Connecticut State Legislative Election 2012 Political Courage Test

Abortion & Reproductive

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

2. Should abortions be illegal 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. Do you support requiring parental notification before an abortion is performed on a minor?
- Yes

6. Do you support requiring parental consent before an abortion is performed on a minor?
- Yes

7. Do you support the prohibition of public funds for abortion procedures?
- Yes

8. Do you support the prohibition of public funds for organizations that perform abortions?
- No

9. Other or expanded principles
- No Answer

Budget, Spending, & Tax

1. Education (higher)
- Maintain Status

2. Education (K-12)
- Slightly Increase

3. Environment
- Maintain Status

4. Health care
- Maintain Status

5. Law enforcement/corrections
- Slightly Decrease

6. Transportation/infrastructure
- Slightly Increase

7. Welfare
- Slightly Decrease

8. Other or expanded categories
- The state of CT needs to cut wasteful spending. We need to improve our education and transportation systems to create a smarter and more prosperous work force.

1. Alcohol taxes
- Slightly Decrease

2. Cigarette taxes
- Maintain Status

3. Corporate taxes
- Slightly Decrease

4. Gas/Oil taxes
- Greatly Decrease

5. Property taxes
- Slightly Decrease

6. Sales taxes
- Maintain Status

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

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

9. Income taxes (high-income families)
- Maintain Status

10. Other or expanded categories
- No Answer

1. Tapping into Connecticut's "rainy day" fund
- No

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
- Yes

5. Instituting mandatory furloughs AND/OR layoffs for state employees
- Yes

6. Reducing benefits for Medicaid recipients
- No

7. Other or expanded principles
- 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 greater public disclosure of donors for all organizations that seek to influence elections?
- No

8. Do you support the use of an independent AND/OR bipartisan commission for redistricting?
- Yes

9. Do you support requiring a government-issued photo identification in order to vote at the polls?
- Yes

10. Other or expanded principles
- No Answer

Crime & Public Safety

1. Do you support capital punishment for certain crimes?
- Yes

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?
- No

4. Should a minor accused of a violent crime be prosecuted as an adult?
- Yes

5. Should a minor who sends sexually-explicit or nude photos by cell phone face criminal charges?
- Yes

6. Do you support the enforcement of federal immigration laws by state and local police?
- Yes

7. Other or expanded principles
- No Answer

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
- No Answer

Education

1. Do you support the national Common Core State Standards initiative?
- Yes

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

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?
- Yes

6. Do you support the state government providing college students with financial aid?
- No

7. Should illegal immigrants who graduate from Connecticut high schools be eligible for in-state tuition at public universities?
- No

8. Other or expanded principles
- No Answer

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)?
- Yes

3. Do you support state funding for improvements to Connecticut'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?
- No

6. Other or expanded principles
- No Answer

Gun

1. Do you support restrictions on the purchase and possession of guns?
- No

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

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

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

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?
- 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?
- Yes

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?
- Yes

2. Should Connecticut continue to grant marriage licenses to same-sex couples?
- No Answer

3. Do you support the inclusion of sexual orientation in Connecticut's anti-discrimination laws?
- Yes

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

5. Other or expanded principles
- For question (b) I support an indidvidual to choose who the share their life with. I believe they also have the right as a spouse does to make life decisions. The definition of marriage to me is that of a man and a women. But the same sex couple should be able to have the same rights as a married couple.

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.
- 1) Lets create a state that is more affordable to live in. Begin by reducing the income tax on the hard working middle class and also eliminate the wholesale tax of motor fuels.2) Work to keep our seniors here by eliminating the income tax on pensions. Also stabilize the property tax on homes where the family has lived in for decades.3) Create a business climate where businesses could prosper. Connecticut has one of the highest energy cost, corporate tax and fees. If this is not addressed the businesses will continue to relocate to other states.Thank you.