Alaska State Legislative Election 1996 National Political Awareness Test

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.
- X

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.
- No Answer

7. Abortions should be limited by parental notification requirements for girls under the age of 16.
- X

8. Should Alaska government funding be provided to clinics and medical facilities that provide abortion services?
- No

Affirmative Action/Civil Rights

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

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

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

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

Children & Families

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. Increase state funding for child abuse prevention programs such as Alaska Children's Trust.
- X

Crime

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. Expand the use of the death penalty for additional circumstances relating to murder.
- X

5. Oppose the death penalty.
- No Answer

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

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.
- X

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.
- X

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

13. Support laws requiring restitution to crime victims at the personal expense of the criminal.
- X

14. Implement stricter restrictions on living conditions of state prison inmates (e.g. minimal television and recreation, no smoking).
- X

Crime (Juvenile)

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.
- X

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

5. Allow cities to impose curfews for minors.
- X

6. Allow courts to hold parents accountable, both financially and criminally, for a minor child who violates the law.
- No Answer

7. Increase state funding for community programs that focus on preventing youths from joining gangs.
- X

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 (e.g. casino gambling).
- No Answer

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.
- X

8. Curtail legalized gambling in Alaska.
- X

9. Support the construction of a natural gas pipeline to facilitate the sale of Alaskan fuel to Pacific Rim markets.
- X

Education

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.
- No Answer

4. Provide parents with state-funded vouchers to send their children to any participating school (public, private, religious, technical).
- X

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 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. Provide monetary rewards to schools with the most improvement in student test scores.
- No Answer

11. Support a school choice program which allows parents to choose which public school their child(ren) should attend.
- X

Environment

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

2. Support "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.
- X

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

5. Continue to provide funding for recycling programs in Alaska.
- X

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

7. Suspend Alaska's participation in unfunded, federally mandated environmental protection legislation.
- X

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

1. Federal
- No Answer

2. State
- X

3. Local
- No Answer

4. None
- No Answer

5. Do you support opening the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge to oil and gas exploration?
- Yes

Government Reform

1. State Senators
- Yes

2. State Representatives
- Yes

3. Do you support the current law which limits Alaska's Governor's terms to two, four-year terms?
- Yes

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 requiring limits 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?
- Yes

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

Gun

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.
- X

6. Continue to allow law-abiding citizens to carry concealed firearms.
- X

Health Care

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 Alaska 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 state government.
- No Answer

5. Limit the amount of damages that can be awarded in medical malpractice lawsuits.
- X

State Budget

1. Abortion
- Eliminate

2. Affirmative Action
- Maintain Status

3. AIDS Programs
- Maintain Status

4. Education
- Slightly Increase

5. Environment
- Maintain Status

6. Health care
- Maintain Status

7. Law enforcement
- Greatly Increase

8. Welfare
- Greatly Decrease

State Taxes

1. Alcohol Taxes
- Maintain Status

2. Business Taxes
- Maintain Status

3. Capital gains taxes
- Maintain Status

4. Cigarette taxes
- Maintain Status

5. Gasoline taxes
- Maintain Status

6. Property taxes
- Maintain Status

7. Sales taxes
- Maintain Status

8. State Fees
- Maintain Status

9. Would you support a state income tax on incomes other than interest and dividend income in Alaska?
- No

10. If an income tax were enacted in Alaska, would you support a flat tax structure for state income taxes?
- Undecided

Welfare

1. Provide child care services to welfare recipients who work or attend school.
- X

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.
- X

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.
- No Answer

9. Impose a five-year lifetime limit on welfare benefits.
- X

10. Increase state funds for agencies, like the Association of Village Council Presidents, that help welfare recipients find jobs.
- No Answer

Legislative Priorities

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