Would you vote for a bill that would legalize recreational marijuana? Why or why not?

I would definitely consider it, but am concerned by the recent report from SAM (Smart Approaches to Marijuana) 'Projected Costs of Marijuana in CT' regarding increased regulatory costs, drugged-driving fatalities, injuries, property damages, workplace costs, absenteeism, workplace injuries, and short and long-term health consequences that need to be carefully weighed in the face of shiny revenues, which may not outweigh the fiscal costs and harm impact on the roads and in the workplace.

How should the state balance the needs of vulnerable populations with the reality of another large budget deficit?

We must safeguard the needs of vulnerable populations by finding responsible ways of diversifying revenues, pooling new revenues, commercial and e-commerce revenue or state and municipal land/building lease revenues into regional community use, to widen the tax bases throughout the region, not just within the zip code. We must look for ways to incentivize/require good corporate citizenship, that invests into the needs of the community the entities are centered and do business in. We must look for ways to consolidate administrative costs, using 'money follows the person' model, rebalancing model, and community-based services, while advocating for more federal dollars of reimbursement costs to state. If we can spend trillions of dollars in endless war costs, (incurring generations of federal debt) we must spend the resources we are actually generating on first taking care of the neediest. And I hear many constituents echo the same: we are willing to care for the most vulnerable of our 3.7 million CT residents, if we have transparent accountability from our CT and federal government that our resources are really going directly towards these necessary services.

A recent report found 40 percent of Connecticut residents can't afford basic needs such as housing, food, health care, or child care. What would you do to improve their situation?

Will you support top-down efforts to regionalize local services with an eye toward more efficiency and reducing the state's obligations regarding ECS and/or other funding for towns? How would you go about it?

Where and how should state government focus its efforts in order to grow jobs?

Would you support legislation to "ban the box," prohibiting employers from asking the question about criminal convictions on a job application?

Yes, though I would still encourage voluntary disclosures in job application, and encourage employers to conduct thorough background checks for all human service workers, law enforcement, corrections, child care, elderly and disabled care positions.

Based on estimates that out-of-state drivers would contribute 30-40% of overall revenue if highway tolls are implemented in Connecticut, would you support tolls with or without offsetting cuts in the state's gas taxes?

I would support SMART electronic tolls, with congestion pricing, preferred in-state commuter rates, limited to borders, I95 and I 84 and I 91 arteries, and would analyze carefully lowering the state gas tax in tandem with implementing tolls, so that trucks using our highways as pass-through corridor would have incentive to fill up in in-state fuel stations.

Eversource and some out-of-state entities appear to be attempting to buy control of Connecticut's water resources, and some of our quasi-public water agencies have signed away large amounts of water to commercial interests with little regard to future water shortages. What can you do to ensure that Connecticut residents maintain control of public water supplies in perpetuity?

We must legislate stronger protections of public resources, especially water, and strengthen regional authority over natural resources, ecosystems and fragile coastal areas that are threatened by corporate interests. We must strengthen the 'commons' authority of public resources to public/common control: and increase regulatory fees and public futures' safeguards for leasing, use and profiting of corporations.

Much of Connecticut is economically and racially segregated because many towns lack affordable housing and local zoning regulations prohibit multi-family dwellings. How would you propose incentivizing municipalities to start allowing multi-family units and other affordable housing options?

How should the state address disparities in the Education Cost Sharing formula? What specific modifications would you suggest, if any?

Should the government's response to the opioid crisis be to focus on law enforcement to stop drug dealers, or improving access to treatment for addiction and reducing the overprescription of painkillers?

In 2016 the Connecticut Retirement Security Program was created. It will give over 600,000 residents in our state a way to save for retirement at work. Knowing that employees are 15 times more likely to save merely by having access to payroll deduction, how will you continue the implementation of this important program?

The 459,000 family caregivers in Connecticut provide an estimated 427 million hours of care each year. Nationwide, nearly seven in ten caregivers report making work accommodations because of caregiving, including arriving late/leaving early, cutting back their hours, changing jobs, or stopping work entirely. Would you support a family leave law that provides paid leave to employees who have to take time off for family caregiving purposes?