Kentucky 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
- As a Catholic, I personally would not choose abortion. However, my policy belief is pro-choice. I believe in supporting and protecting freedom of choice. Additionally, we must not limit funding for abortions, comprehensive sex education or support for child care programs.

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
- Legalization of medicinal marijuana as well as legalization of gaming will both provide additional revenue that can be used for the unfunded pensions and to stabilize the pension crisis going forward.

Campaign Finance & Government Reform

1. Do you support any limits on campaign contributions to state candidates?
- No

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
- Public funding of elections would be a better solution. In the election process, public funding could permit ideas, programs, and values to be the most important part of the campaign, rather than fundraising and the temptation for many to fight for the interest of big donors rather than what would truly be the best policy for the people. Additionally, ?Dark money? has no place in a process that should be transparent, accountable to the constituent. Voters should know where every dollar comes from and feel confident that my votes cannot be bought.

Crime & Public Safety

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

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

3. Do you support the legalization of marijuana for recreational purposes?
- No

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

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

6. Do you support alternatives to incarceration for certain non-violent offenders, such as mandatory counseling or substance abuse treatment?
- Yes

7. Other or expanded principles
- I support legalization of medical marijuana immediately for chronic pain sufferers, veterans, the opioid epidemic and economic benefit. We can review the option of recreational marijuana later.I believe we must focus on eliminating drug dealers and helping drug addicts. This requires strengthening and enforcing laws against drug dealers as well as improving rehabilitation programs for those addicted. We must stop the endless cycle of incarceration of substance abusers which results in further criminal activity as well as the negative lasting influence on children raised in those situations.

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?
- 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 Kentucky?
- Yes

7. Do you support the legalization of casino gambling in order to fund Kentucky's pension system?
- Yes

8. Other or expanded principles
- The state encouraging economic growth will in turn benefit the state in increased tax revenue, jobs for our citizens and reduction in unemployment.Regulations are necessary for workplace safety and ensuring quality of work products and increasing faith in commerce.Lastly, our citizens are already frequenting casinos but in border states sending revenue to those state governments. Legalization of gaming will greatly benefit our pension crisis and fund other programs.

Education

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

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

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

4. Other or expanded principles
- Our public education system is critical to the success of our state. Therefore, we must hold our students to a higher standard but also provide resources in order to help them in the form of higher teacher salaries and pension protection, technology in the schools, and other necessary resources that help children thrive (e.g., meals, counselors, etc.).If undocumented immigrants go through the public school system and graduate, we should allow them in-state tuition at public universities to help them continue to develop positively.

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 decreasing compensation for citizens who generate excess energy from personal solar panels ("net-metering")?
- No

5. Other or expanded principles
- Our climate is our responsibility and we must not allow big lobby groups to intimidate those developing renewable energy sources.

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 gun violence prevention including age restrictions, background checks and closing the gun show loopholes.

Health

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

2. Do you support Medicaid expansion through Kentucky'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. Other or expanded principles
- Kentucky is way behind in our treatment of opioid abusers. We must develop comprehensive treatment programs and assist recovering addicts in acclimating back into society in order to minimize relapse.As for vaccinations, if we allow children to not receive vaccinations, we may inadvertently bring back diseases that have nearly been eradicated.

Social

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

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

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

4. Other or expanded principles
- Statewide fairness laws must be passed and enforced. We cannot allow the legislature to nullify local community fairness ordinances either.

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 issues are:1 - Gun Violence Prevention through background checks. Our public education system is critical but protecting our children and teachers from school shootings must be addressed immediately. 2 - Legalization of Medicinal Marijuana for chronic pain patients, veterans, opioid abusers and the economy.3 - Stricter Penalties for Opioid Drug Dealers instead of the users. Improve treatment programs for addicts.