Arizona State Legislative Election 2014 Political Courage Test

Abortion & Reproductive

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

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?
- No Answer

4. Should abortion be legal when the life of the woman is endangered?
- No Answer

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?
- Yes

7. Do you support the prohibition of public funds for abortion procedures?
- Yes

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

9. Other or expanded principles
- As stated, I am Pro-Life. I am also a realist, Roe vs. Wade is the law. I am sworn to uphold the law, therefore questions "c" and "d" are moot. Additionally there is little a state lawmaker can do to affect the issues addressed in these questions. Regarding questions "g" and "h" we as elected officials hear repeatedly the phrase "get the government our of our womb" and that would, by extension include taxpayer funding of those very personal decisions too.

Budget, Spending, & Tax

1. Education (higher)
- Maintain Status

2. Education (K-12)
- Slightly Increase

3. Environment
- Maintain Status

4. Health care
- Maintain Status

5. Law enforcement/corrections
- Maintain Status

6. Transportation/infrastructure
- Slightly Increase

7. Welfare
- Maintain Status

8. Other or expanded categories
- I represent a very large rural Arizona district. My priorities are therefore a bit different than my more urban colleagues. I have worked to increase funding for forest and watershed health; water augmentation and development; rural roads and highways; and equally as important, increased funding for Arizona's rural community colleges. Eight out of ten times, community college is the critical bridge between high school and a successful career.

1. Alcohol taxes
- Maintain Status

2. Cigarette taxes
- Maintain Status

3. Corporate taxes
- Slightly Decrease

4. Gas/Oil taxes
- Slightly Increase

5. Property taxes
- Maintain Status

6. Sales taxes
- Maintain Status

7. Income taxes (low-income families)
- Maintain Status

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

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

10. Other or expanded principles
- Arizona state revenues are highly dependent on sales taxes. This is due to the inordinately high percentage of lands held by federal agencies that are simply not economically productive as they are in states west of Colorado. Were Arizona to hold a healthy proportion of the lands within it's borders (such as Texas does for example), the state's economic position would be very much enhanced and we would not be dependent on sales and income taxes as we are presently.

1. Tapping into Arizona's "rainy day" fund
- No

2. Increasing tuition rates at public universities
- No

3. Reducing or eliminating public worker collective bargaining
- No Answer

4. Reducing state employee salaries AND/OR pensions
- No Answer

5. Instituting mandatory furloughs AND/OR layoffs for state employees
- No

6. Reducing benefits for Medicaid recipients
- No Answer

7. Other or expanded principles
- Questions "c", "d", and "f" involve highly complex issues and should not be relegated to a simple single word answer. Are there areas within the public sector financing that should be examined for reform? Yes. Does this format lend itself to that discussion? No.

Campaign Finance & Government Reform

1. Individual
- No Answer

2. Political Action Committee
- No Answer

3. Corporate
- No Answer

4. Political Party
- No Answer

5. Should candidates for state office be encouraged to meet voluntary spending limits?
- No

6. Do you support requiring full and timely disclosure of campaign finance information?
- No Answer

7. Do you support the use of an independent AND/OR bipartisan commission for redistricting?
- No

8. Do you support requiring a government-issued photo identification in order to vote at the polls?
- Yes

1. Other or expanded principles
- Categories 1, 2, 3, 4, and "c" are already addressed by the Arizona Revised Statutes. Experience with an Independent Redistricting Commission has shown that such commissions may at their pleasure simply ignore as many of the redistricting criteria as they wish in order to accomplish a political outcome. In Arizona, the current AZIRC does not reflect a representative government and, the commissioners are not accountable to the voters of the state. If I must show ID to cash a check, then I should show an ID to vote. Nearly every nation in the world requires some form of voter ID.

Crime & Public Safety

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

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?
- No Answer

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

5. Should a minor who sends sexually-explicit or nude photos by cell phone face criminal charges?
- Yes

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

7. Other or expanded principles
- Regarding the marijuana question, (c); I would prefer to wait and see the outcomes in those states who have moved forward into this issue. Question (d); There is no "yes" or "no" to question (d) because the circumstances of each crime are very different. Therefore each occurrence should be evaluated on a case by case basis. Regarding question (f); state and local police have for years enforced a myriad of other federal laws, why should immigration be different?

Economic

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

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

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

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

5. Do you support government spending as a means of promoting economic growth?
- No Answer

6. Do you support providing direct financial assistance to homeowners facing foreclosure?
- Yes

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

8. Other or expanded principles
- Question (c); displaced employees already have equal access to unemployment benefits so I'm not sure why this question is being asked. Question (d); As a blanket position, NO. Evaluated on a case by case basis, YES Question (e); Government should be the lubricant, not the fuel, of the economy. Question (f); Arizona has a funded, existing, and well publicized program to provide financial assistance to homeowners facing foreclosure.

Education

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

2. Do you support a merit pay system for teachers?
- Yes

3. Is the tenure process for public school teachers producing effective teachers?
- No

4. Should parents be allowed to use vouchers to send their children to any school?
- Yes

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

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

7. Should illegal immigrants who graduate from Arizona high schools be eligible for in-state tuition at public universities?
- No Answer

8. Other or expanded principles
- Charter schools in Arizona *are* public schools, and as such entitled to state funding just as district schools are. Question (f); a qualified "yes." If the taxpayer is supporting the student, then the taxpayer has the prerogative to determine what course of study or coursework they wish to subsidize. Under these circumstances the state has an interest in the outcome and degree conferred. Question (g); This coin has two sides: a federal issue, immigration and a state issue, tuition. Can one side be addressed while ignoring the other side of the same coin?

Environment & Energy

1. Do you support state funding for the development of alternative energy?
- No

2. Do you support state funding for the development of traditional domestic energy sources (e.g. coal, natural gas, oil)?
- No

3. Do you support state funding for improvements to Arizona's energy infrastructure?
- No

4. Do you support state funding for open space preservation?
- No

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

6. Other or expanded principles
- Questions (a), (b), and (c): Development of energy sources should be left to the private sector. They reap the rewards and therefore should take the risks, the free market should be the determinant of winners and losers, not the state. Question (d); Arizona already maintains both lands for Open Space, as well as State Trust Lands for education and other needful purposes. Question (e); If by "greenhouse gas" you mean CO2, then no I don''t support the question. Emissions however of known pollutants should obviously be regulated. People exhale CO2 and plants thrive on CO2. Earth is Carbon based.

Gun

1. Do you support restrictions on the purchase and possession of guns?
- No

2. Should background checks be required on gun sales between private citizens at gun shows?
- No

3. Should citizens be allowed to carry concealed guns?
- Yes

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

5. Other or expanded principles
- Question (a); Firearms are already regulated with appropriate purchase restrictions in place. Criminals will however continue to ignore these existing regulations as they will ignore any future regulations. Enhanced restrictions will only have a negative impact on lawful citizens. Question (b); historic data shows that such lawful transactions are not a significant source for criminals to obtaining illicit weapons. Question (d); Licenses involve registration, therefore you are suggesting support for a national gun registry. This would devolve a fundamental civil right of self-defense, into a privilege granted only by the state.

Health

1. Do you support a universally-accessible, publicly-administered health insurance option?
- No

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?
- No

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

6. Do you support monetary limits on damages that can be collected in malpractice lawsuits?
- Yes

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

8. Other or expanded principles
- Question (e): States require minimal insurance for private automobiles because the roadways and highways are created and maintained by the government, and the privilege of operating a motor vehicle on government developed and maintained infrastructure is granted by the state. Hence the state issues a license to operate and requires auto insurance. While proof-of-insurance is offered by proponents as a model for a universal health insurance requirement, it is a non-sequitur because there is no state ownership of a property or service involved as it is with roadways and highways.

Social

1. Do you support same-sex marriage?
- No Answer

2. Should same-sex couples be allowed to form civil unions?
- Yes

3. Do you support the inclusion of sexual orientation in Arizona's anti-discrimination laws?
- No

4. Do you support the inclusion of gender identity in Arizona's anti-discrimination laws?
- No

5. Do you support repealing SB 1070?
- No

6. Other or expanded principles
- Question (a); Arizona citizens through the ballot initiative process have already addressed this issue. As a state representative it is not within my ability to overturn a voter approved ballot initiative. Questions (c) and (d); Sexual orientation and gender identity are secondary dimensions of diversity and therefore it is unnecessary to address this through codification in the law. Primary dimensions of diversity are easily available to prejudicial and discriminatory actions and therefore do require legal remedy. Question (e); SB1070 has been properly addressed by the courts and I support their ruling.

Legislative Priorities

In the following area, on an attached page, or via e-mail, 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) Adequate funding for Arizona's rural community colleges.2) Adequate funding for the preservation and restoration of Arizona's public lands3) Adequate funding for water augmentation and the development of a secure water future for Arizona.