New Jersey State Legislative Election 2011 Political Courage Test

Abortion and Reproductive

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

2. Should abortion be legal after 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. Should parental notification be required before an abortion is performed on a minor?
- No

6. Should parental consent be required before an abortion is performed on a minor?
- No

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?
- No

9. Other or expanded principles
- No Answer

Budget, Spending, and Tax

1. Education (higher)
- Slightly Increase

2. Education (K-12)
- Greatly Increase

3. Environment
- Maintain Status

4. Health care
- Greatly Increase

5. Law enforcement
- Maintain Status

6. Transportation and highway infrastructure
- Maintain Status

7. Welfare
- Maintain Status

8. Other or expanded categories
- Greatly Increase

1. Alcohol taxes
- Maintain Status

2. Cigarette taxes
- Maintain Status

3. Corporate taxes
- Maintain Status

4. Gasoline taxes
- Slightly Increase

5. Property taxes
- Greatly Decrease

6. Sales taxes
- Maintain Status

7. Income taxes (low-income families)
- Maintain Status

8. Income taxes (middle-income families)
- Maintain Status

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

10. Other or expanded categories
- No Answer

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

2. Issuing the early release of certain non-violent offenders
- Yes

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
- No

7. Reducing public pension benefits
- No

8. Other or expanded principles
- No Answer

Campaign Finance and 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?
- 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?
- No

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?
- No Answer

5. Should a minor who sends sexually-explicit or nude photos by cell phone face criminal charges?
- No

6. Do you support the enforcement of federal immigration laws by state and local police?
- No

7. Other or expanded principles
- D - It depends on the crime

Economic

1. Do you support reducing government regulations on the private sector?
- No

2. Do you support 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 tax incentives to businesses for the purpose of job creation?
- Yes

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

6. Do you support providing direct financial assistance to homeowners facing foreclosure?
- Yes

7. Do you support comprehensive public pension reform that incorporates a defined contribution plan, similar to a 401(k)?
- No Answer

8. Other or expanded principles
- No Answer

Education

1. Do you support the national Common Core State Standards intiative?
- 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?
- No

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 New Jersey high schools be eligible for in-state tuition at public universities?
- Yes

7. Other or expanded principles
- No Answer

Environment and Energy

1. Do you support state regulation of greenhouse gas emissions?
- Yes

2. Do you believe that human activity is contributing to climate change?
- Yes

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

4. Do you support state funding for the development of traditional domestic energy sources (e.g. coal, natural gas, oil)?
- No

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

6. Do you support state funding for improvements to New Jersey's energy infrastructure?
- Yes

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

8. Other or expanded principles
- No Answer

Gun

1. Do you support restrictions on the purchase and possession of guns?
- Yes

2. Do you support requiring background checks on all firearms sales at gun shows, including sales by unlicensed dealers?
- Yes

3. Do you support allowing individuals to carry concealed guns?
- No

4. Do you support requiring a license for gun possession?
- Yes

5. Other or expanded principles
- No Answer

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?
- No

4. Do you support requiring individuals to purchase health care insurance?
- Yes

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

6. Do you support legalizing physician-assisted suicide in New Jersey?
- No Answer

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

8. Other or expanded principles
- G - I would like to review this issue.

Social

1. Do you support same-sex marriage?
- Yes

2. Should New Jersey continue to grant civil unions to same-sex couples?
- Yes

3. Do you support state funding for stem cell research?
- Yes

4. Do you support state funding for embryonic stem cell research?
- Yes

5. Do you support affirmative action?
- Yes

6. Do you support the inclusion of sexual orientation in New Jersey's anti-discrimination laws?
- Yes

7. Do you support the inclusion of gender identity in New Jerseys anti-discrimination laws?
- Yes

8. Other or expanded principles
- No Answer

Administrative 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.
- If elected, my first priority would be to create jobs. New Jersey is going through a fiscal crisis and unemployment is far too high. The Senate has been moving legislation aimed at increasing economic opportunity in New Jersey. I will continue to work to reduce the unemployment rate. Another priority of mine is to ensure access to quality, affordable, healthcare. Our healthcare system is going through a period of dynamic change. I will ensure that the system continues to work for the consumer and leads to better health for New Jersey residents.