Minnesota 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. Do you support increased regulations on abortion providers?
- No

10. Do you support requiring a doctor to be present when a woman takes a pill to induce an abortion?
- No

11. Other or expanded principles
- No Answer

Budget, Spending, & Tax

1. Education (higher)
- Slightly Increase

2. Education (K-12)
- Slightly Increase

3. Environment
- Slightly Increase

4. Health care
- Slightly Increase

5. Law enforcement/corrections
- Maintain Status

6. Transportation/infrastructure
- Maintain Status

7. Welfare
- Slightly Increase

8. Other or expanded categories
- No Answer

1. Alcohol taxes
- Greatly Increase

2. Cigarette taxes
- Greatly Increase

3. Corporate taxes
- Slightly Increase

4. Gas/Oil taxes
- Maintain Status

5. Property taxes
- Maintain Status

6. Sales taxes
- Maintain Status

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

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

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

10. Other or expanded categories
- No Answer

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

1. Other or expanded principles
- Photo id's don not prevent felons from voting. Those that want to use fraud in voting will already have multiple photo ID's ready to go. I saw it for many years when working in the restaurant and bar industry. I know many seniors that do not have photo id's and in many cases they can not even get a birth certificate to get a photo id.

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 Answer

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

7. Should citizens be allowed to use deadly force in defense of their homes, dwellings or vehicles?
- No Answer

8. Other or expanded principles
- D - minors would be age 16 and olderE- It depends on the circumstances. Sometimes kids don't think before they act. What they think is innocent is not what someone else may think of as being innocent.G- I am not in favor of the castle doctrine, but believe you should have a right to protect yourself and your family in your home

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?
- No

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
- A - Support if it means elimination of duplication of regulations and if it makes it simpler and easier to understand. I do not support reducing regulation if it puts people or our environment at risk.

Education

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

2. Do you support a merit pay system for teachers?
- Yes

3. Is the tenure process for public school teachers producing effective teachers?
- Yes

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?
- Yes

6. Do you support strengthening Minnesota's anti-bullying statute?
- Yes

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

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

9. Other or expanded principles
- E - as long as they follow the same standards and procedures that are required of our public school system.

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 Minnesota'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?
- No

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

5. Other or expanded principles
- A - Yes, I feel that people convicted of violent crimes, or people who have serious have mental health issues should not be able to own guns. We should also require a thorough background check of ALL gun sales to make sure that these standards are met.

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?
- Yes

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 Minnesota's anti-discrimination laws?
- Yes

4. Do you support the inclusion of gender identity in Minnesota'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.
- Top priority is to pay back the $2.4 billion dollars borrowed from K - 12 education. Make higher education affordable so students have the skills that employers need.Encourage the use of renewable energy. i.e. solar, wind, etc. Provide incentives to encourage State Businesses to grow businesses that are involved in renewable energies. As a State we can find the additional funding by closing corporate loop holes that but local businesses at a disadvantage. Address the tax system so that everyone is paying their fair share.