Florida State Legislative Election 1998 National Political Awareness Test

Abortion

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

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

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

3. Abortions should be legal only when 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 and parental notification requirements.
- X

7. Prohibit the late-term abortion procedure known as "partial-birth" abortion.
- X

8. Support "buffer zones" by requiring demonstrators to stay at least 15 feet away from abortion clinic doorways and driveways.
- No Answer

9. Other
- No Answer

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

Affirmative Action

Indicate the principles you support (if any) concerning affirmative action. State government agencies should take race and sex into account in the following sectors:

1. College and university admissions
- No

2. Public employment
- No

3. State contracting
- No

4. Other
- No Answer

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.
- No Answer

3. End parole for repeat violent felons.
- X

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

5. Oppose the death penalty.
- No Answer

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

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

8. Increase state funds for programs which rehabilitate and educate inmates during and after their prison sentences.
- No Answer

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

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

11. Strengthen penalties and sentences for sex offenders.
- X

12. Lower the blood-alcohol-content limit defining drunk driving.
- No Answer

13. Prosecute juveniles who commit murder or other serious violent crimes as adults.
- X

14. Allow recording devices in execution observation rooms.
- No Answer

15. Support chemical castration for convicted sexual offenders.
- X

16. Maintain electrocution as Florida's method of execution.
- X

17. Adopt lethal injection as Florida's method of execution.
- No Answer

18. Other
- No Answer

19. Should violent sexual offenders eligible for parole, be committed to mental hospitals until they are deemed safe to return to society?
- No Answer

Economy and Employment

Indicate which principles you support (if any) concerning the economy and 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 in order to encourage investment and economic expansion.
- X

3. Support limits on cash damages in lawsuits against businesses and professionals for product liability or malpractice.
- X

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

5. Allow Native American tribes to operate gambling casinos on tribal land in Florida.
- No Answer

6. 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).
- X

4. Favor charter schools where independent groups receive state authorization and funding to establish new schools.
- X

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

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

7. Increase state funds for school construction and facility maintenance.
- X

8. Increase state funds for hiring of additional teachers.
- X

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

10. Grant merit pay raises each year to teachers who excel.
- X

11. Other
- No Answer

12. Should Florida require that all new state school buses be equipped with passenger seat belts?
- No Answer

13. Do you support adding the Bible to high school literature or history curriculums in Florida public schools?
- Yes

Environment & Energy

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

1. Require the use of cleaner burning fuels in order to prevent pollution.
- No Answer

2. Support "self-audit" legislation which creates incentives for industries to audit themselves and clean up pollution.
- No Answer

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

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

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

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

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

8. Restructure the electric utility industry to allow consumers to choose their power company.
- X

9. Other
- No Answer

10. State environmental regulations should not be stricter than federal law.
- No Answer

11. Do you support extending the Preservation 2000 program in Florida?
- Yes

Government Reform

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

Do you support limits on the number of terms of the following Florida officials?

1. State Senators and Representatives
- Yes

2. Governor
- Yes

3. Members of the Cabinet
- Yes

Do you support limiting the following types of contributions to state legislative candidates?

1. Individual
- Yes

2. PAC
- Yes

3. Corporate
- Yes

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

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

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

7. Would you vote to ratify an amendment to the U.S. Constitution requiring an annual balanced federal budget?
- Yes

8. Do you support providing immunity from civil liability to persons who are participating in the process of government?
- No Answer

9. Should using payroll deductions for political contributions from union members be illegal?
- Yes

10. Other
- No Answer

Gun

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

1. Ban the sale or transfer of all forms of semi-automatic weapons.
- No Answer

2. Increase state restrictions on the purchase and possession of firearms.
- No Answer

3. Maintain state restrictions on the purchase and possession of firearms.
- No Answer

4. Ease state restrictions on the purchase and possession of firearms.
- No Answer

5. Repeal state restrictions on the purchase and possession of firearms by law-abiding citizens.
- X

6. Favor allowing citizens to carry concealed firearms.
- X

7. Require manufacturers to provide child-safety locks with firearms.
- No Answer

8. Require a waiting period and criminal records check for weapons bought at gun shows.
- No Answer

9. Other
- No Answer

10. Should Florida visitors be permitted to carry concealed weapons if they have permits from other states?
- Yes

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.
- No Answer

3. Provide health care to uninsured children by designing a children's health insurance program.
- X

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

5. Use state funds to continue some Medicaid coverage for legal immigrants.
- No Answer

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

7. Guaranteeing medical care to all citizens is not a responsibility of state government.
- No Answer

8. Require HMOs to provide access to mental health care.
- No Answer

9. Other
- No Answer

Social

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

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. Increase state funds to provide child care to children in low-income working families.
- No Answer

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

5. Favor banning smoking in public places.
- X

6. Allow local municipalities in Florida to ban smoking in public places.
- X

7. Increase state funding for Head Start in order to serve additional children and/or increase services from a half to a full day.
- No Answer

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

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

10. Require a waiting period between the time a mother consents to adoption and the time the adoption is finalized.
- X

11. Other
- No Answer

12. Do you believe that the Florida government should include sexual orientation in Florida's anti-discrimination laws?
- No

13. Do you believe that the Florida government should recognize same-sex marriages?
- No

14. Should physician-assisted suicide for the terminally ill be legal in Florida?
- No

State Budget

Indicate the funding levels you will support for the following general categories. Select one level only.

1. Agriculture
- Maintain Status

2. Economic Development
- Slightly Increase

3. Education (K-12)
- Slightly Increase

4. Education (Higher)
- Maintain Status

5. Environment
- Maintain Status

6. Health care
- Maintain Status

7. Law enforcement
- Maintain Status

8. Tourism
- Maintain Status

9. Transportation infrastructure (highways, roads, bridges)
- Maintain Status

10. Welfare
- Maintain Status

11. Other
- No Answer

12. Do you support using state money to fund a proposed bullet train between Miami, Orlando and Tampa?
- No

State Taxes

Indicate the tax levels you will support. Select one level only.

1. Alcohol Taxes
- Maintain Status

2. Capital gains taxes
- Eliminate

3. Cigarette taxes
- Maintain Status

4. Corporate taxes
- Slightly Decrease

5. Gas taxes
- Maintain Status

6. Property taxes
- Maintain Status

7. Sales taxes
- Maintain Status

8. Other
- No Answer

9. Do you support implementing a state income tax?
- No

Welfare

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

1. Maintain the four-year limit on welfare benefits.
- X

2. Require that able-bodied recipients participate in work-related activities 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. Other
- No Answer

11. Do you support establishing a relocation assistance program for WAGES participants that relocate within the state as long as the relocation contributes to them attaining self-sufficiency?
- Yes

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