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Thaddeus Kirkland

D

Won the General, 2012 Pennsylvania State House District 159

Mayor (Chester, PA) - At-Large (? - Present)

Quick Facts
Personal Details

Education

  • Attended, Eastern Baptist Theological Seminary
  • BA, Communications, Cheyney University, 1991

Professional Experience

  • Attended, Eastern Baptist Theological Seminary
  • BA, Communications, Cheyney University, 1991
  • Associate Pastor, Community Baptist Church, present
  • Youth Services Director
  • Sunday School Teacher
  • Community Service Coordinator, Crozer Chester Medical Center
  • Counselor, Crozer Chester Medical Center, 1988-1992
  • Counselor, Elwine Institute, 1984-1988

Political Experience

  • Attended, Eastern Baptist Theological Seminary
  • BA, Communications, Cheyney University, 1991
  • Associate Pastor, Community Baptist Church, present
  • Youth Services Director
  • Sunday School Teacher
  • Community Service Coordinator, Crozer Chester Medical Center
  • Counselor, Crozer Chester Medical Center, 1988-1992
  • Counselor, Elwine Institute, 1984-1988
  • Candidate, United States House of Representatives, District 5, 2018
  • Representative, Commonwealth of Pennsylvania House of Representatives, District 159, 1992-2016

Former Committees/Caucuses

Chaplin, National Black Caucus of State Legislators, 1998-present

Member, Mayor of Chester's Advisory Committee on Education

Vice Chair, Pennsylvania Legislative Black Caucus

Current Legislative Committees

No committee memberships found.

Religious, Civic, and other Memberships

  • Attended, Eastern Baptist Theological Seminary
  • BA, Communications, Cheyney University, 1991
  • Associate Pastor, Community Baptist Church, present
  • Youth Services Director
  • Sunday School Teacher
  • Community Service Coordinator, Crozer Chester Medical Center
  • Counselor, Crozer Chester Medical Center, 1988-1992
  • Counselor, Elwine Institute, 1984-1988
  • Candidate, United States House of Representatives, District 5, 2018
  • Representative, Commonwealth of Pennsylvania House of Representatives, District 159, 1992-2016
  • Member, West End Ministerium, 1990-present
  • Vice President, Ministerial Fellowship of Chester & Vicinity, present
  • Former Board Member, Chester AIDS Coalition
  • Member, Cheyney Alumni Association
  • Member, National Association for the Advancement of Colored People
  • Member, Omega Psi Phi Fraternity Incorporated, present
Policy Positions

2020

Abortion

1. Do you generally support pro-choice or pro-life legislation?
- Pro-choice

Budget

1. In order to balance the budget, do you support an income tax increase on any tax bracket?
- Unknown Position

2. In order to balance the budget, do you support reducing defense spending?
- Unknown Position

Campaign Finance

Do you support the regulation of indirect campaign contributions from corporations and unions?
- Unknown Position

Economy

1. Do you support federal spending as a means of promoting economic growth?
- Unknown Position

2. Do you support lowering corporate taxes as a means of promoting economic growth?
- Unknown Position

Education

1. Do you support requiring states to adopt federal education standards?
- Unknown Position

Energy & Environment

1. Do you support government funding for the development of renewable energy (e.g. solar, wind, thermal)?
- Unknown Position

2. Do you support the federal regulation of greenhouse gas emissions?
- Unknown Position

Guns

Do you generally support gun-control legislation?
- Unknown Position

Health Care

Do you support repealing the 2010 Affordable Care Act ("Obamacare")?
- Unknown Position

Immigration

1. Do you support the construction of a wall along the Mexican border?
- Unknown Position

2. Do you support requiring immigrants who are unlawfully present to return to their country of origin before they are eligible for citizenship?
- Unknown Position

Marijuana

Do you support the legalization of marijuana for recreational purposes?
- Unknown Position

National Security

1. Should the United States use military force in order to prevent governments hostile to the U.S. from possessing a nuclear weapon?
- Unknown Position

2. Do you support increased American intervention in Middle Eastern conflicts beyond air support?
- Unknown Position

Pennsylvania State Legislative Election 2004 National Political Awareness Test

Abortion

Indicate which principles you support (if any) regarding abortion.

1. Abortions should always be illegal.
- No Answer

2. Abortions should always be legal.
- No Answer

3. Abortions should be legal only within the first trimester of pregnancy.
- No Answer

4. Abortions should be legal when the pregnancy resulted from incest or rape.
- X

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

6. Prohibit public funding of abortions and of organizations that advocate or perform abortions.
- No Answer

7. Other or expanded principles
- No Answer

Budgetary, Spending and Tax

State Budget: Indicate the funding levels (#1-6) you will support for the following general categories. Select one level per category.State Taxes: Indicate the tax levels (#1-6) you will support. Select one level per tax.

1. Education (Higher)
- Greatly Increase

2. Education (K-12)
- Greatly Increase

3. Environment
- Greatly Increase

4. Health care
- Greatly Increase

5. Law enforcement
- Maintain Status

6. Transportation and Highway infrastructure
- Slightly Increase

7. Welfare
- Slightly Increase

8. Other or expanded categories
- No Answer

9. Alcohol taxes
- Greatly Increase

10. Capital gains taxes
- No Answer

11. Cigarette taxes
- Slightly Increase

12. Corporate taxes
- No Answer

13. Gasoline taxes
- Greatly Decrease

14. Income taxes (incomes below $75,000)
- Slightly Increase

15. Income taxes (incomes above $75,000)
- Greatly Increase

16. Inheritance taxes
- Eliminate

17. Property taxes
- Greatly Decrease

18. Sales taxes
- Maintain Status

19. Vehicle taxes
- Maintain Status

20. Should Internet sales be taxed?
- Yes

21. Do you support legalizing slot machines at racetracks?
- No

22. Do you support an increase in income taxes in order to lower property taxes and increase aid to education?
- Yes

23. Other or expanded principles
- No Answer

Campaign Finance and Governmental Reform

Indicate which principles you support (if any) regarding campaign finance and government reform.c) Do you support limiting the following types of contributions to state legislative and gubernatorial candidates?

1. Do you support the current limit of two four-year terms for Pennsylvania governors?
- No Answer

2. Do you support limiting the number of terms for Pennsylvania state senators and representatives?
- No Answer

3. Individual
- No Answer

4. PAC
- No Answer

5. Corporate
- No Answer

6. Political Parties
- No Answer

7. Do you support requiring full and timely disclosure of campaign finance information?
- No Answer

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

9. Do you support adopting statewide standards for counting, verifying, and ensuring accuracy of votes?
- No Answer

10. Do you support prohibiting the reporting of media exit polling results until all polling locations in Pennsylvania are closed?
- No Answer

11. Should Pennsylvania recognize civil unions between same-sex couples?
- No Answer

12. Should Pennsylvania restrict marriage to a union only between a man and a woman?
- No Answer

13. Do you support requiring telecommunications firms to offer broadband services to all of Pennsylvania by 2010?
- No Answer

14. Do you support reauthorizing Pennsylvania's current telecommunications regulations (Chapter 30)?
- No Answer

15. Other or expanded principles
- No Answer

Crime

Indicate which principles you support (if any) regarding crime.

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

2. Support the death penalty in Pennsylvania.
- No Answer

3. Support programs to provide prison inmates with vocational and job-related skills and job-placement assistance when released.
- X

4. End parole for repeat violent offenders.
- No Answer

5. Implement penalties other than incarceration for certain non-violent offenders.
- X

6. Decriminalize the possession of small amounts of marijuana.
- X

7. Strengthen penalties and sentences for drug-related crimes.
- No Answer

8. Minors accused of a violent crime should be prosecuted as adults.
- No Answer

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

10. Increase funding for state and local emergency agencies to prevent and to respond to terrorist attacks.
- X

11. Allow the use of radar and LIDAR by local police departments.
- X

12. Other or expanded principles
- No Answer

Education

Indicate which principles you support (if any) regarding education.

1. Support national standards and testing of public school students.
- X

2. Provide parents with state-funded vouchers to send their children to any public school.
- X

3. Provide parents with state-funded vouchers to send their children to any private or religious school.
- No Answer

4. Increase state funds for school capital improvements (e.g. buildings and infrastructure).
- X

5. Increase state funds for hiring additional teachers.
- X

6. Support teacher testing and reward with merit pay.
- X

7. Endorse voluntary prayer in public schools.
- X

8. Require public schools to administer high school exit exams.
- No Answer

9. Provide state funding to increase teacher salaries.
- X

10. Increase funding for Head Start programs.
- X

11. Provide state funding for tax incentives and financial aid to help make college more affordable.
- X

12. Support sexual education programs that include information on abstinence, contraceptives, and HIV/STD prevention methods.
- X

13. Support abstinence-only sexual education programs.
- No Answer

14. Other or expanded principles
- No Answer

Employment and Affirmative Action

Employment: Indicate which principles you support (if any) regarding employment.Affirmative Action: Should race, ethnicity, or gender be taken into account in state agencies' decisions on:

1. Increase funding for state job-training programs that re-train displaced workers and teach skills needed in today's job market.
- X

2. Reduce state government regulations on the private sector in order to encourage investment and economic expansion.
- No Answer

3. Provide low interest loans and tax credits for starting, expanding, or relocating businesses.
- X

4. Provide tax credits for businesses that provide child care for children in low-income working families.
- X

5. Increase state funds to provide child care for children in low-income working families.
- X

6. Include sexual orientation in Pennsylvania's anti-discrimination laws.
- X

7. Increase the state minimum wage.
- X

8. Other or expanded principles
- No Answer

9. Public employment
- Yes

10. State college and university admissions
- Yes

11. State contracting
- Yes

Environment and Energy

Indicate which principles you support (if any) regarding the environment and energy.

1. Promote increased use of alternative fuel technology.
- X

2. Support increased production of traditional domestic energy sources (e.g. coal, natural gas, and oil).
- No Answer

3. Use state funds to clean up former industrial and commercial sites that are contaminated, unused, or abandoned.
- X

4. Support funding for open space preservation.
- X

5. Enact environmental regulations even if they are stricter than federal law.
- X

6. Support the $800 million Growing Greener bond.
- X

7. Support waiving sales taxes on the purchase of energy efficient appliances during twice-annual "tax holidays."
- No Answer

8. Other or expanded principles
- No Answer

Gun

Indicate which principles you support (if any) regarding guns.

1. Maintain and strengthen the enforcement of existing state restrictions on the purchase and possession of guns.
- X

2. Ease state restrictions on the purchase and possession of guns.
- X

3. Repeal state restrictions on the purchase and possession of guns.
- No Answer

4. Allow citizens to carry concealed guns.
- No Answer

5. Require manufacturers to provide child-safety locks on guns.
- X

6. Require background checks on gun sales between private citizens at gun shows.
- X

7. Require a license for gun possession.
- X

8. Other or expanded principles
- No Answer

Health

Indicate which principles you support (if any) regarding health.

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

2. Transfer more existing Medicaid recipients into managed care programs.
- No Answer

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

4. Support patients' right to sue their HMOs.
- X

5. Support patients' right to appeal to an administrative board of specialists when services are denied.
- X

6. Guaranteed medical care to all citizens is not a responsibility of state government.
- No Answer

7. Legalize physician assisted suicide in Pennsylvania.
- No Answer

8. Allow doctors to prescribe marijuana to their patients for medicinal purposes.
- X

9. Other or expanded principles
- No Answer

Welfare and Poverty

Indicate which principles you support (if any) regarding welfare.

1. Support increased work requirements for able-bodied welfare recipients.
- X

2. Increase funding for employment and job training programs for welfare recipients.
- X

3. Increase access to public transportation for welfare recipients who work.
- X

4. Limit benefits given to recipients if they have additional children while on welfare.
- No Answer

5. Redirect welfare funding to faith-based and community-based private organizations.
- No Answer

6. Use federal TANF (Temporary Assistance to Needy Families) funds to extend health and child care subsidies to the working poor.
- X

7. Support marriage promotion programs for welfare recipients.
- X

8. Eliminate government-funded welfare programs.
- No Answer

9. Other or expanded principles
- No Answer

Legislative Priorities

Please explain in a total of 75 words or less, your top two or three priorities if elected. If they require additional funding for implementation, please explain how you would obtain this funding.
- No Answer