Maine 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
- No Answer

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
- Maine does not need to do any of these things in order to balance its budget because we have been running a surplus. Were the budget to go out of balance, I would look toward rolling back some of the many income tax cuts that have been given away over the past eight years. That would surely be preferable to the alternatives shown here. I might also support the institution of an additional tax bracket.

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. Do you support prohibiting out-of-state contributions to state ballot initiative committees?
- No

6. Do you support repealing Maine's ranked-choice primary election system?
- No

7. Other or expanded principles
- I support Maine's Clean Election system. I support amending the constitution to fix the ranked choice system so it applies more broadly.

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. Should the legal age for purchasing tobacco products be twenty-one years of age?
- Yes

6. Other or expanded principles
- No Answer

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

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

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 of Maine?
- No

7. Other or expanded principles
- I think that the minimum wage law just passed by the voters does not need to be increased further at the moment, but I am glad that the increase was approved and that it is indexed. Government spending certainly helps economic growth - in Maine, as in all rural states, government is the largest employer. This should be considered when deciding how to manage state spending.

Education

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

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

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

4. Other or expanded principles
- I do not know which "Federal Education Standards" are being referred to and we already have state funded charter schools. I do not support raising the cap on such schools. I do not believe that unlawful immigrants constitute an appreciable number of Maine residents - our immigrants are, by every measure, here legally. In general, Maine benefits immensely from its small and vibrant immigrant population. As the oldest state in America and one with a declining birthrate, we need to do everything we can to support and cultivate this important component of our workforce.

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
- I realize that Maine is often the recipient of out-of-state emissions that land here. That said, every state should be following California's lead in reducing CO2 and similar emissions. Our perplexing failure to advance any meaningful renewable energy policy over the past few years is a huge disappointment and has set us back from our regional neighbors and other states.

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?
- No

5. Other or expanded principles
- Maine has a tradition of low regulation gun ownership and very low gun violence. I do support "red flag" legislation to allow for the removal of guns from people judged to be dangerous.

Health

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

2. Do you support Medicaid expansion through Maine'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?
- Yes

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

6. Other or expanded principles
- I think that there may be some valid religious exemptions for vaccinations but don't know the issue fully enough. My sense in speaking with the public health community is that too many people use Maine's loose opt-out laws to avoid vaccinations. This comes with an increased public health risk that is serious for many more people than those who choose to go unvaccinated. There is no epidemiological evidence whatsoever that vaccinations are harmful.

Social

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

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

3. Do you support greater efforts by Maine 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.
- I continue to focus on passing fair state budgets that do not harm Maine's urban communities. That has been and will continue to be my priority, having served as a budget writer for the past six years. I also feel that there is no economic development strategy more effective than having a top-notch higher education system. Finally, environmental protection and alternative energy policy continues to be a very top priority, especially as these things are facing repeated attacks from the Federal government.