Rhode Island 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 think insurance should cover abortions as other maternity care is covered.I am fundamentally opposed to the global gag rule.

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?
- Yes

5. Other or expanded principles
- I believe that both nationally and in RI we've reduced taxes on those with the highest incomes more than we can afford. We should be providing more help for struggling famiies through more earned income tax credits, more help paying for high quality child care, more help with the cost of higher education and more help covering health insurance costs.

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
- No Answer

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 a criminal penalty of up to life in prison for drug dealers in cases of fatal overdoses?
- No

6. Other or expanded principles
- I do not support a penalty of life in prison for an individual who unknowingly sells, provides or shares a fatal overdose. The proverbial king pins and individuals adding fentanyl are a different and obviously much more serious issue. I do not feel we will solve our drug problem locking up more individuals for longer periods of time.

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 Answer

3. Do you support reducing state government regulations on the private sector?
- No Answer

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

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 Rhode Island?
- Yes

7. Do you support offering state tax incentives to attract businesses to Rhode Island?
- Yes

8. Other or expanded principles
- b) I am neither completely opposed to nor in favor of lowering taxes to promote growth. As is so often the case, the devil is in the details. c) By and large regulations have been put in place for good reason. If a regulation is found to be no longer needed it should be eliminated. If a regulation is found to be pointlessly burdensome it should be revised. d) In periods of high unemployment as during and after the Great Recession I think it makes sense to expand access to unemployment benefits.

Education

1. Do you support adopting federal education standards in Rhode Island?
- No Answer

2. Do you support state funding for charter schools?
- Yes

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

4. Other or expanded principles
- a) RI should look at federal standards and determine whether they make sense for RI. Do federal standards present a good bar for which to strive? Are federal dollars contingent on the adoption of the standards?

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
- No Answer

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 believe that only law enforcement and military personnel should legally use or own assault weapons or high capacity magazines. Individuals with concealed carry permits should not be allowed to bring guns onto school grounds.Pehaps we need to write a law allowing individuals with such permits to lock their guns securely to and in their car trunks before entering school property.

Health

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

2. Do you support Medicaid expansion through Rhode Island'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?
- No Answer

5. Do you support eliminating religious exemptions for vaccinations?
- Yes

6. Other or expanded principles
- d) I've sponsored legislation to allow individuals with a prognosis of less than 6 months to live to request a prescription for a lethal dose to be self administered. I see this as help to hasten dying if a patient wishes to hasten death. Because the dose is self administered I do not see this as euthanasia. Because the patient has a prognosis of death within a half a year I do not see this as suicide. I believe this is humane and moral legislation.e) Immunizing everyone protects those who for medical reasons cannot be immunized.

Social

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

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

3. Do you support greater efforts by Rhode Island 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.
- My top priority is to win passage of a law to codify the Roe v. Wade decision in RI law, to ensure women's right to make crucial personal decisions for themselves without government intrusion.I will work to eliminate the RI sales tax on feminine hygiene products. And, for very low income individuals, mostly women, I want to increase the income disregard from 100% of the federal poverty level to 185% seniors to get help paying for Medicare part B. The cost of these two changes totals about $6 million in a budget in excess of $6 billion.