Indiana 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
- I'm fine with not providing taxpayer funds for abortion services directly but have a real problem with cutting off taxpayer funding for other needed healthcare services provided by organizations that perform abortions.

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
- I would reassess taxes on the wealthiest Hoosiers and corporations. I do not believe we can tax cut our way to prosperity. I would also stop the diversion of tax dollars to private schools via vouchers and reinvest in our public schools. If there are services that can be computerized (e.g., BMV) then reducing headcount for these types of services makes sense.

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
- I would also seek an ability by Hoosiers to place issues directly on the ballot via referendum rather than requiring the legislature be a gatekeeper of such measures. We need to improve the state of our democracy in this state and that begins with putting power back into the hands of the people. I would also restore the ability of local government to pass laws affecting their locales on issues like minimum wage, guns and school pay.

Crime & Public Safety

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

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

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. Do you support legislation to define and establish penalties for hate crimes?
- Yes

6. Other or expanded principles
- I support the legalization of marijuana for medicinal purposes. We need more research done on marijuana and long term use before I'm willing to sign onto recreational use legalization.

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 Indiana?
- Yes

7. Other or expanded principles
- The State cannot tax cut it's way to true economic growth. We need to invest state funds in job training and removing barriers to Hoosiers obtaining that training such as providing child care coverage during training. We need to amend our unemployment benefits statute to make it less punitive on filers who fail to report all outside income. Low unemployment does not equate to prosperity when our wages are sub par.

Education

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

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

3. Should immigrants unlawfully present in the United States who graduate from Indiana 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
- I also think we need to repeal the property tax cap on schools put in place in Indiana which has wreaked havoc with school transportation budgets. We also need to restore teacher bargaining rights in the state.

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 would repeal the net metering measure that was recently passed that guts the incentives for homeowners to install solar. I would also repeal the provision prohibiting the state from enacting or enforcing measures greater than that of the federal government. We need to be a leader on climate change, not ignore it. Every Hoosier deserves clean air and clean water. I would also aggressively clean up the coal ash ponds in Indiana.

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 would require Hoosier's seeking a gun carry permit to go through safety training and limit the licenses to 5 years. Currently the permits are lifetime and have no training component whatsoever. I would also advocate for safe storage laws and stolen gun reporting laws. I would also revoke the Indiana law that prohibits local government from passing ordinances regulating where guns can be carried (e.g. city parks, pools, etc.).

Health

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

2. Do you support Medicaid expansion through Indiana'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

6. Other or expanded principles
- I think eliminating religious exemptions on vaccinations is problematic from a legal viewpoint. I understand and support mandating it for certain jobs (e.g., healthcare workers) and the public safety aspect but worry such provisions may not pass constitutional muster.

Social

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

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

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

4. Other or expanded principles
- I would also support hate crimes legislation and fully support including the LGBTQ+ community in provisions prohibiting discrimination in public accommodations, not just employment. I support laws prohibiting questions about prior pay to address the nagging pay gap. Indiana also needs to make it's state statutes more robust and usable for challenging workplace discrimination.

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.
- 1) Public education - restoration of full bargaining rights for teachers in Indiana and reinvesting in public schools. To the extent this requires additional funding I would eliminate the voucher program and the property tax cap.2) Labor and worker rights - reverse the right to work law; reinstate common wage provisions for state construction projects and raise minimum wage in the state. I would also free up local government to pass laws affecting worker wages, hours and working conditions in there localities. 3) Healthcare - shore up ACA at state level protecting pre-existing conditions and individual mandate.