Idaho State Legislative Election 2012 Political Courage Test

Abortion & Reproductive

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

2. Should abortions be illegal after the first trimester of pregnancy?
- No

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?
- No

6. Do you support requiring parental consent before an abortion is performed on a minor?
- No

7. Do you support the prohibition of public funds for abortion procedures?
- No

8. Do you support the prohibition of public funds for organizations that perform abortions?
- No

9. Other or expanded principles
- No Answer

Budget, Spending, & Tax

1. Education (higher)
- Greatly Increase

2. Education (K-12)
- Greatly Increase

3. Environment
- Slightly Increase

4. Health care
- Slightly Increase

5. Law enforcement/corrections
- Slightly Increase

6. Transportation/infrastructure
- Greatly Increase

7. Welfare
- Maintain Status

8. Other or expanded categories
- As for health care, needed reforms can reduce state budget costs while improving access, quality and affordability. Transportation budgets must include improved public transportation.

1. Alcohol taxes
- Maintain Status

2. Cigarette taxes
- Greatly Increase

3. Corporate taxes
- Slightly Decrease

4. Gas/Oil taxes
- Slightly Increase

5. Property taxes
- Greatly Decrease

6. Sales taxes
- Greatly Decrease

7. Income taxes (low-income families)
- Greatly Decrease

8. Income taxes (mid-income families)
- Greatly Decrease

9. Income taxes (high-income families)
- Slightly Increase

10. Other or expanded categories
- Idaho's current tax code is out of date, an impediment to economic growth and too regressive. We need to reduce rates and eliminate many exemptions so that burden is spread more fairly.

1. Tapping into Idaho's "rainy day" fund
- Yes

2. Increasing tuition rates at public universities
- No

3. Reducing or eliminating public worker collective bargaining
- No

4. Reducing state employee salaries AND/OR pensions
- No

5. Instituting mandatory furloughs AND/OR layoffs for state employees
- No

6. Reducing benefits for Medicaid recipients
- No

7. Other or expanded principles
- An additional budget stabilization strategy is to sell the unused and expensive to maintain governor's mansion. Items "b" through "f" present false choices. The best way to address budget issues is to revitalize the economy which will will, in turn, provide needed revenues. Idaho needs a realistic and serious economic plan focusing on all economic sectors, not just agriculture and natural resource based industries. In particular we need to focus on creating high technology jobs in our urban areas.

Campaign Finance & Government Reform

1. Individual
- Yes

2. Political Action Committee
- Yes

3. Corporate
- Yes

4. Political Party
- Yes

5. Should candidates for state office be encouraged to meet voluntary spending limits?
- No

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

7. Do you support the use of an independent AND/OR bipartisan commission for redistricting?
- Yes

8. Do you support requiring a government-issued photo identification in order to vote at the polls?
- No

9. Should the right to hunt, fish, and trap be incorporated into Idaho's constitution?
- Yes

1. Other or expanded principles
- I strongly opposed the closed primary and favor its repeal. Every voter should have the right to vote for the candidate of his/her choice, and without having to disclose a political party affiliation.

Crime & 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?
- Yes

3. Do you support decriminalizing the possession of small amounts of marijuana?
- Yes

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
- As to item "a" it is overused and unfairly administered in too many cases, but it should remain an option for the most serious murders. As to item "c" the first charge should be a non-criminal infraction with no jail time, and repeat offenses should be misdemeanors. As to item "d" this should be option for only the most serious cases. As to item "e" this should be an option for only the most serious, abusive and exploitive cases. As to item "f" such enforcement must be constitutional, fair and free of racial, ethnic and other bias.

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?
- Yes

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
- As to items "d" and "e" I support broad based financial incentives and increased infrastructure spending only if they benefit the overall economy and the general public. As to item "f" I support indirect assistance through tougher regulation and vigorous prosecution of unscrupulous lenders.

Education

1. Do you support the national Common Core State Standards initiative?
- Yes

2. Do you support Idaho's shift to an increased emphasis on technology in the classroom?
- Yes

3. Do you support a performance pay system for teachers?
- No

4. Do you support eliminating tenure for new teachers?
- No

5. Should teachers' collective bargaining abilities be restricted?
- No

6. Should parents be allowed to use vouchers to send their children to any school?
- No

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

8. Do you suppport the state government providing college students with financial aid?
- Yes

9. Should illegal immigrants who graduate from Idaho high schools be eligible for in-state tuition at public universities?
- Yes

10. Other or expanded principles
- As to "a" there should be goals which local schools can adapt to community needs. As to "b" technology was in the classroom before Superintendent Luna tried to suggest otherwise and replace teachers with laptops. As to "c" current pay for performance proposals are deficient because they do not use scientifically valid means to measure teacher performance. As to "f" the public schools budget cannot afford this. As to "h" the state's primary focus should be on keeping tuition and fees low.

Environment & 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 state funding for improvements to Idaho's energy infrastructure?
- Yes

4. Do you support state funding for open space preservation?
- Yes

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

6. Other or expanded principles
- A to Items "a" through "c" the state's focus should be on funding research at state colleges, universities, other instituions and agencies, and providing sensible, broad based incentives for private sector activities which are safe, economically viable and environmentally sound.

Gun

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

2. Should background checks be required on gun sales between private citizens at gun shows?
- No

3. Should citizens be allowed to carry concealed guns?
- Yes

4. Should a license be required for gun possession?
- No

5. Other or expanded principles
- As to item "a" I do support laws barring gun ownership and possesion by felons and the mentally incompetent, and limited restrictions in public buildings. As to itme "c" I support current requirments for a permit to carry a concealed weapon.

Health

1. Do you support a universally-accessible, publicly-administered health insurance option?
- Yes

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. Do you support requiring individuals to purchase health care insurance?
- No

5. Do you support monetary limits on damages that can be collected in malpractice lawsuits?
- No

6. Do you support allowing doctors to prescribe marijuana to their patients for medicinal purposes?
- No

7. Other or expanded principles
- As to item "d" our focus should be on achieving universal coverage by reducing health care and premium costs to the point where everyone wants and can afford coverage through insurance or self insurance. As to itm "e" there are already limits on damages in malpractice cases. As to item "f" I would consider legalization if there is scientific evidence that marijuana is safe, therapeutic and effective.

Social

1. Should marriage only be between one man and one woman?
- No

2. Should same-sex couples be allowed to form civil unions?
- Yes

3. Do you support the inclusion of sexual orientation in Idaho's anti-discrimination laws?
- Yes

4. Do you support the inclusion of gender identity in Idaho's anti-discrimination laws?
- Yes

5. Other or expanded principles
- No Answer

Legislative Priorities

In the following area, on an attached page, or via e-mail, 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.
- 1. Revitalize Idaho's economy.2. Adequately fund our schools, community colleges, colleges and universities.3. Restore an educational environment in which parents, teachers, administrators, school boards and the state work as partners, and with mutual respect, to provide our children the best education possible.4. Stop the undermining of women's health care, and respect the human rights of all people.5. Restore the voting rights of our citizens by repealing the closed primary.