Virginia State Legislative Election 2017 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. Should abortion be legal when the life of the woman is endangered?
- Yes

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

5. Other or expanded principles
- This is a topic that saddens me, as I think it does most people, but our 4th Amendment guarantees us security of our person. I do not believe it is the right of government to dictate what happens within one's body. It is also an issue that is specific to women, and I am disinclined from making laws that impact certain demographics and exempt others. And I think many of the same organizations that provide abortions also provide the best means for preventing them: i.e. education, healthcare, and contraception. So defunding them would likely lead to more abortions, not less.

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
- The best way to keep a balanced budget is to provide for stable revenue, efficient spending, and investments in growth. We need to take look at our tax code to make sure we're not needlessly forfeiting any tax dollars through loopholes, and to make sure that every bracket is paying its fair share. We need to look at governmental efficiency, to make sure that we are spending our tax dollars wisely. And we need to focus on spending tax dollars in a way that generates a return by putting money in our citizens' pockets and building the tax base.

Campaign Finance & Government Reform

1. Individual
- Yes

2. Political Action Committee
- Yes

3. Corporate
- Yes

4. Political Party
- Yes

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

6. Do you support the regulation of indirect campaign contributions from corporations and unions?
- 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

1. Other or expanded principles
- My priorities are choice and accountability!A,B,C) How can we hold our politicians accountable if they are beholden to campaign donors? Corporations are not people. We need campaign finance regulation.D) Redistricting - Partisan Gerrymandering limits the voters' choice in leaders. In the 83rd District, it's been 8 years since we had a choice for Delegate. How can you have a democracy without choice? Choice is key to accountability. Accountability is key to Democracy.E) I can not support any law that makes it more difficult for an individual to exercise their right to vote.

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?
- No

5. Do you support the enforcement of federal immigration laws by state and local police?
- No

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

7. Other or expanded principles
- A) This is an extremely difficult question. It simply comes down to whether the government should have the right. I don't believe it should.B, C) Some crimes should just cease to be crimes. There is nothing malicious about the use of marijuana, for instance. And there is more to be gained from embracing it than criminalizing it.F) The practice of asset seizure without conviction, much less charges, is a travesty. It should never happen! A person should not be penalized, not should their property be seized, for actions attributable only to their property. That's our 4th amendment right.

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?
- No

3. Do you support reducing 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?
- No

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

7. Other or expanded principles
- A) Government investment is so critical to helping grow the economy. Infrastructure and education especially! But also small business and entrepreneurship investments. C) I support SIMPLIFYING regulations. Some regulations do protect us from bad actors and they are necessary. We need a good balance.E) If welfare applicants have to pass a drug test, what about congress or corporate welfare recipients?F) Our minimum wage needs to be a living wage, it needs to be tied to regional cost of living, and it needs to be tied to inflation, so it doesn't ever become obsolete again. Smart, adaptive legislation.

Education

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

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

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

4. Other or expanded principles
- A, B) I think the DOE needs to simplify its requirements, and focus its resources on helping our public schools innovate, rather than micromanaging the minutiae of curriculum. If we did that, maybe we can try to recreate some of the positive aspects of charter schools in our public schools so we don't have to divide our resources.C) If a kid grows up in Virginia and calls Virginia home and wants to better themselves so they can be productive members of our community in Virginia, more power to them. I want those kids here.

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 open space preservation?
- Yes

3. Do you support government regulations of greenhouse gas emissions?
- Yes

4. Other or expanded principles
- Our environment is critical! It's the air we breathe, the water we drink, the food we eat. We need to protect it. I want to see Hampton Roads move swiftly toward 100% renewable energy because our future depends on it. We are the 2nd most vulnerable region in the US to sea level rise. We need to take action to mitigate those effects. We also should want to invest in open space to enjoy and clean air to breathe. That's just wanting to live a good healthy life. I don't see that as controversial.

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 citizens be allowed to carry concealed guns?
- Yes

4. Should a license be required for gun possession?
- Yes

5. Other or expanded principles
- A, D) Very difficult to say, but I err on the side of safety. But some legislation is helpful and some is just not. I think a license is a reasonable requirement. I am an owner myself and I wouldn't mind acquiring a license and I wouldn't mind going through a training course to get it. I think that makes a lot of sense.B) I generally don't believe in loopholes. If there's a law, it should be applied equally.C) Virginia has concealed with a training requirement. I think that's fair.

Health

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

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

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

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

5. Other or expanded principles
- A) I believe that the for-profit insurance companies have violated the trust of the American people and no longer deserve a seat at the table. Enough people have suffered. We can cut costs by 50% or more and save lives under a universal plan.C) I don't support requiring individuals to buy anything. That, to a certain extent, is a violation of an individual's personal liberties.D) I absolutely support the use of marijuana in a medical capacity. This is a plant with uses in treating cancer, epilepsy, PTSD for our veterans, and more. It's the right thing to do.

Social

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

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

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

4. Should individuals be required to use a bathroom that corresponds with the gender listed on their birth certificates?
- No

5. Other or expanded principles
- A) Virginia is for Lovers. <3B,C,D) No one should ever face discrimination simply because of who they are. We should do everything we can to uplift our fellow Virginians, not tear them down or make them feel less than.

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 Number 1 Priority: Redistricting Reform. I consider it a personal embarrassment that the supreme court has struck down our district lines twice now and had to redraw them for us because our legislature couldn't be trusted to do it fairly themselves. It is not right that legislators get to choose who votes for them. The lines should be drawn based on community lines, geographic lines, common interest, but not political leanings. Choice is key to democracy. My second priority is bringing universal, single payer healthcare to VA. It's the fiscally and morally responsible thing to do.