Texas State Legislative Election 2018 Political Courage Test

Abortion & Reproductive

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

2. Should abortion be legal when the pregnancy resulted from incest or rape?
- No Answer

3. Do you support the prohibition of public funds for organizations that perform abortions?
- Yes

4. Other or expanded principles
- I support public policies to prevent unwanted pregnancies and elective abortions by way of authorizing over-the-counter contraception (contraception without a prescription) and alternatives to abortion such as adoption and a robust foster parent program. Elective abortions should be limited to the first trimester and second and third trimester abortion should be prohibited except in cases involving a threat to the health of mother and/or child.

Budget, Spending, & Tax

1. Do you support the creation of a state income tax in Texas?
- No

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. Other or expanded principles
- The Texas Constitution should be amended to establish enumerated taxes and to otherwise prohibit all non-enumerated taxes. I am opposed to the very existence of the Property Tax and I would advocate for its total abolition, or alternatively to control, reduce, and limit it to the greatest extent possible. The State should never spend more than the revenue it generates with taxes and every effort should be made to ensure that government is operated as absolutely honestly and efficiently as possible with resultant savings used to eliminate any public debt and then subsequently used to reduce taxes.

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?
- No

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
- The only true way to eliminate the gerrymander of districts by any Political Party is to eliminate districts and to conduct at-large elections state-wide or via districts that have permanent boundaries such as county lines. For example, if Bexar county has 5 Legislative Seats then the election should be county at-large and the five candidates with the largest votes would be the electoral winners and the remaining candidates would be ranked by their vote totals as alternates in the event of a death, disability, resignation, or removal of an elected official for that electoral cycle class year.

Crime & Public Safety

1. Do you support capital punishment for certain crimes?
- Yes

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?
- Yes

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

5. Other or expanded principles
- I support the death penalty for murder and the conviction of multiple criminal offenses that carry a penalty of life in prison. I support mandatory LIP w/o Parole for Attempted Murder and Mandatory LIP with the Eligibility for Parole for the commission of a crime that involves Assault with a Deadly Weapon or Use of Deadly Force. I support Three Strikes which would authorize LIP for Career Criminals (conviction of three or more felony offenses) and exponentially increasing penalties for the conviction of misdemeanor offenses. I support Rehabilitation Programs for those who will be returned to Society.

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?
- Yes

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?
- Yes

6. Do you support an increase of the minimum wage of Texas?
- No

7. Other or expanded principles
- No Answer

Education

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

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

3. Should immigrants unlawfully present in the United States who graduate from Texas high schools be eligible for in-state tuition at public universities?
- No

4. Do you support increasing funding for the state education budget?
- No

5. Other or expanded principles
- Texas has a legitimate interest in an educated society. Texas does NOT have a legitimate interest in where a child obtains their education. I propose that Texas appropriates an equal amount of education funding per student that follows the student to any public, charter, private, or home-school, regardless of it being secular or religious or any other classification thereof. Any increases in funding should be contingent upon the completion of an audit to ensure that all Fraud, Waste, and Abuse has been eliminated from the requesting governmental entity budget and expenditures. NO AUDIT - NO JUSTIFICATION - NO APPROPRIATION, PERIOD!!!

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
- State funding for the development of renewable energy should be limited to that collateral with a University or College Renewable Energy Program. Everyone wants clean air, water, and food. Equally so, any and all governmental regulations should be contingent upon the furthering of a compelling governmental interest and that the government should be required to limit any restrictions imposed as a result thereof to the least restrictive means to accomplish a compelling governmental interest and to compensate any person who has been harmed or adversely affected as a result of any such regulations thereof.

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 teachers be allowed to bring guns into the classroom?
- Yes

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

5. Other or expanded principles
- I am a Strict Constitutionalist. The Second Amendment is clear and unequivocal insofar as it states that the Right of the People to Keep and Bear Arms shall NOT be infringed. Military Weapons are those that are limited to the possession and use of the military and the military alone. All other weapons are civilian weapons. Any limitation on the ownership, possession, carrying, or defensive use of civilian weapon whatsoever is a violation of the Second Amendment. I am endorsed by the NRA and have a NRA Letter Grade of "A" and that should say it all...

Health

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

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

5. Do you support eliminating religious exemptions for vaccinations?
- No

6. Do you support increasing funding for state medical facilities and hospitals in rural areas?
- Yes

7. Other or expanded principles
- No Answer

Social

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

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

3. Do you support greater efforts by Texas 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. Do you support the removal of Confederate statues from public spaces?
- No

6. Other or expanded principles
- A State Representative should hear the concerns of all the People of whom they represent and then develop public policy that is first and foremost Constitutionally Sound and second and equally important, a public policy that is a fair compromise of competing interests. The transgender issue has two components, Public and Private. Public Buildings should transition to single occupancy toilet and shower facilities which renders the issue a non-issue thereof. Private Property Rights control the Private Component. It is for the Private Property Owner to determine their accommodations and for the community and individuals to accept or reject the same.

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.
- 1. In a Constitutional Republic it is the People who are the Masters of Government and their Elected Representatives are their Servants. It is for the People of whom I will represent if I am elected to the Texas Legislature and it is the People who will determine my Legislative Priorities. 2. I am a Strict Constitutionalist with a Conservative Ideology and Libertarian Philosophy. I have a comprehensive list of policy proposals with detailed explanations listed on my campaign website (www.payne-for-house.com) from which I will advocate for in the absence of a community mandated agenda.