Delaware State Legislative Election 1996 National Political Awareness Test

Abortion

Please indicate which principles you support (if any) concerning abortion.

1. Abortions should always be legally available.
- X

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.
- No Answer

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 mandatory waiting periods.
- No Answer

7. Should girls under 18 be required to inform a parent or legal guardian before having an abortion?
- Yes

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

Affirmative Action/Civil Rights

Please indicate which principles you support (if any) regarding affirmative action and civil rights in Delaware.

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

2. Do you support the proposed bill (HB 114) to end most affirmative action in Delaware?
- No Answer

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

4. Do you believe that sexual orientation should be added to Delaware's anti-discrimination laws?
- No Answer

Children and Families

Please indicate which principles you support (if any) regarding children and family issues in Delaware.

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.
- No Answer

4. Require non-custodial parents to help cover college costs for their children up to age 23.
- X

Crime

Please indicate which principles you support (if any) to address crime in Delaware.

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.
- No Answer

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.
- No Answer

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

13. Require prison inmates to pay a portion of their health care costs.
- No Answer

14. Support contracting with private sector firms to manage state prisons.
- No Answer

Crime (Juvenile)

Please indicate which principles you support (if any) to address juvenile crime in Delaware.

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 courts to hold parents accountable for a minor child who violates the law.
- No Answer

Economic Development

Please indicate which principles you support (if any) concerning Delaware's 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. video gambling).
- No Answer

4. Reduce state government regulations on the private sector.
- X

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.
- No Answer

7. Increase state funding for programs to re-train unemployed workers.
- X

Education

Please indicate which principles you support (if any) regarding Delaware's education system.

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.
- X

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

5. Support continuation of 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.
- X

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.
- X

10. Support "school choice" which allows parents to choose which public school their child(ren) should attend.
- X

11. Allow local school boards to require public school students to wear uniforms.
- X

Environment

Please indicate which principles you support (if any) concerning Delaware's environment and natural resources.

1. Enact tougher environmental standards to encourage the sale of cleaner burning fuels throughout Delaware.
- X

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.
- No Answer

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

5. Provide funding for recycling programs in Delaware.
- X

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

7. Suspend Delaware's participation in unfunded, federally mandated environmental protection legislation.
- No Answer

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

Government Reform

Would you support amending the Delaware Constitution to limit the terms of the following state officials?

1. State Senators
- No Answer

2. State Representatives
- No Answer

3. Do you support the current law which limits Delaware's Governor to a total of two, four-year terms?
- No Answer

4. Do you support amending the U.S. Constitution to require an annual balanced federal budget?
- No Answer

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 Answer

Gun

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

1. Support expanding the nationwide federal ban on the public sale of assault weapons to include all forms of semi-automatic weapons.
- X

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.
- No Answer

5. Repeal all state bans and measures that restrict law-abiding citizens from obtaining firearms.
- No Answer

6. Allow law-abiding citizens to carry concealed firearms.
- No Answer

Health Care

Please indicate which principles you support (if any) concerning Delaware's health care system.

1. Expand state funding for pre-natal and infant care programs available in the state, including immunizations.
- X

2. Provide tax incentives to assist small businesses in providing health care to their employees.
- X

3. Ensure that Delaware 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.
- No Answer

6. Should Delaware continue to provide Medicaid services through managed care programs?
- Undecided

State Budget

Indicate what changes you support (if any) concerning levels of funding for the following categories. Select one option only.

1. Abortion
- Maintain Status

2. Affirmative Action
- Slightly Increase

3. AIDS Programs
- Slightly Increase

4. Education
- Greatly Increase

5. Environment
- Slightly Increase

6. Health care
- Slightly Increase

7. Law enforcement
- Greatly Increase

8. Welfare
- Slightly Decrease

State Taxes

Please indicate the changes you support (if any) concerning Delaware's tax levels. Select one option only.

1. Alcohol Taxes
- Slightly Increase

2. Business Taxes
- Slightly Decrease

3. Capital gains taxes
- Maintain Status

4. Income Taxes (incomes less than $75,000)
- Slightly Decrease

5. Income Taxes (incomes greater than $75,000)
- Maintain Status

6. Property taxes
- Maintain Status

7. State Fees
- Slightly Decrease

8. Do you support a flat tax structure for state income taxes?
- No

Welfare

Please indicate which principles you support (if any) regarding Delaware's welfare system.

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.
- No Answer

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. Support the current two-year limit on welfare benefits for recipients who are able to work.
- X

9. Continue requiring welfare recipients to sign personal responsibility contracts.
- No Answer

Legislative Priorities

Explain what your two main legislative priorities will be if elected to the Delaware General Assembly. If any of your priorities will require additional government funding, explain how you intend to obtain the additional funding.
- Even as we work to reduce crime through aggressive enforcement, we must prevent our youth from starting a life of crime. Education and jobs are so intertwined with crime prevention that we must motivate more children to succeed in school. Then we must ensure that career positions await them.