose to have children and/or choose to carry an unplanned pregnancy to term. I am a mother, and someone who strongly advocates for children.

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 believe we should reverse the corporate income tax cuts instead of reducing them year after year. I believe we should increase the income tax on those earning more than $250,00/year. We should require those who buy personal planes and yachts to pay sales tax on them and remove the sales tax on diapers -- including adult diapers -- and women's sanitary supplies. We should also increase teachers' salaries across the state to reverse the current teacher shortage.

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 would like for Indiana to institute paper ballots and mail-in voting. Mail-in voting, which is currently in use in several states, increases voter turn-out and actually saves money. It is estimated Indiana could save $6M per election if it were to institute mail-in ballots. New technology exists to help verify signatures on mail-in ballots. Let's be leaders!

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. Do you support legislation to define and establish penalties for hate crimes?
- Yes

6. Other or expanded principles
- I believe in restorative justice. Indiana should revert to a state-run prison system, meaning contracts with private prisons are not renewed when they expire. I would like to see reforms in which incarcerated individuals receive job training, and upon release, the person is transitioned to housing and provided with adequate transportation to a work site. An initiative recently enacted in Indianapolis for released felons who were provided job placement found that transportation was a big barrier to employment. Also, imagine if you had been incarcerated for decades -- you would need to learn so much about current everyday technology.

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 Indiana?
- Yes

7. Other or expanded principles
- I would like to clarify my position on requiring "welfare applicants to pass a drug test." Often times such individuals have dependents, and I do not think dependents should be penalized if someone tests positive for an illegal substance.

Education

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

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

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

4. Do you support increasing funding for the state education budget?
- Yes

5. Other or expanded principles
- We should stop funding, through the Indian School Choice Voucher system, religious-based education. We should also fully fund state-wide, quality pre-K programs. Research indicates that for each dollar spent on pre-K funding there is a long-term savings of $7. This is because those who receive a quality pre-K education are more likely to graduate from high school and less likely to be incarcerated. Education is the great equalizer in our society, and we need to support it. I also favor increased funding to state colleges and universities. Let's offer scholarships for those who go into teaching and other service-sector jobs.

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 should also be researching the impact of climate change on our aquatic systems -- streams, rivers, ponds, and lakes. Indiana has more coal-ash ponds than any other state in the nation, and I would like to see more stringent requirements for containment of these "ponds." We need to stop the practice of clear-cutting in our state forests, not only because of the damage to the local eco-systems, but because the state is selling timber at below market value, undercutting Hoosier tree farmers.

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 support complete back-ground checks for gun purchases. I grew up hunting with my father (for game which we ate), so I have a good idea of the power of even semi-automatic rifles and shotguns. I want to see Indiana ban bump stocks, assault rifles, large magazines, and armor piercing ammunition. None of these are "guaranteed" by the Constitution, and states which have instituted these measures have seen lower murder rates and lower teen gun-suicide rates. I am not against reasonable gun ownership. I also would like to see better anti-bullying programs in schools along with better mental health treatment.

Health

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

2. Do you support Medicaid expansion through Indiana'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?
- Yes

6. Other or expanded principles
- I would like to explain my answer to the religious exemption for vaccinations. I answered the way I did because I believe in the complete separation of church and state. I also believe that as children mature they may not choose to follow the religious practices of their parents, meaning they should not have been denied the safe-guards provided by vaccination. Regarding the question of requiring individuals to purchase health care, I would prefer to see the U.S. institute a single-payer, universal healthcare system, of the type found in every other developed nation in the world.

Social

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

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

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

4. Other or expanded principles
- Indiana should also enact a hate crimes law, one that includes sexual orientation and gender identity. This isn't just a social issue, it's an economic issue. Indiana needs to be able to attract companies that insist that such legislation is on the books.

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.
- I want to see better support for education, including quality pre-K; I want to ensure that working Hoosiers earn a living wage; and, I want to provide all of the necessary programming and resources necessary to reverse the opioid crisis our state is facing. In 2017 there were 107 children who died of abuse and neglect in Indiana. As a CASA volunteer I know that education, income, and drug addiction impact the welfare of children. Having grown up in Indiana, I know we can do better.