Montana State Legislative Election 2010 Political Courage Test

Abortion and Reproductive

1. Do you consider yourself pro-choice or pro-life?
- Pro-life

2. Should abortion be legal only within the first trimester of pregnancy?
- Yes

3. Should abortion be legal when the pregnancy resulted from incest or rape?
- Yes

4. Should abortion be legal when the life of the woman is endangered?
- Yes

5. Do you support requiring parental notification before an abortion is performed on a minor?
- Yes

6. Do you support requiring parental consent before an abortion is performed on a minor?
- Yes

7. Do you support sexual education programs that include information on abstinence, contraceptives, and HIV/STD prevention methods?
- Yes

8. Do you support abstinence-only sexual education programs?
- Yes

9. Other or expanded principles
- Question B is confusing and can be taken multiple ways (can be taken to mean that a ban is not the choice or that if legal it should only be allowed in the first trimester).

Budget, Spending, and Tax

1. Education (higher)
- Maintain Status

2. Education (K-12)
- Maintain Status

3. Environment
- Maintain Status

4. Health care
- Maintain Status

5. Law enforcement
- Slightly Increase

6. Transportation and highway infrastructure
- Maintain Status

7. Welfare
- Slightly Decrease

8. Other or expanded categories
- No Answer

1. Alcohol taxes
- Maintain Status

2. Business equipment taxes
- Eliminate

3. Cigarette taxes
- Maintain Status

4. Corporate taxes
- Eliminate

5. Gasoline taxes
- Slightly Decrease

6. Oil and natural gas production taxes
- Greatly Decrease

7. Property taxes
- Greatly Decrease

8. Income taxes (low-income families)
- Slightly Decrease

9. Income taxes (middle-income families)
- Slightly Decrease

10. Income taxes (high-income families)
- Slightly Decrease

11. Other or expanded categories
- No Answer

1. Establishing a "rainy day" fund
- No

2. Issuing the early release of certain non-violent offenders
- No

3. Increasing tuition rates at public universities
- No

4. Instituting mandatory furloughs and layoffs for state employees
- No

5. Reducing benefits for Medicaid recipients
- No

6. Privatizing certain government services
- Yes

7. Other or expanded principles
- No Answer

Campaign Finance and Government Reform

1. Individual
- No

2. Political Action Committee
- Yes

3. Corporate
- No

4. Political Party
- Yes

5. Should candidates for state office be encouraged to meet voluntary spending limits?
- Yes

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

7. Other or expanded principles
- No Answer

Crime and Public Safety

1. Do you support capital punishment for certain crimes?
- Yes

2. Do you support alternatives to incarceration for certain non-violent offenders, such as mandatory counseling or substance abuse treatment?
- No

3. Should the possession of small amounts of marijuana be decriminalized?
- No

4. Should a minor accused of a violent crime be prosecuted as an adult?
- Yes

5. Should a minor who sends sexually-explicit or nude photos by cell phone face criminal charges?
- Yes

6. Do you support the enforcement of federal immigration laws by state and local police?
- Yes

7. Other or expanded principles
- No Answer

Economic

1. Do you support reducing government regulations on the private sector?
- Yes

2. Do you support increased state funding for job-training programs that re-train displaced workers?
- Yes

3. Do you support expanding access to unemployment benefits?
- No

4. Do you support providing financial incentives to the private sector for the purpose of job creation?
- Yes

5. Do you support increased spending on infrastructure projects for the purpose of job creation?
- Yes

6. Do you support providing direct financial assistance to homeowners facing foreclosure?
- No

7. Other or expanded principles
- No Answer

Education

1. Do you support national education standards?
- Yes

2. Do you support requiring public schools to administer high school exit exams?
- Yes

3. Do you support using a merit pay system for teachers?
- Yes

4. Do you support state funding for charter schools?
- Yes

5. Do you support the state government providing college students with financial aid?
- Yes

6. Should illegal immigrants who graduate from Montana high schools be eligible for in-state tuition at public universities?
- No

7. Other or expanded principles
- No Answer

Environment and Energy

1. Do you support state funding for the development of alternative energy?
- Yes

2. Do you support state funding for the development of traditional domestic energy sources (e.g. coal, natural gas, oil)?
- Yes

3. Do you support providing financial incentives to farms that produce biofuel crops?
- No

4. Do you support state funding for improvements to Montana's energy infrastructure?
- Yes

5. Do you support the state management of wolf hunting in Montana?
- No

6. Do you support state funding for open space preservation?
- No

7. Do you support enacting environmental regulations aimed at reducing the effects of climate change?
- Yes

8. Other or expanded principles
- I would not chose to support financial incentive for biofuel crops if the result is higher energy or food prices to the consumers.

Gun

1. Do you support restrictions on the purchase and possession of guns?
- No

2. Do you support requiring background checks on gun sales between private citizens at gun shows?
- No

3. Do you support allowing individuals to carry concealed guns?
- Yes

4. Do you support requiring a license for gun possession?
- No

5. Other or expanded principles
- No Answer

Health

1. Do you support a universally-accessible, publicly-administered health insurance option?
- No

2. Do you support expanding access to health care through commercial health insurance reform?
- Yes

3. Do you support interstate health insurance compacts?
- Yes

4. Should individuals be required to purchase health care insurance?
- No

5. Do you support monetary limits on damages that can be collected in malpractice lawsuits?
- Yes

6. Do you support continuing to allow physician-assisted suicide in Montana?
- No

7. Do you support allowing doctors to prescribe marijuana to their patients for medicinal purposes?
- Yes

8. Other or expanded principles
- Health insurance needs to be affordable and accessible, but not mandated for use. It is the individuals choice. I support medical doctors prescribing drugs which are then dispensed in dosages by licensed pharmacists.

Social

1. Should marriage only be between one man and one woman?
- Yes

2. Should Montana allow same-sex couples to form civil unions?
- No

3. Do you support state funding for stem cell research?
- No

4. Do you support state funding for embryonic stem cell research?
- No

5. Do you support the state's use of affirmative action?
- Yes

6. Do you support the inclusion of sexual orientation in Montana's anti-discrimination laws?
- No

7. Do you support the inclusion of gender identity in Montana's anti-discrimination laws?
- No

8. Other or expanded principles
- I support laws and principals that ensure that all men and women are treated fairly and equally. Disputes between employees and companies needs to be fairly addressed without preference being given to any party. Mediation should be utilized that has the power to dismiss complaints that are found to be without merit.

Legislative Priorities

Please explain in a total of 100 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.
- Priority 1: Encouragement of business growth, employee training, and economic development through reduction of frivilous business, equipment and corporate taxes. Priority 2: Reduction of unecessary government spending and unnecessary government growth.Priority 3: Ensuring access to Montana lands and resources in responsible manners.