Nebraska 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
- As a man, I believe women should be in charge of their own reproductive health decisions. If I have to vote on laws relating to female reproductive health, I will talk to doctors and I will talk to women in the district and find out how they want me to vote.

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
- No Answer

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. Other or expanded principles
- No Answer

Crime & Public Safety

1. Do you support capital punishment for certain crimes?
- No

2. Do you support the legalization of marijuana for medical purposes?
- Yes

3. Do you support the legalization of marijuana for recreational purposes?
- No Answer

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 Answer

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 Nebraska?
- Yes

7. Other or expanded principles
- No Answer

Education

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

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

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

4. Do you support increasing funding for the state education budget?
- Yes

5. Other or expanded principles
- Nebraska is 49th when it comes to state-level funding of public education and this needs to be improved. We need to remove the burdens on local property owners, but we need to maintain Nebraska's excellent public education. What happened to programs that were started to fund public education, where did that money go? Where are the education dollars from the lottery? The state legislature needs to quit cutting the budget of education districts.

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
- Nebraska has one of the highest potentials for wind energy and we are not tapping this potential. I believe renewable energy would have long-term benefits for Nebraska.

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?
- Yes

5. Other or expanded principles
- I own firearms, I am a member of a gun club, but I feel that discussions need to take place on gun control. I do not support the National Rifle Association, but I do support gun ownership. More needs to be done to protect our children.

Health

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

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

6. Other or expanded principles
- For vaccinations: I believe everyone has the right to religious freedom, but for children in public schools or in other public areas where people gather, vaccinations should be mandatory. It is unacceptable to rely on other parents vaccinating their children.

Social

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

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

3. Do you support greater efforts by Nebraska state government in closing the pay gap between men and women?
- Yes

4. Other or expanded principles
- I strongly support the inclusion of sexual orientation and gender identity in state and federal protected classes anti-discrimination laws.

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.
- Increasing state funding of public education without raising property taxes. I believe we can raise funding by asking corporations who receive tax incentives to voluntarily, temporarily, lower that incentive to help Nebraskans. I work for a large defense contractor. My company and fellow employees voluntarily took a hit when the DoD needed help. I believe many of Nebraska's companies will do the same. Bringing in more mental health care providers. Encouraging more psychiatrists to use telehealth options is an inexpensive way to increase the number of patients who can receive help, especially in rural areas where there are fewer choices.