Drop the Cap! (Reducing Michigan's Maximum Taxation Level)

I support the "Gelineau Plan" and the Drop the Cap initiative. I believe current cap should be adjusted from the exorbitant limit of 9.49% of State GDP to 8.55%. this restriction would reasonably restricting the State Government's ability to grow by more than 5% of its future level in the future.

Election Reform

Though we are free to vote on our elected officials. Many votes are discounted and elections are swayed by partisan Gerrymandering, winner take all Electoral College and unreasonable restrictions on voters and candidates intended to keep the power in the 2 major parties. I believe 3 common sense reforms could be put in place in the next 4 years.
1.) Ranked Choice Voting
 I believe all voters should be allowed to support candidates they truly believe without the feer of "wasting their vote". With a ranked choice vote the voters can vote their conscience while providing a vote to the better of two evils candidate if it boils down to only two options. I also believe this will help the parties to nominate less partisan and divisive candidates as they can get the portion of independent votes instead of relying on only their partisan base to vote.
2.) Electoral College Reapportionment
The Electoral College is an important institution in giving certain segments of the public a voice in elections. But the system is flawed and needs reform. The winner take all allotment silences Tens of thousands of votes in every state and there are a many ways we could reapportion the college votes that would better represent the voters of Michigan. Specifically I support a divided Electoral College vote more similar to the system used in Maine.
3.) Addition of a mandatory "Students T Test" partisanship review for redistricting. 
Many are aware of the partisan Gerrymandering in redistricting (look no further than Kent County for an example). The party in power stacks all of the opposition into a few districts so they win by landslides and spread out their supporters so they have more representatives elected. Many are supporting independent redistricting consoles to combat this issue. I support independent consoles but these consoles are also prone to corruption. There is a widely used nonpartisan test that identifies the level of partisanship that went in to the redistricting. I propose we utilize this test and set a maximum deviation as a guideline for any future redistricting. 

If the government’s goal is to represent the people, these are 3 simple reforms that will allow people to have a voice in their government.   

Justice System Reform

Our criminal justice system is in disarray. A larger percentage of Americans are incarcerated than any country on earth. The U.S. accounts for about 5% of the world’s population, but nearly 25% of the prisoners. 

Our state’s laws should focus on imprisoning the most dangerous of society. but the criminal justice system is currently focused on non-violent offenders. This traps individuals (disproportionately African-American men) in a cycle of poverty, unemployment, and incarceration.

Furthermore, We must also end the practice of Civil Asset Forfeiture to protect all Americans' right to due process. I support State House Bill 4158 as a good first step on this issue.

Gun Rights

I fully believe in the rights of the individual to protect their families and themselves as they see fit. I  believe this is a fundamental right that should not be infringed by the state or federal government. There are many in Lansing and Washington who give lip service to the Second Amendment, only to vote to restrict gun ownership once elected. Gun control laws only restrict access to responsible gun ownership. 

Sanctity of Life

I believe that an individual is the owner of their life and that life begins at conception and ends when brainwaves no longer exist. The taking of any life including that of the unborn is an act of violence. I believe the most basic responsibility of the government is to protect its citizens from acts of violence and that starts with our most vulnerable. I believe the use of tax money (especially pro-life citizen's taxes) to fund organizations that provide abortion services is morally reprehensible. This is a violation of the government's responsibilities and the non-aggression principle.

I also support deregulating the adoption market to decrease the cost of adoption for families and increase the amount of expectant mothers who choose adoption for their unborn children.

Education Reform

Michigan K-12 Education: Choice and Accountability 

To improve the quality of education in Michigan we must empower the parents and hold schools accountable for their results. I believe a child's location should not determine the quality of education you receive and I support the following actions to move education forward in Michigan:

1.) Choice: Establish complete school choice. Including public schools, charter schools, home schooling, online education, education savings accounts (ESA's). As long as an acceptable curriculum can be verified the parents should be allowed and encouraged to take the reins in their child's education.

2) Funding: Make all Proposal A funds a uniform foundation grant. 100% of the funds should be available for all students to cover their cost of education at their school of choice– along with additional targeted funding for special needs. I also believe we divert the $500 million in funds we use on arresting and imprisoning people for nonviolent marijuana "crimes". we can utilize these funds to improve education and teacher pay.

3.) Accountability:  I believe requirements for quality and transparency should be applied uniformly to all public schools. We can improve teacher quality through an evaluation system that is concerned with student outcomes. I support rewarding high-performing teachers and requiring ineffective teachers to either improve their process and results or leave the profession. Educators that we trust with our youth whether public, charter, or private must be held accountable for their performance.