Senator Chuck Schumer is looking to introduce gun control legislation that would expand background checks to cover more private sales. Do you support stricter restrictions on buying guns? Or do you support other ways to deal with gun violence?

http://thehill.com/regulation/legislation/280024-schumer-to-offer-gun-control-bill

Right now, it is difficult for candidates unaffiliated with the Democratic or Republican parties to get on the ballot in North Carolina and many other states. Do you think barriers to unaffiliated candidates should be lower? Or are states justified in keeping some candidates off the ballot?http://www.journalpatriot.com/opinion/unaffiliated-candidates-fight-for-ballot-access/article_26eeebe8-1b8b-11e6-aa42-8720cdd16d1c.html

Sen. Tim Kaine is calling on Congress to authorize military action against the Islamic State, or ISIS. President Obama has already ordered some attacks on ISIS without congressional approval. Do you think Sen. Kaine has the right idea? Or should the U.S. end military action in this area?

http://www.roanoke.com/news/education/higher_education/at-vmi-kaine-makes-renewed-push-for-war-powers-vote/article_c661e7dc-99b9-58eb-8a8e-42b45f5ce281.html

If you use online services like Airbnb to rent your place, should you have to obey the same regulations and pay the same taxes as businesses that rent rooms?

http://journaltimes.com/news/opinion/editorial/journal-times-editorial-airbnb-operators-should-have-to-pay-taxes/article_f8ee190d-403c-515f-833c-696703025c5e.html

The state of Michigan has accumulated huge unfunded liabilities in the government employee retirement systems it runs due to failing to deposit the required amounts into pension funds. The system for public school employees is the largest and currently has a $26.5 billion unfunded liability. Taxpayers are on the hook for this debt to the tune of more than $2,600 for every man, woman, and child in the state.

So it is significant that for the sixth year in a row state officials once again failed to adequately fund the system. According to an article in Michigan Capitol Confidential, the state’s own actuaries calculated that it should deposit $2.18 billion into the school employee system this year. The deposit covers the additional pension benefits accrued by individual employees for the year, plus some extra to cover catching up on past underfunding.http://www.michigancapitolconfidential.com/22411

However, the state only contributed $1.97 billion, shorting its “Annual Required Contribution” by $210 million.

Legislation has been introduced to contain the growing burden by no longer enrolling new school employees into the defined benefit pension system. Under the bills, new hires would instead get defined contribution, 401(k)-type benefits (see House Bill 5218 and Senate Bill 102).

http://michiganvotes.org/2016-HB-5218

http://michiganvotes.org/2015-SB-102

Some cities are looking for revenue by imposing special taxes on sugar-sweetened drinks. Do you think this is a good way to protect the public health? Or are cities simply targeting soda consumers to make a quick buck?

http://www.charlotteobserver.com/opinion/opn-columns-blogs/o-pinion/article77017592.html

Some faculty at Wisconsin universities are upset that Ray Cross, president of the University of Wisconsin Systems, said that tenure was “not a guarantor of ‘a job for life.’” Do you think that tenure for college professors is necessary? Or should professors be treated more like employees in other professions?

https://www.insidehighered.com/news/2016/05/11/wisconsin-governor-and-university-system-president-anger-professors-comments-tenure

According to the Tax Foundation, Pennsylvania has high liquor taxes but low beer taxes compared to other states. Do you think high alcohol taxes are justified? Or do you think the government shouldn’t be targeting alcohol drinkers to pay excessive tax rates?

http://blog.pennlive.com/capitol-notebook/2016/05/how_high_are_beer_and_booze_ta.html

A new Wisconsin law will allow the use of drug testing for unemployment benefits. Drug testing for government programs has been tried in other states with mixed results. Do you think it is a good idea to require drug tests for unemployment insurance or food stamps? Or is this type of program too costly with too few benefits?

http://www.opposingviews.com/i/society/wisconsin-drug-test-people-unemployment-benefits

The federal government is using a tobacco law to put strict new restrictions on e-cigarettes, even though e-cigarettes do not contain tobacco. Do you think this is governmental overreach? How should e-cigarettes be regulated?

http://www.usatoday.com/story/news/politics/2016/05/05/feds-expected-announce-final-e-cigarette-rule-could-nearly-ban-them/83951786/