As part of seeking the endorsement of the Independent Party of Oregon, Brad has answered a questionnaire from the party. These questions (and answers) follow.

Please briefly describe the three main reasons you are running for public office

1) Provide apprenticeships and career training to Oregonians looking for new and better jobs. 2) Protect Oregonians from discrimination and wage theft in the workplace. 3) Continue saving taxpayers money by eliminating unnecessary government spending.

What is the #1 priority on your legislative agenda? Please attach or provide links or references to bill drafts or legislative concepts (can be from previous session).

As Labor and Industries Commissioner, my top priority has always been establishing a well-trained workforce in Oregon. That's why I put together a diverse coalition to pass the legislation restoring 21st-Century shop classes to middle schools and high schools.

As a first step, twenty-one schools received grants last month to restore programs, and I will continue to push to expand this program to all middle schools and high schools, allowing all students the opportunity to get the skills they need to be successful in today's economy.

As no court has ruled invalid any of the limits on political campaign contributions or expenditures in Measure 47 (2006), should the Attorney General and Secretary of State be enforcing those limits?

All public officials should be enforcing existing law and should be working seriously toward further campaign finance reforms.

Do you favor amending the Oregon Constitution, if ultimately necessary, to allow reasonable limits on campaign contributions in state and local candidate races?

Yes

If you have served in the Oregon Legislature, what action did you take to either enact or defend limits on political campaign contributions?

I have met with members of both parties and legislative leadership in an effort find a bipartisan way to enact a plan to limit the amount of money that can be spent by candidates.

Should races for statewide and legislative offices have public funding systems similar to the one formerly in place in Portland for city council and auditor races?

Given the significant budgetary challenges facing our state, I don't believe that public campaign financing is the best use of our resources.

Should all political campaign materials (except small items) disclose the major funders of the campaign?

Transparency is crucial for voters to make informed decisions and I'd definitely be interested in studying options for making this happen.

Should Oregon law bar legislators from going to work as a lobbyist for 2 years after leaving public office?

Yes

Do you support the rights of Oregonians to make laws via the initiative process and/or to nullify laws enacted by the Legislature and local governments via the referendum process? Please explain.

Yes, I believe that direct democracy is a powerful and critical tool.

Do you support the current system of allowing a candidate who is nominated for the same office by more than one political party to choose up to 3 party labels to appear next to her name on the general election ballot?

Absolutely. In fact, I was a chief sponsor of the fusion voting bill, the same concept that eventually passed and allowed the current system.

Should non-affiliated voters be allowed to vote in the primaries of the major parties?

Each party should select its own nominee, but one of the reasons I sponsored the fusion voting bill was to give minor parties and non-affiliated voters equal access to the ballot.

Oregon is expected to face ongoing shortfalls with respect to maintaining the current level of state government services in the next biennium. To balance that budget what areas of spending would you cut, and what revenue increases would you support?

During my time as Commissioner of Labor and Industries, I've scrutinized operations in my own agency and saved taxpayers $300,000 by eliminating unnecessary government spending. I will continue this work during my second term.

Our top priority must be putting Oregon back to work through apprenticeships, career training, education, and support for small businesses.

What is your best idea to promote economic development in Oregon?

As Labor and Industries Commissioner, I will continue to prioritize career education and apprenticeship programs that will encourage business investment and economic growth.

Should Oregon law give gives a slight preference to Oregon-based businesses that bid on contracts with the state of Oregon?

Yes

Should Oregon provide a tax credit for businesses that engage in new construction to expand facilities in Oregon and then hire Oregon workers?

Yes

Do you support regulation to control health care costs and give the Oregon Insurance Division greater power to limit unreasonable rate increases and allow citizen participation in cases involving insurance company rate hikes?

Yes

Should Oregon remove the exemption for insurance providers from its Unlawful Trade Practices Act?

Yes

Should Oregon adopt a unicameral Legislature?

The idea is intriguing but I don't want to spend time debating issues that are unlikely to become a reality. Let's work on making our current system better.