Montana State Legislative Election 2016 Political Courage Test

Abortion & Reproductive

1. Do you generally support pro-choice or pro-life legislation?
- Pro-choice

2. Should abortions be illegal after the first trimester of pregnancy?
- No

3. Should abortion be legal when the pregnancy resulted from incest or rape?
- Yes

4. Should abortion be legal when the life of the woman is endangered?
- Yes

5. Do you support requiring parental notification before an abortion is performed on a minor?
- Yes

6. Do you support requiring parental consent before an abortion is performed on a minor?
- No

7. Do you support the prohibition of public funds for abortion procedures?
- No Answer

8. Do you support the prohibition of public funds for organizations that perform abortions?
- No Answer

9. Other or expanded principles
- The issue of abortion is emotional and contentious. I believe we need to work to decrease the number of abortions through education, parental involvement, and the accessibility of resources for women. I do not support additional restrictions on abortion in Montana like mandatory ultra-sounds or extended waiting periods. The Legislature should continue to approve federal money to family planning clinics, including Planned Parenthood. Let's work together toward decreasing abortion numbers through proactive and preventative tactics rather than by restricting a woman's right to make her own health care decisions.

Spending & Tax

1. Education (higher)
- Slightly Increase

2. Education (K-12)
- Slightly Increase

3. Environment
- Maintain Status

4. Health care
- Slightly Increase

5. Law enforcement/corrections
- Slightly Increase

6. Transportation/infrastructure
- Greatly Increase

7. Welfare
- Maintain Status

8. Other or expanded categories
- In the area of health care, I believe increased funding is particularly critical in the mental health and suicide prevention arenas.

1. Alcohol taxes
- Slightly Increase

2. Cigarette taxes
- Slightly Increase

3. Corporate taxes
- Maintain Status

4. Small business taxes
- Slightly Decrease

5. Gas/Oil taxes
- Maintain Status

6. Property taxes
- Slightly Decrease

7. Income taxes (low-income families)
- Slightly Decrease

8. Income taxes (mid-income families)
- Maintain Status

9. Income taxes (high-income families)
- Maintain Status

10. Other or expanded principles
- No Answer

Campaign Finance & Government Reform

1. Individual
- Yes

2. Political Action Committee
- Yes

3. Corporate
- Yes

4. Political Party
- Yes

5. Should candidates for state office be encouraged to meet voluntary spending limits?
- Yes

6. Do you support requiring full and timely disclosure of campaign finance information?
- Yes

7. Do you support the use of an independent AND/OR bipartisan commission for redistricting?
- Yes

8. Do you support requiring a government-issued photo identification in order to vote at the polls?
- No

9. Other or expanded principles
- No Answer

Crime & Public Safety

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

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

3. Do you support legalizing the possession of small amounts of marijuana?
- Yes

4. Should a minor accused of a violent crime be prosecuted as an adult?
- Yes

5. Do you support the enforcement of federal immigration laws by state and local police?
- Yes

6. Do you support delaying the seizure of assets by law enforcement officials until after a conviction?
- Yes

7. Other or expanded principles
- No Answer

Economic

1. Do you support government spending as a means of promoting economic growth?
- Yes

2. Do you support lowering taxes as a means of promoting economic growth?
- Yes

3. Do you support reducing government regulations on the private sector?
- Yes

4. Do you support increased state funding for job-training programs that re-train displaced workers?
- Yes

5. Do you support expanding access to unemployment benefits?
- No

6. Do you support requiring welfare applicants to pass a drug test in order to receive benefits?
- No

7. Do you support providing financial incentives to the private sector for the purpose of job creation?
- Yes

8. Do you support providing direct financial assistance to homeowners facing foreclosure?
- No

9. Do you support an increase of the minimum wage?
- Yes

10. Should employers be able to ask about applicants' criminal history before interviewing them?
- Yes

11. Do you support transferring the control over some federal land to the Montanan state government?
- No

12. Other or expanded principles
- No Answer

Education

1. Do you support the national Common Core State Standards initiative?
- No Answer

2. Do you support a merit pay system for teachers?
- No

3. Is the tenure process for public school teachers producing effective teachers?
- Yes

4. Should parents be allowed to use vouchers to send their children to any school?
- No

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

6. Do you support the state government providing college students with financial aid?
- Yes

7. Should illegal immigrants who graduate from Montana high schools be eligible for in-state tuition at public universities?
- Yes

8. Other or expanded principles
- I support the Common Core standards being implemented in math and English. Montana's Common Core Standards are more stringent and less ambiguous than previous standards. I like that Montana's Common Core is not a federal mandate. Local school boards must achieve these state standards, but still have oversight over instructional materials, curriculum, and offered courses. Of course it is not perfect. One of the problems right now is the amount of classroom time taken for all the required tests, especially in elementary schools. Data is important, but so is the time teachers have with their students to teach.

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 funding for the development of traditional domestic energy sources (e.g. coal, natural gas, oil)?
- Yes

3. Do you support state funding for improvements to Montana's energy infrastructure?
- Yes

4. Do you support state funding for open space preservation?
- Yes

5. Do you support government regulations of greenhouse gas emissions?
- No Answer

6. Do you support increased regulations of the hydraulic fracturing ("fracking") industry?
- Yes

7. Other or expanded principles
- As a state, we can and should work to decrease our greenhouse gas emissions. That being said, we do not need a one size fits all approach coming from the Federal Government to accomplish this. Montana needs to be in the driver's seat when it comes to its own energy future.

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 citizens be allowed to carry concealed guns?
- No Answer

4. Should a license be required for gun possession?
- No

5. Other or expanded principles
- Citizens should be allowed to carry concealed guns with a concealed carry permit.

Health

1. Do you support a universally-accessible, publicly-administered health insurance option?
- Yes

2. Do you support expanding access to health care through commercial health insurance reform?
- Yes

3. Do you support interstate health insurance compacts?
- Yes

4. Do you support Medicaid expansion under the Affordable Care Act ("Obamacare")?
- Yes

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

6. Do you support monetary limits on damages that can be collected in malpractice lawsuits?
- No

7. Do you support allowing doctors to prescribe marijuana to their patients for medicinal purposes?
- Yes

8. Other or expanded principles
- No Answer

Social

1. Do you support same-sex marriage?
- Yes

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

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

4. Other or expanded principles
- I believe that as American Citizens, we have the right to be treated equally and not discriminated against based on sex, race, religious creed, or sexual orientation.

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 district has been hit particularly hard in the last year with the loss of timber jobs. As a legislator, I want to create an economic environment that will protect our remaining timber jobs while attracting other potential manufacturing employers. We need living wage jobs to support communities. As a state, we rank toward the bottom when it comes to mental health. Montana also has the highest suicide rates in the nation. These issues need to be addressed head on during the next legislative session.