South Dakota State Legislative Election 2010 Political Courage Test

Abortion and Reproductive

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

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?
- No

4. Should abortion be legal when the life of the woman is endangered?
- No

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 sexual education programs that include information on abstinence, contraceptives, and HIV/STD prevention methods?
- No

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

9. Other or expanded principles
- No Answer

Budget, Spending, and Tax

State Spending

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

1. Education (higher)
- Maintain Status

2. Education (K-12)
- Maintain Status

3. Environment
- Greatly Decrease

4. Health care
- Slightly Decrease

5. Law enforcement
- Maintain Status

6. Transportation and highway infrastructure
- Slightly Increase

7. Welfare
- Greatly Decrease

8. Other or expanded categories
- No Answer

State Taxes

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

1. Alcohol taxes
- Slightly Increase

2. Cigarette taxes
- Maintain Status

3. Corporate taxes
- Eliminate

4. Gasoline taxes
- Slightly Increase

5. Property taxes
- Maintain Status

6. Sales taxes
- Maintain Status

7. Other or expanded categories
- No Answer

Budget Stabilization

Indicate which proposals you support (if any) for balancing South Dakota's budget.

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

2. Reducing tax credits for high-cost construction projects
- No

3. Issuing the early release of certain non-violent offenders
- Yes

4. Increasing tuition rates at public universities
- Yes

5. Instituting mandatory furloughs and layoffs for state employees
- No

6. Reducing benefits for Medicaid recipients
- No

7. Privatizing certain government services
- Yes

8. Other or expanded principles
- No Answer

Campaign Finance and Government Reform

Do you support limits on the following types of contributions to candidates for state government?

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

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

Do you support limits on the following types of contributions to candidates for state government?

1. Other or expanded principles
- B. Change to like Minn. 10 years 4-4 & 2, 4, 2 & 4, or 2, 4 & 4 years.

Crime and 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. 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?
- Yes

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

6. Do you support allowing law enforcement officials to stop and ticket motorists for seat belt violations?
- No

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

8. Other or expanded principles
- d. From age 16 or older

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?
- No

5. Do you support increased spending on infrastructure projects for the purpose of job creation?
- No

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 national education standards?
- No

2. Do you support requiring public schools to administer high school exit exams?
- Yes

3. Do you support lowering the age of compulsory school attendance from eighteen to sixteen?
- No

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

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 South Dakota high schools be eligible for in-state tuition at public universities?
- No

8. Other or expanded principles
- No Answer

Environment and 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

3. Do you support providing financial incentives to farms that produce biofuel crops?
- No

4. Do you support state funding for improvements to South Dakota's energy infrastructure?
- No

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

6. Do you support enacting environmental regulations aimed at reducing the effects of climate change?
- No

7. Other or expanded principles
- No Answer

Gun

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

2. Do you support requiring background checks on gun sales between private citizens at gun shows?
- No

3. Do you support allowing individuals to carry concealed guns?
- Yes

4. Do you support requiring a license for gun possession?
- No

5. Other or expanded principles
- No Answer

Health

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

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. Should individuals be required 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 legalizing physician-assisted suicide in South Dakota?
- No

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

8. Other or expanded principles
- 11 - yes if it is in pill form.

Social

1. Should marriage only be between one man and one woman?
- Yes

2. Should South Dakota allow same-sex couples to form civil unions?
- No

3. Do you support state funding for stem cell research?
- No

4. Do you support state funding for embryonic stem cell research?
- No

5. Do you support the state's use of affirmative action?
- No

6. Do you support the inclusion of sexual orientation in South Dakota's anti-discrimination laws?
- No

7. Do you support the inclusion of gender identity in South Dakota's anti-discrimination laws?
- No

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.
- No Answer