Montana State Legislative Election 2014 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?
- No Answer

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
- abortions after 1st trimester should occur only as a result of medical emergency for mother's health.

Budget, Spending, & Tax

1. Education (higher)
- Maintain Status

2. Education (K-12)
- Maintain Status

3. Environment
- Maintain Status

4. Health care
- No Answer

5. Law enforcement/corrections
- Slightly Increase

6. Transportation/infrastructure
- Slightly Increase

7. Welfare
- Maintain Status

8. Other or expanded categories
- Implementation of Medicaid expansion under the current expectations of the ACA is essential to protect the financial well-being of our hospitals who are obliged otherwise to treat folks under EMTALA in their emergency rooms without any reimbursement

1. Alcohol taxes
- Maintain Status

2. Cigarette taxes
- Maintain Status

3. Corporate taxes
- Slightly Decrease

4. Gas/Oil taxes
- Maintain Status

5. Property taxes
- Slightly Decrease

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

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

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

9. 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?
- No Answer

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?
- Yes

1. Other or expanded principles
- depends what the spending limits are

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 legalizing the possession of small amounts of marijuana?
- No Answer

4. Should a minor accused of a violent crime be prosecuted as an adult?
- No Answer

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?
- Yes

7. Do you support increased driving regulations?
- No

8. Other or expanded principles
- c) Medical use of Marijuana is appropriate - not so for recreational purposesd) on a case by case basis, potentially yes.e) potentially, yes. Need more specific enforcement situations

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 Answer

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

5. Do you support government spending as a means of promoting economic growth?
- No Answer

6. Do you support providing direct financial assistance to homeowners facing foreclosure?
- No Answer

7. Do you support an increase of the minimum wage?
- No Answer

8. Other or expanded principles
- c) a balance is necessary when someone on unemployment benefits obtains a job that provides less income than did their previous employmente) depends. An example: For infrastructure upgrades, yes.f) requires FAR more details as to qualificationsg) through developing a stairstep process, both reducing current minimum wage in some arenas, and elevating in others. Summer internship of highschoolers as an example

Education

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

8. Other or expanded principles
- c)Tenure process should not protect educators that through whatever causes, are failing at their job.d)depends on level of voucher support, and cannot eliminate support for local public schools' overhead expensese)already allowed under supervision of local school boardsf)really depends on multiple issues. Scholarships based on need and ability, yes.g) only on a case by case basis

Environment & Energy

1. Do you support state funding for the development of alternative energy?
- No

2. Do you support state funding for the development of traditional domestic energy sources (e.g. coal, natural gas, oil)?
- No Answer

3. Do you support state funding for improvements to Montana's energy infrastructure?
- No Answer

4. Do you support state funding for open space preservation?
- No Answer

5. Do you support government regulations of greenhouse gas emissions?
- No Answer

6. Other or expanded principles
- b,c) Funding should develop from the private sector based on market opportunities. State's responsibility comes under the utility siting act.d) as done through local taxing districts' bonds, sure.e) not to the degree that EPA currently is promoting

Gun

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

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

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
- a) as in the restriction for a felon? Yesb) a true person -to -person transaction, no.

Health

1. Do you support a universally-accessible, publicly-administered health insurance option?
- No Answer

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 Medicaid expansion under the Affordable Care Act?
- Yes

5. Do you support requiring individuals to purchase health care insurance?
- No Answer

6. Do you support monetary limits on damages that can be collected in malpractice lawsuits?
- Yes

7. Do you support allowing doctors to prescribe marijuana to their patients for medicinal purposes?
- No Answer

8. Other or expanded principles
- either a or b must occur e)really depends on expectations g) there has been serious abuses of a few physicians' behavior in this regard, who should be punished, but generally, yes

Social

1. Do you support same-sex marriage?
- No

2. Should same-sex couples be allowed to form civil unions?
- Yes

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

4. Do you support the inclusion of gender identity in Montana's anti-discrimination laws?
- No Answer

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.
- A balanced budget, supporting the developing Energy & Natural resource Industries of Montana which includes the Keystone Pipeline, and finally passage of a Water Compact with the CS&K tribe