South Carolina 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

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

4. Other or expanded principles
- Life begins at conception and every life is a miracle to be cherished. Whether it be growing inside a woman?s womb or breathing Earth?s air does not make a difference. A baby?s heartbeat can be measured in a mother?s womb as early as five weeks with skeletal structure and organs forming shortly after. Each life has the potential to change the world for good and we need to supply that opportunity. At the end of the day, the sanctity of life is paramount to world order.

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
- South Carolina passes a balanced budget every year. With the hard work and dedication of the House?s Ways and Means Committee, an initial budget is drafted. When it comes to the House Floor, any Representative wishing to make an amendment to the budget, must keep it balanced. For example, if one wishes to provide a $100,000 more to a state agency, then they need to subtract $100,000 from other entities receiving funding from the budget. The best tool for fixing these problems is to strengthen South Carolina?s economy, thereby increasing state revenue.

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?
- No

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

5. Other or expanded principles
- Running a campaign is challenging work, especially for a contested race. State Representatives and Senators are elected every two and four years respectively. When there are contested races, funding is key and bills add up quickly. As part-time legislators, we all hold jobs that we go back to whenever not in session, limiting our abilities to steadily raise funds. However, contributions from outside sources may benefit from some regulatory framework thus, preventing an election being taken from South Carolina citizens. Committing voter fraud would be far too easy if we did not require government issued identification to vote.

Crime & Public Safety

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

2. Do you support legalizing marijuana for medical purposes?
- No

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?
- Yes

6. Other or expanded principles
- Data and research on marijuana for medical purposes is sparse and in its infancy. If marijuana were legalized for recreational purposes, there would likely be a rise in children being exposed and even consuming/using marijuana. Incidents of driving under the influence would increase dramatically putting everyone at risk. This would place a strain on law enforcement and hospitals in South Carolina. Most minor children accused of violent crime do not possess the cognitive development to be prosecuted as adults, but some instances may warrant it. We must enforce immigration laws and keep our country safe.

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?
- No

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 South Carolina?
- No

7. Do you support increasing state funding for improving South Carolina's roads and bridges?
- Yes

8. Other or expanded principles
- Competition to attract and retain companies with good job opportunities is fierce. We should use every tool in our belt to win this economic advantage. Fewer regulations allow companies to operate more efficiently and create an economy regulated by the free market. Welfare misuse hurts those truly needing help and a simple drug test would shore up a stretched-thin resource. An increase to the minimum wage would close some small businesses, lead to others letting some employees go, and increase prices on everyone. Roads and bridges play a vital role in the health of our economy and need better maintenance.

Education

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

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

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

4. Should all revenue generated from the state lottery go to the education budget?
- No

5. Other or expanded principles
- South Carolina knows the educational standards it should set for students better than the Federal Government. Charter schools are a necessary because not every child can learn in a traditional school setting. Illegal immigrants graduating from South Carolina high schools should not be eligible for in-state tuition at public universities because someone illegally here should not qualify as a resident. Education and Health and Human Services accounts for anywhere between two-thirds and three-fourths of the state budget and putting all lottery money into education would not leave enough for other important programs.

Environment & Energy

1. Do you support state funding for the development of renewable energy (e.g. solar, wind, thermal)?
- No

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

3. Do you support increasing state funding for clean drinking water initiatives?
- Yes

4. Do you support requiring industrial-scale farms to get state permits before drawing water from rivers?
- Yes

5. Other or expanded principles
- There is existing renewable energy legislation in place and it does not require the commitment of state funds. Greenhouse gas emissions comes more under the purview of the Federal Government and is better left there as they possess more resources for handling this issue. Providing clean drinking water seems like a fundamental function of government and is vital to our citizens? well-being. Water is not a renewable resource. With there being a finite amount of water, it is important to regulate water usage by large scale farms.

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?
- No

3. Should teachers be allowed to bring guns into the classroom?
- No

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

5. Other or expanded principles
- The Second Amendment providing the right for citizens to ?keep and bear arms? is a keystone for our great republic. Placing burdensome restrictions on this fundamental right goes against the very wisdom of our founding fathers. In practice, teachers bringing guns to school is a bad idea because there are far too many variables at play in a school that could come into play with respect to that gun. No one should ever be required to obtain a license to exercise a fundamental right.

Health

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

2. Do you support Medicaid expansion through South Carolina's health care programs?
- No

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

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

6. Other or expanded principles
- Opioid abuse is becoming a pandemic problem. If it is not solved, the state?s economy could be hit badly as the talent pool dwindles below necessary supply levels for companies. Medicaid is program riddled with waste and adding more to the problem might make things worse. Individuals should not be required to purchase health care insurance if they wish to bear the risk associated with that choice. Religious liberty is the very foundation upon which our nation is built. Requiring vaccinations that go against a religion?s beliefs would erode this important right.

Social

1. Do you support the inclusion of sexual orientation in South Carolina's anti-discrimination laws?
- No

2. Do you support the inclusion of gender identity in South Carolina's anti-discrimination laws?
- No

3. Do you support greater efforts by South Carolina 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.
- First, the opioid crisis is a top priority for me. This situation is robbing so many families of their loved ones and it is hurting our most precious resource, our people. Second, is South Carolina?s pension. The state of South Carolina is its largest employer, and thousands of individuals have paid into the system for so many years it must be protected and they must be able to rely on that benefit. Finally, I would like to address the growing problem of mental health. Many citizens struggle with this issue and it is becoming more pervasive across South Carolina.