Illinois State Legislative Election 2010 Political Courage Test

Abortion and Reproductive

1. Do you consider yourself pro-choice or pro-life?
- Pro-choice

2. Should abortion be legal only within 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 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
- Slightly Increase

4. Health care
- Slightly Increase

5. Law enforcement
- Slightly Increase

6. Transportation and highway infrastructure
- Slightly Increase

7. Welfare
- Slightly Increase

8. Other or expanded categories
- No Answer

1. Alcohol taxes
- Slightly Increase

2. Cigarette taxes
- Slightly Increase

3. Corporate taxes
- Slightly Increase

4. Gasoline taxes
- No Answer

5. Property taxes
- Slightly Decrease

6. Sales taxes
- Slightly Decrease

7. Income taxes (low-income families)
- Slightly Decrease

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 Illinois' "rainy day" fund
- Yes

2. Issuing the early release of certain non-violent offenders
- No Answer

3. Increasing tuition rates at public universities
- No Answer

4. Instituting mandatory furloughs and layoffs for state employees
- No Answer

5. Reducing benefits for Medicaid recipients
- No

6. Privatizing certain government services
- No

7. 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. Legislative Leader
- Yes

6. Should candidates for state office be encouraged to meet voluntary spending limits?
- Yes

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

8. 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. Should the possession of small amounts of marijuana be decriminalized?
- No

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?
- Yes

6. Do you support requiring all motorcyclists to wear helmets?
- Yes

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

8. Other or expanded principles
- No Answer

Economic

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

2. Should video gambling be legal in Illinois?
- Yes

3. Do you support increased state funding for job-training programs that re-train displaced workers?
- Yes

4. Do you support expanding access to unemployment benefits?
- Yes

5. Do you support providing financial incentives to the private sector for the purpose of job creation?
- Yes

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

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

8. Other or expanded principles
- No Answer

Education

1. Do you support national education standards?
- 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 Answer

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

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

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

7. Other or expanded principles
- c) The current teacher evaluation process is flawed and a new system needs to be established. The goal should be to reward good teachers, train poor performing teachers and improve students knowledge and skills. Good teachers need to be willing to teach at poor performing schools and I fear that merit pay would discourage it.

Environment and 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 providing financial incentives to farms that produce biofuel crops?
- No Answer

4. Do you support state funding for improvements to Illinois' energy infrastructure?
- Yes

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

6. Do you support enacting environmental regulations aimed at reducing the effects of climate change?
- Yes

7. 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 gun sales between private citizens at gun shows?
- 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 Answer

4. Should individuals be required to purchase health care insurance?
- No Answer

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

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

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

8. Other or expanded principles
- No Answer

Social

1. Should marriage only be between one man and one woman?
- No

2. Should Illinois allow same-sex couples to form civil unions?
- 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 the state's use of affirmative action?
- Yes

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

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

8. Other or expanded principles
- No Answer

Legislative 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.
- My first priority is to assist in the implementation of national health care reform in Illinois to ensure that all who are eligible receive health coverage. Equally important is to fairly fund education and improve poorly performing schools.Economic development is a priority. It is essential to utilize the strengths of the state to grow our economy and create jobs, in areas such as renewable energy, bio technology, research & development,venture capital for start-up companies, local food production and technology advanced manufacturing. It is also important to protect our most vulnerable residents, persons with disabilities, mental illness and the elderly.