Indiana 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
- A woman's body does not become the property of the government, or her neighbor's religion, the moment she conceives.

Budget, Spending, & Tax

1. Education (higher)
- Greatly Increase

2. Education (K-12)
- Greatly Increase

3. Environment
- Greatly Increase

4. Health care
- Greatly Increase

5. Law enforcement/corrections
- Slightly Decrease

6. Transportation/infrastructure
- Slightly Decrease

7. Welfare
- Slightly Increase

8. Other or expanded categories
- e) Law enforcement/corrections: Funds should be shifted from incarceration to alternatives to incarceration, support and programs to reduce recidivism. f) Transportation/infrastructure: Funds should be shifted from road infrastructure to alternative transportation options. g) Welfare: As well, increased services and funding would come from outside sources such as access to healthcare and daycare.

1. Alcohol taxes
- Greatly Increase

2. Cigarette taxes
- Greatly Increase

3. Corporate taxes
- Greatly Increase

4. Gas/Oil taxes
- Greatly Increase

5. Property taxes
- Maintain Status

6. Sales taxes
- Slightly Decrease

7. Income taxes (low-income families)
- Eliminate

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

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

10. Other or expanded categories
- d) Gas/Oil taxes: Increase in gas/oil taxes should be used to fund alternative transportation options.

1. Tapping into Indiana'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
- Indiana's budget should not be balanced on the backs of workers, education, and vulnerable residents. It should be balanced by eliminating subsidies and increasing taxes on the wealthy and corporations.

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?
- Yes

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. Other or expanded principles
- No Answer

Crime & 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

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. Should homeowners be allowed to use deadly force to stop an unlawful entry by law enforcement officers?
- No

8. Other or expanded principles
- a) Besides the fact that many innocent people mistakenly receive the death penalty, it costs millions of dollars more to exact a death penalty than to incarcerate someone for life. It is not just morally wrong, it is fiscally irresponsible.

Economic

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

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?
- Yes

7. Should Indiana prohibit union membership and dues being a condition of employment (right-to-work laws)?
- No

8. Other or expanded principles
- No Answer

Education

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

2. Do you support a merit pay system for teachers?
- No Answer

3. Is the tenure process for public school teachers producing effective teachers?
- No

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

5. Do you support state funding for charter schools?
- No

6. Do you support the state government providing college students with financial aid?
- Yes

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

8. Other or expanded principles
- Although I support the Common Core Standards, I feel that standardized testing is reducing the quality of American education by forcing teachers to "teach the test" rather than teach critical thinking strategies.

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)?
- No

3. Do you support state funding for improvements to Indiana'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
- No Answer

Gun

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

2. Should background checks be required on gun sales between private citizens at gun shows?
- Yes

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

4. Should a license be required for gun possession?
- Yes

5. Other or expanded principles
- a) Our background check system is faulty and needs to be improved. People who have a history of mental instability should not be allowed to purchase weapons. Just like a license to operate a car or other potentially dangerous equipment, a person who shows that they are irresponsible should not be allowed to have a license to own a gun. Assault style automatic guns should be disabled or outlawed.

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?
- Yes

7. Other or expanded principles
- No Answer

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 Indiana's anti-discrimination laws?
- Yes

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

5. Other or expanded principles
- Marriage is a personal or religious choice. The government certainly has no place in telling people who they can marry. The whole concept is downright un-American.

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.
- No Answer