Michigan State Legislative Election 1996 National Political Awareness Test

Abortion

Please indicate which principles you support (if any) concerning abortion.

1. Abortions should always be legally available.
- No Answer

2. Abortions should be legally available when the procedure is completed within the first trimester of pregnancy.
- No Answer

3. Abortions should be legal only when the pregnancy resulted from incest, rape, or when the life of the woman is endangered.
- No Answer

4. Abortions should be legal only when the life of the woman is endangered.
- X

5. Abortions should always be illegal.
- No Answer

6. Abortions should be limited by waiting periods and parental notification requirements.
- No Answer

7. Should Michigan government funding be provided to clinics and medical facilities that provide abortion services?
- No Answer

8. Do you support the Michigan law that bans late-term abortion procedures?
- No Answer

Affirmative Action/Civil Rights

Please indicate which principles you support (if any) regarding affirmative action and civil rights in Michigan.

1. The Michigan government should prosecute cases of discrimination in the public and private sectors.
- X

2. The Michigan government should provide no affirmative action programs.
- X

3. Do you believe that the Michigan government should recognize same-sex marriages?
- No

4. Do you believe that sexual orientation should be added to Michigan's anti-discrimination laws?
- Undecided

Children & Families

Please indicate which principles you support (if any) regarding children & family issues in Michigan.

1. Increase state funding for programs to prevent teen pregnancy.
- X

2. Provide tax credits for businesses that provide child care for their employees.
- No Answer

3. Deny or suspend state-issued permits and licenses to parents who are delinquent in paying court-ordered child support.
- X

4. Provide licensed, state-funded pre-school and daycare for all Michigan children.
- No Answer

5. Support the proposed amendment to the Michigan Constitution that guarantees health care and "efficient public education" for all state residents under the age of eighteen.
- No Answer

Crime

Please indicate which principles you support (if any) to address crime in Michigan.

1. Increase state funds for construction of state prisons and for hiring of additional prison staff.
- X

2. Expand and promote "community policing" programs.
- X

3. Support "truth in sentencing" for violent criminals so they serve their full sentences with no chance of parole.
- X

4. Institute the death penalty in Michigan.
- X

5. Oppose the death penalty.
- No Answer

6. Implement penalties other than incarceration for certain non-violent offenders.
- No Answer

7. Require mandatory life sentences for third-time, violent felons.
- X

8. Inform communities when a convicted sex offender moves into the community.
- X

9. Increase state funds for programs which rehabilitate and educate inmates during and after their prison sentences.
- No Answer

10. Decriminalize the possession and private use of certain illegal drugs such as marijuana.
- No Answer

11. Strengthen penalties and sentences associated with drug-related crimes.
- No Answer

12. Implement chain gangs in which prison inmates work together in chained work groups.
- No Answer

13. Should police be allowed to ticket individuals who are not wearing seatbelts but are otherwise driving legally?
- Undecided

Crime (Juvenile)

Please indicate which principles you support (if any) to address juvenile crime in Michigan.

1. Prosecute juveniles who commit murder or other serious violent crimes as adults.
- X

2. Provide state funding for military-style "boot camps" for juvenile first-time felons.
- X

3. Increase state funding for local community centers and other social agencies in areas with at-risk youth.
- No Answer

4. Support state government funding of programs for at-risk youth such as guaranteed college loans and job training and placement.
- No Answer

5. Allow courts to hold parents in contempt (or fine them) if they do not appear at their children's hearings.
- X

6. Expand the felony firearm law, which carries mandatory sentences for possession of a firearm during commission of a felony, to cover juveniles.
- X

Economic Development

Please indicate which principles you support (if any) concerning Michigan's economic development.

1. Increase state funds for improving the state's transportation system, including major roadways, railways and airports.
- No Answer

2. Provide low interest loans and tax credits for expanding, start-up, or relocating businesses.
- No Answer

3. Expand legalized gambling (e.g. casinos, riverboats, state lottery, slot machines or video poker gambling).
- No Answer

4. Reduce state government regulations on the private sector.
- X

5. Remove state government controls or caps from wages, prices, rents, profits, production and interest rates.
- No Answer

6. Support limits on cash damages in lawsuits against businesses and professionals for product liability or malpractice.
- X

7. Increase state funding for programs to re-train unemployed workers.
- No Answer

8. Do you support transferring liquor distribution in Michigan from public to private management?
- Undecided

Education

Please indicate which principles you support (if any) regarding Michigan's education system.

1. Increase state funds for professional development and salaries of public school faculty.
- No Answer

2. Endorse teacher-led voluntary school prayer in public schools.
- No Answer

3. Encourage private or corporate investment in certain public school programs.
- X

4. Provide parents with state-funded vouchers to send their children to any participating school (public, private, religious, technical).
- No Answer

5. Support continuation of charter schools where teachers and other professionals receive state authorization and funding to establish new schools.
- X

6. Require the use of state-wide achievement standards for all state public schools.
- No Answer

7. Emphasize local control of education as long as the school district meets state health and safety standards.
- X

8. Support sex education programs which stress abstinence.
- X

9. Support sex education programs which stress safe sexual practices.
- No Answer

10. Do you support the current law (Proposal A) that limits schools to one-year 3-mill increases for operating expenses?
- Yes

11. Should local school districts be required to offer driver education programs to students?
- Undecided

Environment

Please indicate which principles you support (if any) concerning Michigan's environment and natural resources.

1. Enact tougher environmental standards to encourage the sale of cleaner burning fuels throughout Michigan.
- No Answer

2. Support current "self-audit" legislation which creates incentives for polluting industries to audit themselves and clean up pollution.
- X

3. Require a cost/benefit analysis be completed on the economic impact of proposed environmental regulations before they are implemented.
- No Answer

4. Require the state to reimburse citizens when state-sponsored environmental regulations limit the use of privately owned land.
- No Answer

5. Support funding for recycling programs in Michigan.
- No Answer

6. Request flexibility from the federal government in enforcing and funding federal environmental regulations.
- No Answer

7. Suspend Michigan's participation in unfunded, federally mandated environmental protection legislation.
- No Answer

8. Maintain minimum environmental quality as mandated by current federal regulations.
- No Answer

9. Expand private logging on state property.
- No Answer

Government Reform

Do you support the current laws which limit the terms of the following Michigan officials?

1. State Senators (two 4-year terms)
- Undecided

2. State Representatives (three 2-year terms)
- Undecided

3. Governors (two 4-year terms)
- Undecided

4. Do you support amending the U.S. Constitution to require an annual balanced federal budget?
- Yes

5. Do you support requiring limits on individual contributions to state legislative candidates?
- Yes

6. Do you support requiring limits on PAC contributions to state legislative candidates?
- Yes

7. Do you support the current ban on corporate contributions to state legislative candidates?
- Yes

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

9. Do you support imposing spending limits on state level political campaigns?
- No

10. Do you support partial funding from state taxes for state level political campaigns?
- No

11. Should candidates for Michigan's state legislature be legally required to sign an affidavit affirming that their commercials are truthful?
- Yes

Gun

Please indicate which principles you support (if any) concerning gun issues.

1. Support expanding the nationwide federal ban on the public sale of assault weapons to include all forms of semi-automatic weapons.
- No Answer

2. Increase state restrictions on the purchase and possession of firearms.
- No Answer

3. Maintain all state registration procedures and state restrictions on possessing firearms.
- X

4. Ease state procedures and restrictions on the purchase and registration of firearms.
- No Answer

5. Repeal all state bans and measures that restrict law-abiding citizens from obtaining firearms.
- No Answer

6. Continue to allow law-abiding citizens to carry concealed firearms.
- No Answer

7. Allow convicted felons to receive concealed weapons permits if they commit no crimes for at least eight years after release from prison.
- No Answer

Health Care

Please indicate which principles you support (if any) concerning Michigan's health care system.

1. Expand state funding for pre-natal and infant care programs available in the state, including immunizations.
- No Answer

2. Provide tax incentives to assist small businesses in providing health care to their employees.
- No Answer

3. Ensure that Michigan citizens have access to basic health care, through managed care, insurance reforms, or state-funded care where necessary.
- No Answer

4. Guaranteeing medical care to all citizens is not a responsibility of state government.
- X

5. Limit the amount of damages that can be awarded in medical malpractice lawsuits.
- No Answer

6. Should terminally ill individuals have the right to end their lives?
- Undecided

State Budget

Indicate what changes you support (if any) concerning levels of funding for the following categories. Select one option only.

1. Abortion
- Eliminate

2. Adult Education
- Slightly Decrease

3. Affirmative Action
- Greatly Decrease

4. Agriculture
- Maintain Status

5. AIDS Programs
- Maintain Status

6. Education
- Slightly Increase

7. Environment
- Maintain Status

8. Health care
- Maintain Status

9. Law enforcement
- Greatly Increase

10. Welfare
- Greatly Decrease

State Taxes

Please indicate the changes you support (if any) concerning Michigan's tax levels. Select one option only.

1. Alcohol Taxes
- Maintain Status

2. Business Taxes
- Slightly Decrease

3. Capital gains taxes
- Slightly Decrease

4. Gas and Oil Severance Taxes
- Maintain Status

5. Gasoline taxes
- Maintain Status

6. Income Taxes (incomes less than $75,000)
- Slightly Decrease

7. Income Taxes (incomes greater than $75,000)
- Slightly Decrease

8. Property taxes
- Slightly Decrease

9. Sales taxes
- Maintain Status

10. State Fees
- Maintain Status

11. Do you support Michigan's flat tax on businesses?
- Undecided

12. Do you support Michigan's flat tax on individual incomes?
- Yes

Welfare

Please indicate which principles you support (if any) regarding Michigan's welfare system.

1. Provide child care services to welfare recipients who work or attend school.
- No Answer

2. Allow welfare recipients to work and still receive state-funded health care and child care (if needed) until they become self-sufficient.
- X

3. Require that able-bodied welfare recipients receive job training, attend school, or work in order to receive welfare benefits.
- X

4. Require that unwed mothers under the age of 18 attend school and live with a parent or guardian (if possible) to receive welfare benefits.
- No Answer

5. Limit the welfare benefits given to recipients if they have additional children.
- No Answer

6. Provide two-parent families living in poverty the same welfare benefits as one-parent families.
- No Answer

7. Eliminate government-funded welfare and advocate privately-funded assistance to people in need.
- No Answer

8. Impose a two-year limit on welfare benefits for recipients who are able to work.
- No Answer

9. Do you support the establishment of a "rainy day fund" to compensate for potential future shortfalls in federal welfare block grants?
- Undecided

Legislative Priorities

Explain what your two main legislative priorities will be if elected to the Michigan State Legislature. If any of your priorities will require additional government funding, explain how you intend to obtain the additional funding.
- No Answer