Alaska State Legislative Election 2016 Political Courage Test

Abortion & Reproductive

1. Do you generally support pro-choice or pro-life legislation?
- Pro-life

2. Should abortions be illegal after the first trimester of pregnancy?
- Yes

3. Should abortion be legal when the pregnancy resulted from incest or rape?
- No Answer

4. Should abortion be legal when the life of the woman is endangered?
- No Answer

5. Do you support requiring parental notification before an abortion is performed on a minor?
- Yes

6. Do you support requiring parental consent before an abortion is performed on a minor?
- Yes

7. Do you support the prohibition of public funds for abortion procedures?
- Yes

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

9. Other or expanded principles
- c) Rapist should be severely, severely punished, not baby. d) If mother is at extreme risk and certain to die if baby is not removed, and baby is too young to survive even with advanced medical care available, decision should rest with the woman and father of the baby. If baby has chance of survival, and mother is certain to die if baby isn't removed, baby should be removed in a way to preserve life; procedure shouldn't be an abortion. These are rare circumstances and shouldn't be used to justify an abortion when a woman suffers from depression, for example.

Budget, Spending, & Tax

1. Tapping into Alaska's "rainy day" fund
- Yes

2. Decreasing funding for public universities
- Yes

3. Reducing state employee salaries AND/OR pensions
- Yes

4. Instituting mandatory furloughs AND/OR layoffs for state employees
- Yes

5. Reducing benefits for Medicaid recipients
- Yes

6. Other or expanded principles
- a) without reducing PFDsb) consolidate campuses, less administration, without diminishing instruction but increasing its caliberc) slight salary reductions including for legislative branch - keep option on tabled) furloughs and layoffs including for legislative branch - keep option on tablee) reduce some optional services, reduce rates (ours are among highest in nation)f) consolidate smaller school districts while using technology to expand student opportunities; reduce amount spent on administration; tackle health care costs - increase cost transparency; reduce per diem (include for legislators)

1. Education (higher)
- Slightly Decrease

2. Education (K-12)
- Slightly Decrease

3. Environment
- Greatly Decrease

4. Health care
- Greatly Decrease

5. Law enforcement/corrections
- Maintain Status

6. Transportation/infrastructure
- Maintain Status

7. Welfare
- Greatly Decrease

8. Other or expanded categories
- No Answer

1. Alcohol taxes
- Maintain Status

2. Cigarette taxes
- Maintain Status

3. Corporate taxes
- Maintain Status

4. Small business taxes
- Maintain Status

5. Gas/Oil taxes
- Maintain Status

6. Property taxes
- Maintain Status

7. Other or expanded principles
- We shouldn't turn on the tax (or PFD reduction) spigot at this point. First things first: budget reductions. We should aim to get UGF spending south of $4 billion, ideally $3.5-$3.6 billion. Accounting for inflation, UGF in the year 2000 was $3.3 billion, so these goals aren't unreasonable. If stream of interest earnings off Permanent Fund (without reducing PFDs) isn't enough to close the gap, then consider sales tax, excluding groceries and medicine, with a sunset as well as a trigger to turn off before sunset date as appropriate.

Campaign Finance & Government Reform

1. Individual
- No Answer

2. Political Action Committee
- No Answer

3. Corporate
- No Answer

4. Political Party
- No Answer

5. Should candidates for state office be encouraged to meet voluntary spending limits?
- No Answer

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

1. Other or expanded principles
- I don't agree with current limits in Alaska as mentioned in 1-4 and b because this is a form of a violation of our constitutionally protected free speech. The campaign finance disclosure reports available to the public provide the check and balance. The public can decide whether or not a candidate is being "bought." A candidate always has the option, as well, to decline and return contributions.

Crime & Public Safety

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

2. Do you support alternatives to incarceration for certain non-violent offenders, such as mandatory counseling or substance abuse treatment?
- Yes

3. Should a minor accused of a violent crime be prosecuted as an adult?
- Yes

4. Do you support the enforcement of federal immigration laws by state and local police?
- Yes

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

6. Other or expanded principles
- a) States should be able to decide whether to have the death penalty for heinous crimes. Alaska doesn't have capital punishment, and it's not an issue Alaskans have raised to be changed. If it became an issue and came to a vote, I would listen to the input of my constituents, and wrestle with the decision. Unlike a soldier in battle or a law-enforcement officer at an active crime scene where protection of his or her life or the lives of others is at stake, this is not the same situation as someone who otherwise would be incarcerated for life.

Economic

1. Do you support government spending as a means of promoting economic growth?
- No

2. Do you support lowering taxes as a means of promoting economic growth?
- Yes

3. Do you support reducing government regulations on the private sector?
- Yes

4. Do you support increased state funding for job-training programs that re-train displaced workers?
- No

5. Do you support expanding access to unemployment benefits?
- No Answer

6. Do you support requiring welfare applicants to pass a drug test in order to receive benefits?
- Yes

7. Do you support providing financial incentives to the private sector for the purpose of job creation?
- No Answer

8. Do you support providing direct financial assistance to homeowners facing foreclosure?
- No Answer

9. Do you support an increase of the minimum wage?
- No

10. Should employers be able to ask about applicants' criminal history before interviewing them?
- Yes

11. Other or expanded principles
- Need context to better understand e) and h). I'm not aware unemployed are having trouble getting on unemployment. Perhaps question pertains to expanding the time period? It hasn't been a problem in Alaska so I'm not inclined to support. Not sure if h) pertains to state funds so didn't answer. g) Tax reductions spur job creation but government shouldn't pick winners and losers.

Education

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

2. Do you support a merit pay system for teachers?
- Yes

3. Is the tenure process for public school teachers producing effective teachers?
- No

4. Should parents be allowed to use vouchers to send their children to any school?
- Yes

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

6. Do you support the state government providing college students with financial aid?
- No Answer

7. Should illegal immigrants who graduate from Alaska high schools be eligible for in-state tuition at public universities?
- No

8. Other or expanded principles
- d) This will require a constitutional amendment. If vouchers were to be used at religious-run schools, the funds should not be used for religious purposes and/or proselytizing. f) Straight grants-no. Incentives for achievement depending how structured, and also okay with student loan program if conservatively structured so state not at risk, repayment to state if don't return to state, help with repayment if work in underserved areas in Alaska.

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 the development of traditional domestic energy sources (e.g. coal, natural gas, oil)?
- Yes

3. Do you support state funding for improvements to Alaska's energy infrastructure?
- Yes

4. Do you support state funding for open space preservation?
- No

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

6. Do you support increased regulations of the hydraulic fracturing ("fracking") industry?
- No

7. Do you support oil drilling in the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge?
- Yes

8. Other or expanded principles
- Budget is tight so my yes responses above don't mean this year necessarily. We have plenty of open space in Alaska. What we need to ensure is access to the millions of acres of open space we have. Greenhouse gas emissions haven't been a problem in Alaska.

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 citizens be allowed to carry concealed guns?
- Yes

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

5. Other or expanded principles
- We need to ensure we have access to adequate mental health prevention and treatment throughout Alaska.

Health

1. Do you support a universally-accessible, publicly-administered health insurance option?
- No

2. Do you support expanding access to health care through commercial health insurance reform?
- No Answer

3. Do you support interstate health insurance compacts?
- Yes

4. Do you support Medicaid expansion under the Affordable Care Act ("Obamacare")?
- No

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

6. Do you support monetary limits on damages that can be collected in malpractice lawsuits?
- Yes

7. Other or expanded principles
- b) I'm not sure what commercial reforms this refers to The cost of healthcare in Alaska is not sustainable. Costs have escalated in our state since the Affordable Care Act went into affect. We?re facing a severe lack of health insurance companies willing to do business here. Every person, every family, every business, our school districts, our Medicaid budget, the cost of state employee benefits, the list goes on?all are impacted. I?d like to work with providers to implement recommendations that will allow the free market to better function in the healthcare sector, for instance, to increase medical cost transparency.

Social

1. Do you support same-sex marriage?
- No Answer

2. Do you support the inclusion of sexual orientation in Alaska's anti-discrimination laws?
- No

3. Do you support the inclusion of gender identity in Alaska's anti-discrimination laws?
- No

4. Other or expanded principles
- Marriage is a sacred vow between a man and a woman to be celebrated, the foundation of families for centuries, a union and commitment made as part of a couple's faith. I'd prefer that government not be involved in marriage at all, licensing it or otherwise, but the official license is part of our system for health insurance and other purposes. For others to participate in the system, legal unions are available. b) and c) Too much division and special categories overall. Not aware of problems with this in Alaska - is this a solution trying to find a problem?

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.
- To ensure essential services and meet the various obligations of the Alaska State Constitution, we must get our fiscal house in order. The budget grew under high oil prices; it's time to downsize to what the private sector can afford. We must address formula programs. We mustn't burden families and businesses with overbearing taxes or PFD reductions, but ensure productivity in multiple sectors occurs so opportunities abound. We'll need to use some interest off the Permanent Fund for the first time to help close the gap. Lastly, solutions to reduce healthcare costs and address the opioid epidemic must be implemented.