Pennsylvania State Legislative Election 2000 National Political Awareness Test

Abortion

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

1. Abortions should always be illegal.
- No Answer

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

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

4. Abortions should be legal when pregnancy results from incest, rape or the life of the woman is endangered.
- X

5. Abortions should be limited by waiting periods and notification requirements as decided by each state government.
- No Answer

6. Support prohibition of the dilation and extraction procedure, also known as "partial-birth" abortion.
- No Answer

7. Support "buffer zones" at abortion clinics by requiring demonstrators to remain a certain distance from doorways and driveways.
- No Answer

8. Support prohibition of public funding for abortions and organizations that advocate or perform abortions.
- No Answer

9. Other
- No Answer

Budget and Tax

State Budget: Indicate the funding levels you will support for the following general categories.

1. Education (Higher)
- Greatly Increase Funding

2. Education (K-12)
- Greatly Increase Funding

3. Environment
- Maintain Funding Status

4. Health care
- Greatly Increase Funding

5. Law enforcement
- Greatly Increase Funding

6. Transportation and Highway infrastructure
- Greatly Increase Funding

7. Welfare
- Greatly Increase Funding

8. Other
- No Answer

State Taxes: Indicate the tax levels you will support.

1. Alcohol taxes
- Maintain Status

2. Capital gains taxes
- Maintain Status

3. Cigarette taxes
- Greatly Increase

4. Corporate taxes
- Maintain Status

5. Gasoline taxes
- Greatly Decrease

6. Income taxes (incomes below $75,000)
- Greatly Decrease

7. Income taxes (incomes above $75,000)
- Greatly Decrease

8. Inheritance taxes
- Greatly Decrease

9. Property taxes
- Maintain Status

10. Sales taxes
- Slightly Decrease

11. Vehicle taxes
- Slightly Decrease

12. Other
- No Answer

13. Should Internet sales be taxed?
- Undecided

14. Do you support a flat tax structure for state income taxes?
- Yes

15. Would you support returning any operating surplus to Pennsylvania taxpayers?
- Yes

16. Would you support placing any operating surplus into a "rainy day" fund?
- Yes

Crime

Indicate which principles you support (if any) to address crime.

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

2. Support contracting with private sector firms to build and/or manage state prisons.
- X

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

4. Support the use of the death penalty in Pennsylvania.
- X

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

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

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

8. Decriminalize the use of marijuana for medicinal purposes.
- No Answer

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

10. Lower the blood-alcohol-content limit defining drunk driving.
- X

11. Prosecute as adults, youths accused of a felony.
- No Answer

12. Increase penalties for crimes committed on school grounds.
- X

13. Require that crimes based on gender, sexual orientation, or disability be prosecuted as hate crimes.
- X

14. Support programs that provide job training and placement services for at-risk youth.
- X

15. Ban the use of racial profiling by law enforcement officers.
- X

16. Support a moratorium on the death penalty.
- No Answer

17. Expand Megan's Law to include all violent sexual offenders.
- X

18. Other
- No Answer

Education

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

1. Increase state funds for professional development of public school teachers and administrators.
- X

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

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

4. Support charter schools where teachers and professionals receive authorization and funding to establish new schools.
- No Answer

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

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

7. Endorse teacher-led voluntary prayer in public schools.
- X

8. Support posting the Ten Commandments in public schools.
- No Answer

9. Require public schools to administer high school exit exams.
- X

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

11. Support teacher testing and reward teachers with merit pay.
- No Answer

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

13. Guarantee Pennsylvania students ranked in the top 15% of their graduating class admission to state universities.
- X

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

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

16. Other
- No Answer

Employment and Affirmative Action

Employment: Indicate which principles you support (if any) concerning employment.

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

2. Reduce state government regulations on the private sector to encourage investment and economic expansion.
- X

3. Support limits on cash damages in lawsuits against businesses and professionals for product liability or malpractice.
- No Answer

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

5. Other
- No Answer

Affirmative Action: Which of the following state agencies should take race and sex into account when making employment decisions?

1. College and university admissions
- Yes

2. Public employment
- Yes

3. State contracting
- Yes

4. Other
- No Answer

Environment & Energy

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

1. Encourage further development and use of alternative fuels to reduce pollution.
- X

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

3. Require a cost/benefit analysis to determine the economic impact of proposed environmental regulations before they are implemented.
- X

4. Require states to fully compensate citizens when environmental regulations limit uses on privately owned land.
- X

5. Support funding for recycling programs in Pennsylvania.
- X

6. Request added flexibility from the federal government in enforcing and funding federal environmental regulations.
- X

7. Suspend participation in un-funded, federally-mandated environmental protection legislation.
- X

8. Increase funding for the Growing Greener Program which preserves farmland and open space, maintains state parks, cleans up mining areas, and improves water systems.
- X

9. Other
- No Answer

10. Should state environmental regulations be stricter than federal law?
- No

Government Reform

Indicate which principles you support (if any) regarding government reform.

1. Do you support the current limit on terms for Pennsylvania Governors?
- Yes

2. Do you support limiting the number of terms for Pennsylvania State Senators and Representatives?
- No

3. Individual
- No

4. PAC
- Yes

5. Corporate
- Yes

6. Political Parties
- Yes

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

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

9. Do you support partial funding from state taxes for state level political campaigns?
- Yes

10. Do you support voting on-line?
- Undecided

11. Do you support on-line voter registration?
- Undecided

12. Do you support implementing an open primary system in Pennsylvania?
- No

13. Do you support expanding Pennsylvania's open records law to include electronic data?
- Undecided

14. Other
- No Answer

Gun

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

1. Ban the sale or transfer of semi-automatic guns, except those used for hunting.
- X

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

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

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

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

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

7. Require background checks of gun buyers at gun shows.
- X

8. Require a license for gun possession.
- X

9. Require Pennsylvania law enforcement officers to carry guns equipped with safety features which allow only the owner to discharge the gun.
- No Answer

10. Other
- No Answer

Health

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

1. Provide tax incentives to small businesses that provide health care to their employees.
- X

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

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

4. Use state funds to continue some Medicaid coverage for legal immigrants.
- X

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

6. Support a patient's right to sue his or her HMO.
- X

7. Support a patient's right to appeal to an administrative board of specialists when services are denied.
- X

8. Guaranteed medical care to all citizens is not a responsibility of state government.
- X

9. Increase funding for the PACE program which provides medications for the elderly.
- X

10. Other
- No Answer

Social

Indicate which principles you support (if any) regarding social issues.

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

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

3. Deny or suspend state-issued permits and licenses to parents who are delinquent in paying court-ordered child support.
- No Answer

4. Increase state funding for Head Start in order to serve additional children and/or increase services from a half to a full day.
- X

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

6. Support state funding of programs for at-risk youth such as guaranteed college loans, and job training and placement.
- X

7. Support state funding of fatherhood promotion initiatives which include responsible parenting and job training.
- X

8. Other
- No Answer

9. Should physician assisted suicide be legally available in Pennsylvania?
- No

10. Should Pennsylvania include sexual orientation in its anti-discrimination laws?
- Undecided

11. Should Pennsylvania recognize civil unions between same-sex couples?
- Yes

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

13. Should Pennsylvania grant same-sex couples the same parental and adoption rights as heterosexual couples?
- Yes

Welfare and Poverty

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

1. Maintain current time limits on welfare benefits.
- X

2. Maintain the requirement that able-bodied recipients work in order to receive benefits.
- X

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

4. Provide tax incentives to businesses that hire welfare recipients.
- X

5. Provide child care for welfare recipients who work.
- X

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

7. Allow welfare recipients to remain eligible for benefits while saving money for education, starting a business, or buying a home.
- X

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

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

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

11. Use federal TANF (Temporary Assistance to Needy Families) funds to expand state services to include the working poor.
- X

12. Other
- No Answer

Legislative Priorities

Please explain what your two main legislative priorities will be if elected. Please explain how you would obtain any additional government funding needed to implement these priorities.
- No Answer