Washington State Legislative Election 2008 Political Courage Test

Abortion

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

1. Abortions should always be illegal.
- X

2. Abortions should always be legal.
- No Answer

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

4. Abortions should be legal when the pregnancy resulted from incest or rape.
- No Answer

5. Abortions should be legal when the life of the woman is endangered.
- No Answer

6. Abortions should be subject to a mandatory waiting period.
- X

7. Require clinics to give parental notification before performing abortions on minors.
- X

8. Other or expanded principles
- Abortions are already legal if the mother's life is in danger. Rape and incest are horrible crimes. I believe there are two victims of these crimes (the mother & the unborn child) when pregnancy results from the same.

Budget and Tax

State Budget: Indicate what state funding levels (#1-6) you support for the following general categories. Select one level per category, you can use a number more than once.

1. Education (Higher)
- Maintain Status

2. Education (K-12)
- Maintain Status

3. Emergency preparedness
- Maintain Status

4. Environment
- Slightly Decrease

5. Health care
- Maintain Status

6. Law enforcement
- Slightly Increase

7. Transportation and Highway infrastructure
- Maintain Status

8. Welfare
- Slightly Decrease

9. Other or expanded categories
- Prioritization of the state's budget is a must and tax increases are not an option. All programs and departments need to be reviewed for necessity, duplication and efficiency. I believe that education, public safety, transportation infrastructure and caring for our most vulnerable citizens are among the most important. Budgets should be allocated accordingly. I envision larger budgetary increases or decreases depending upon prioritization.

State Taxes: Indicate what state tax levels (#1-6) you support for the following general categories. Select one level per category, you can use a number more than once.

1. Alcohol taxes
- Maintain Status

2. Cigarette taxes
- Maintain Status

3. Corporate taxes
- Slightly Decrease

4. Gasoline taxes
- Maintain Status

5. Property taxes
- Slightly Decrease

6. Sales taxes
- Maintain Status

7. Vehicle taxes
- Slightly Decrease

8. Other or expanded categories
- Greatly Decrease

9. Should state sales taxes be extended to Internet sales?
- No

10. Should accounts such as a "rainy day" fund be used to balance the state budget?
- No

11. Should fee increases be used to balance the state budget?
- No

12. Other or expanded principles
- Rainy Day funds should only be used for unforeseen, emergency purposes. If it is truly needed for the budget, I would only accept such use with a super majority vote of the legislature.

Campaign Finance and Government Reform

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

1. Do you support limiting the number of terms for Washington governors?
- No

2. Do you support limiting the number of terms for Washington state senators and representatives?
- No

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

1. Individual
- No Answer

2. PAC
- No Answer

3. Corporate
- No Answer

4. Political Parties
- No Answer

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

6. Do you support imposing spending limits on state-level political campaigns?
- No

7. Should Washington participate in the federal REAL ID program?
- No

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

1. Other or expanded principles
- I am fine with the current limits on contributions for individuals, PACs, corporate and political parties.

Crime

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

1. Increase state funds for construction of state prisons and hiring of additional prison staff.
- No Answer

2. Support the death penalty in Washington.
- No Answer

3. Support programs to provide prison inmates with vocational and job-related skills and job-placement assistance when released.
- No Answer

4. Implement penalties other than incarceration for certain non-violent offenders.
- No Answer

5. Decriminalize the possession of small amounts of marijuana.
- No Answer

6. Minors accused of a violent crime should be prosecuted as adults.
- X

7. Support state and local law enforcement officials enforcing federal immigration laws.
- X

8. Support hate crime legislation.
- No Answer

9. Other or expanded principles
- No Answer

Education

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

1. Support state funding of universal pre-K programs.
- No Answer

2. Support federal education standards and testing requirements for K-12 students (No Child Left Behind).
- No Answer

3. Support state education standards and testing requirements for K-12 students.
- X

4. Support requiring public schools to administer high school exit exams.
- No Answer

5. Allow parents to use vouchers to send their children to any public school.
- X

6. Allow parents to use vouchers to send their children to any private or religious school.
- X

7. Provide state funding to increase teacher salaries.
- No Answer

8. Support using a merit pay system for teachers.
- X

9. Provide state funding for tax incentives and financial aid to help make college more affordable.
- No Answer

10. Support allowing illegal immigrant high school graduates of Washington to pay in-state tuition at public universities.
- No Answer

11. Other or expanded principles
- I do not agree with the current state testing requirements for K-12 students. The WASL has been an expensive failure. I do not believe all students learn at the same level; other tests need to be utilized as well. I am concerned that state standards have changed so quickly that teachers are unable to keep up. The standards need to start with fundamentally proven methods of basic learning. I support increased math and science curriculum, if again, they start with proven methods. I do want education to provide our youth with the foundation necessary to enter the work world.

Employment

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

1. Increase funding for state job-training programs that re-train displaced workers and teach skills needed in today's job market.
- X

2. Reduce state government regulations on the private sector.
- X

3. Provide low interest loans and tax credits for starting, expanding, or relocating businesses.
- No Answer

4. Provide tax credits for businesses that provide child care for children in low-income working families.
- No Answer

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

6. Increase the state minimum wage.
- No Answer

7. Support laws that prevent employers from dismissing employees at will.
- No Answer

8. Support financial punishments for those who knowingly employ illegal immigrants.
- No Answer

9. Support increased work requirements for able-bodied welfare recipients.
- X

10. Increase funding for employment and job training programs for welfare recipients.
- No Answer

11. Support allowing day care workers to unionize.
- No Answer

12. Other or expanded principles
- I would support increased funding for job training programs with strict oversight. It is important to know what companies and industries' needs are to better reflect the skills curriculum necessary. Gainful employment statistics need to be a part of the oversight and overall effectiveness of the program.

Environment and Energy

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

1. Promote increased use of alternative fuel technology.
- X

2. Support increased production of traditional domestic energy sources (e.g. coal, natural gas, oil, etc).
- X

3. Support providing financial incentives to farms that produce biofuel crops.
- X

4. Use state funds to clean up former industrial and commercial sites that are contaminated, unused, or abandoned.
- No Answer

5. Support funding for improvements to Washington's power generating and transmission facilities.
- No Answer

6. Support funding for open space preservation.
- No Answer

7. Limit carbon dioxide and other greenhouse gases linked to global warming.
- No Answer

8. Enact environmental regulations even if they are stricter than federal law.
- No Answer

9. Other or expanded principles
- I can understand the need for initial biofuel crop incentives, but the biofuel crops need to function on their own financially.

Gun

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

1. Should background checks be required on gun sales between private citizens at gun shows?
- No

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

3. Should a license be required for gun possession?
- No

4. Do you support current levels of enforcement of existing state restrictions on the purchase and possession of guns?
- No Answer

5. Do you support current state restrictions on the purchase and possession of guns?
- No Answer

6. Other or expanded principles
- No Answer

Health

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

1. Ensure that citizens have access to basic health care through managed care, insurance reforms, or state-funded care where necessary.
- X

2. Guaranteed medical care to all citizens is not a responsibility of state government.
- X

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

4. Allow patients to sue their HMOs.
- No Answer

5. Require hospitals and labs to release reports on infections that are a risk to public health, while not compromising patient confidentiality.
- X

6. Legalize physician assisted suicide in Washington.
- No Answer

7. Support allowing doctors to prescribe marijuana to their patients for medicinal purposes.
- No Answer

8. Support prohibiting the use or sale of prescription data for marketing purposes.
- No Answer

9. Other or expanded principles
- No Answer

Social

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

1. Should Washington recognize civil unions between same-sex couples?
- No

2. Should same-sex couples be allowed to marry?
- No

3. Should Washington provide state-level spousal rights to same-sex couples?
- No

4. Do you support a moment of silence in public schools?
- Yes

5. Do you support voluntary prayer in public schools?
- No

6. Do you support sexual education programs that include information on abstinence, contraceptives, and HIV/STD prevention methods?
- No Answer

7. Do you support abstinence-only sexual education programs?
- Yes

8. Should the state government consider race and gender in state government contracting and hiring decisions?
- No

9. Do you support affirmative action in public college admissions?
- No

10. Should Washington continue affirmative action programs?
- No Answer

11. Do you support state funding of stem cell research?
- Undecided

12. Do you support state funding of embryonic stem cell research?
- No

13. Do you support allowing pharmacists who conscientiously object to emergency contraception to refuse to dispense it?
- Yes

14. Other or expanded principles
- I do not support the direction the state is taking on its state-wide cirriculum for sex education. I am concerned that local school boards are not being given the flexibility necessary to teach what's considered appropriate. I am also concerned at the lack of parental notification of this material and clarity on opting their child or children out of the curriculum.

Legislative Priorities

1. 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.
- ? Lessen the regulatory and fiscal impact on business by developing flexibility in rules, getting rid of outdated and unnecessary laws and working for greater legislative oversight. State agencies need to be reined in when it comes to interpretation and legislative intent of laws.? Reduce the tax burden on individuals, families and business. Develop meaningful property tax relief that does not unduly burden local government and junior taxing districts.? Address local and regional infrastructure needs to promote economic development and growth. Strengthen local and regional base industries; develop incentives for business growth in rural communities.