Pennsylvania 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.
- X

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.
- No Answer

5. Abortions should always be illegal.
- No Answer

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

7. Pennsylvania government funding should not be provided to clinics and medical facilities that provide abortion services.
- No Answer

8. Allow abortion clinics to deliver state-mandated information to women seeking abortions via tape recorded messages.
- No Answer

9. Abortions should be illegal after the second trimester of pregnancy.
- No Answer

Affirmative Action

Please indicate which principles you support (if any) regarding affirmative action in Pennsylvania.

1. Pennsylvania government should prosecute cases of discrimination in the public and private sector.
- X

2. Pennsylvania government should provide no affirmative action programs.
- No Answer

3. Increase state funding provided to the Minority Business Development Authority.
- No Answer

4. Specific, adjustable percentages of contracts for state work should be awarded to minority- or woman-owned businesses.
- X

5. Do you believe that Pennsylvania government should recognize same-sex marriages?
- Undecided

6. Do you believe that Pennsylvania government should add sexual orientation to the state's anti-discrimination laws?
- Yes

Budgetary

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

1. Abortion
- Slightly Increase

2. Affirmative Action
- Slightly Increase

3. Agriculture
- Maintain Status

4. AIDS Programs
- Maintain Status

5. C.H.I.P. (Children's Health Insurance Program) - State-funded program which provides health insurance to children whose families can't afford it.
- Maintain Status

6. Education
- Greatly Increase

7. Environment
- Maintain Status

8. Health Care
- Slightly Increase

9. Law enforcement
- Greatly Increase

10. Welfare
- Slightly Decrease

Children & Families

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

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

2. Provide tax credits for businesses that provide child care for their employees.
- X

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

4. Support legislation to allow abused children to terminate parental rights through court-appointed lawyers.
- No Answer

Crime

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

1. Increase state funds for construction of state prisons and for hiring of additional prison staff.
- No Answer

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. Expand the use of the death penalty for additional circumstances relating to murder.
- No Answer

5. Oppose the death penalty.
- No Answer

6. Implement penalties other than incarceration for certain non-violent offenses.
- 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.
- X

13. Support contracting with private sector firms to manage state prisons.
- X

14. Advocate the use of prison labor for private industry.
- No Answer

15. Limit the number of appeals allowed for inmates on death row.
- X

Crime (Juvenile)

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

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

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

3. Increase state funding for community centers and other social agencies in areas with at-risk youth.
- X

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 liable for a minor child who possesses a firearm.
- No Answer

6. Support allowing cities to impose curfews for minors in high crime areas.
- X

7. Support opening juvenile court proceedings to the public.
- No Answer

Economic Development

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

1. Increase state funds for improving the state's transportation system, including major roadways, railways, and airports.
- X

2. Provide low interest loans and tax credits for expanding, start-up, or relocating businesses.
- X

3. Expand legalized gambling to include riverboat gambling.
- X

4. Reduce state government regulations on the private sector.
- No Answer

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. Promote export initiatives to prioritize the expansion of the international market for Pennsylvania-produced goods.
- X

9. Increase Pennsylvania's minimum wage.
- X

10. Support allowing state liquor stores to privatize.
- X

Education

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

1. Increase state funds for professional development and salaries of public school faculty.
- X

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. Implement 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 Pennsylvania public schools.
- X

7. Emphasize local control of education as long as the school district meets state health and safety standards.
- No Answer

8. Support sex education programs which stress abstinence.
- No Answer

9. Support sex education programs which stress safe sexual practices.
- X

10. Increase state funds for school building improvement and maintenance.
- No Answer

11. Increase state funds for school security (e.g. metal detectors, truancy officers, etc.)
- X

12. Support a school choice program which allows parents to choose which public school their child should attend.
- No Answer

13. Provide state funding for programs which increase Pennsylvania students' access to the Internet and other telecommunications networks.
- No Answer

14. Do you support allowing public school teachers to strike for higher pay?
- No

Environment

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

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

2. Support "self-audit" legislation which creates incentives for polluting industries to audit themselves and clean up pollution.
- No Answer

3. Require that 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. Provide funding for recycling programs in Pennsylvania.
- X

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

7. Continue to suspend Pennsylvania'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. Do you support continuing Pennsylvania's status as a host state for commercial low-level radioactive waste disposal?
- Yes

Government Reform

1. Would you support amending the Pennsylvania Constitution to limit the terms of Pennsylvania State Senators and Representatives?
- Yes

2. Do you support the current law which limits the Pennsylvania governor's terms to two, four-year terms?
- Yes

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

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

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

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

7. Do you support requiring full and timely disclosure of campaign finance information?
- Undecided

8. Do you support imposing spending limits on political campaigns?
- Yes

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

10. Do you support allowing state legislators to vote on their rate of pay?
- No

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.
- No Answer

4. Ease state procedures and restrictions on the purchase and registration of firearms.
- X

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 with a permit.
- X

7. Support legislation to ban guns in school zones.
- X

8. Support gun safety educational programs in public schools.
- No Answer

Health Care

Please indicate which principles you support (if any) concerning Pennsylvania'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.
- X

3. Ensure that Pennsylvania's citizens have access to basic health care, through managed care, insurance reforms, or state-funded care where necessary.
- X

4. Guaranteeing medical care to all citizens is not a responsibility of government.
- No Answer

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

6. Provide state assistance to seniors and the disabled to allow them access to home and community-based health care.
- X

7. Support legislation which allows citizens and small employers to pool their health insurance purchasing power.
- No Answer

8. Enact legislation which assures Pennsylvania workers will have portable health insurance if they lose their jobs.
- No Answer

9. Request a waiver from the federal government to provide Medicaid services through managed care programs.
- No Answer

10. Support legislation requiring health insurance providers to provide certain medical services (e.g., 48 hour hospital stay for mothers after childbirth).
- No Answer

State Taxes

Please indicate the changes you will support (if any) concerning Pennsylvania's tax levels.

1. Alcohol Taxes
- Slightly Increase

2. Business Taxes
- Greatly Decrease

3. Capital gains taxes
- Maintain Status

4. Income Taxes (incomes less than $75,000)
- Greatly Decrease

5. Income Taxes (incomes greater than $75,000)
- Slightly Increase

6. Property taxes
- Maintain Status

7. Sales taxes
- Slightly Increase

8. State Fees
- Maintain Status

9. Do you support a flat tax structure for state income taxes?
- Undecided

Welfare

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

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

2. Allow welfare recipients with small children to work and still receive state-funded health care and child care until they become self-sufficient.
- No Answer

3. Require that able-bodied welfare recipients receive job training, attend school, or work in order to receive welfare benefits.
- No Answer

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.
- X

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.
- X

9. Continue to fund programs to re-train unemployed welfare recipients so they have currently marketable skills.
- No Answer

Legislative Priorities

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