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Christopher Geary's Issue Positions (Political Courage Test)

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Official Position: Candidate addressed this issue directly by taking the Political Courage Test.
Inferred Position: Candidate refused to address this issue, but Vote Smart inferred this issue based on the candidate's public record, including statements, voting record, and special interest group endorsements.
Unknown Position: Candidate refused to address this issue, or we could not infer an answer for this candidate despite exhaustive research of their public record.
Additional Information: Click on this icon to reveal more information about this candidate's position, from their answers or Vote Smart's research.
Other or Expanded Principles & Legislative Priorities are entered exactly as candidates submit them. Vote Smart does not edit for misspelled words, punctuation or grammar.

Candidates who qualify will be invited to take the 2024 Political Courage Test.

What is the Political Courage Test?
This candidate has responded to a Political Courage Test in a previous election. As a continued effort to provide the American public with factual information on candidates running for public office, these archived responses are made available here.

Nebraska State Legislative Election 2008 Political Courage Test

The Political Courage Test asks candidates which items they will support if elected. It does not ask them to indicate which items they will oppose. Through extensive research of public polling data, we discovered that voters are more concerned with what candidates would support when elected to office, not what they oppose. If a candidate does not select a response to any part or all of any question, it does not necessarily indicate that the candidate is opposed to that particular item.

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

a) Abortions should always be illegal.
b) Abortions should always be legal.
c) Abortions should be legal only within the first trimester of pregnancy.
d) Abortions should be legal when the pregnancy resulted from incest or rape.
X e) Abortions should be legal when the life of the woman is endangered.
f) Abortions should be subject to a mandatory waiting period.
g) Require clinics to give parental notification before performing abortions on minors.
Unlike some politicians who try to pretend they support both sides of this issue, I am willing to openly state that I am pro-life. I believe that if two people conceive a child that they cannot raise, adoption is a more responsible choice than abortion.

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.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.

Maintain Status a) Education (Higher)
Slightly Increase b) Education (K-12)
Slightly Increase c) Emergency preparedness
Greatly Increase d) Environment
Slightly Increase e) Health care
Maintain Status f) Law enforcement
Slightly Increase g) Transportation and highway infrastructure
Maintain Status h) Welfare
i) Other or expanded categories
Maintain Status a) Alcohol taxes
Slightly Decrease b) Cigarette taxes
Slightly Decrease c) Corporate taxes
Slightly Decrease d) Gasoline taxes
Slightly Decrease e) Income taxes (incomes below $75,000)
Slightly Decrease f) Income taxes (incomes above $75,000)
Slightly Decrease g) Property taxes
Slightly Decrease h) Sales taxes
Slightly Decrease i) Vehicle taxes
No 1) Should state sales taxes be extended to Internet sales?
Yes 2) Should accounts such as a "rainy day" fund be used to balance the state budget?
Yes 3) Should fee increases be used to balance the state budget?
Yes 4) Do you support a tax incentive program rewarding companies that create high paying jobs in Nebraska?
My top priority in the Legislature will be to ensure a fair tax base for everyone rather than favoring some people while overburdening others. I believe property taxes are too high for many of the people in my district, and this situation needs to be corrected.
Focusing on energy innovation and energy independence in Nebraska will attract new investment and create more jobs. Instead of outsourcing our manufacturing jobs to countries with lower environmental standards, we need to bring more eco-friendly industries to Nebraska.

Indicate which principles you support (if any) regarding campaign finance and government reform.c) Do you support limiting the following types of contributions to state legislative candidates?

Yes a) Do you support the current limit of terms for Nebraska governors?
Yes b) Do you support the current limit of terms for Nebraska state senators?
No 1) Individual
Yes 2) PAC
Yes 3) Corporate
Yes 4) Political Parties
Yes d) Do you support requiring full and timely disclosure of campaign finance information?
Yes e) Do you support imposing spending limits on state-level political campaigns?
Undecided f) Should Nebraska participate in the federal REAL ID program?
I do not accept campaign contributions from any group because I want to be free of financial entanglements with special interests, but I welcome the support of individual citizens. If I am elected as State Senator, my focus will always be on the needs and concerns of the residents of District 3 and the State of Nebraska.

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

a) Increase state funds for construction of state prisons and hiring of additional prison staff.
b) Support the death penalty in Nebraska.
X c) Support programs to provide prison inmates with vocational and job-related skills and job-placement assistance when released.
X d) Implement penalties other than incarceration for certain non-violent offenders.
e) Decriminalize the possession of small amounts of marijuana.
f) Minors accused of a violent crime should be prosecuted as adults.
X g) Support state and local law enforcement officials enforcing federal immigration laws.
h) Support hate crime legislation.
I believe Nebraska should apply different sentences to first-time and repeat offenders. For example, first-time sex offenders would go to prison for a period of time and be released when they can prove they are worthy of freedom. I believe that repeat sex offenders should spend the rest of their life in prison. I want to make it clear that when I say "sex offender" I am not talking about an 18-year-old high school student who has been convicted of having sex with his 16-year-old girlfriend because her parents found out and decided to call the police.

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

X a) Support state funding of universal pre-K programs.
b) Support federal education standards and testing requirements for K-12 students (No Child Left Behind).
X c) Support state education standards and testing requirements for K-12 students.
X d) Support requiring public schools to administer high school exit exams.
e) Allow parents to use vouchers to send their children to any public school.
f) Allow parents to use vouchers to send their children to any private or religious school.
X g) Provide state funding to increase teacher salaries.
X h) Support using a merit pay system for teachers.
X i) Provide state funding for tax incentives and financial aid to help make college more affordable.
j) Support allowing illegal immigrant high school graduates of Nebraska to pay in-state tuition at public universities.
We need to ensure a quality education for all of Nebraska's students by making sure that teachers are compensated fairly and schools receive the resources they need. We also need to hold schools, teachers, and parents accountable for providing the next generation with the knowledge they will need in order to reach their full potential.

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

X a) Increase funding for state job-training programs that re-train displaced workers and teach skills needed in today’s job market.
b) Reduce state government regulations on the private sector.
X c) Provide low interest loans and tax credits for starting, expanding, or relocating businesses.
X d) Provide tax credits for businesses that provide child care for children in low-income working families.
X e) Increase state funds to provide child care for children in low-income working families.
X f) Include sexual orientation in Nebraska's anti-discrimination laws.
X g) Include gender identity in Nebraska's anti-discrimination laws.
X h) Increase the state minimum wage.
X i) Support laws that prevent employers from dismissing employees at will.
X j) Support financial punishments for those who knowingly employ illegal immigrants.
X k) Support increased work requirements for able-bodied welfare recipients.
X l) Increase funding for employment and job training programs for welfare recipients.
Sexual behavior between consenting adults is a private matter that should not be used as an excuse for discrimination in the workplace. If a person can carry out the requirements of the job, sexual orientation is none of the employer's business. I believe companies should have the right to establish their own policies with regard to providing health insurance and other benefits to domestic partners.

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

X a) Promote increased use of alternative fuel technology.
b) Support increased production of traditional domestic energy sources (e.g. coal, natural gas, oil, etc).
c) Support providing financial incentives to farms that produce biofuel crops.
d) Use state funds to clean up former industrial and commercial sites that are contaminated, unused, or abandoned.
e) Support funding for improvements to Nebraska's power generating and transmission facilities.
X f) Support funding for open space preservation.
X g) Limit carbon dioxide and other greenhouse gases linked to global warming.
X h) Enact environmental regulations even if they are stricter than federal law.
Instead of wasting our tax dollars on policies that make things worse, we need to commission a team of environmental experts to develop ways to clean up our environment for the benefit of generations yet to come. We need to develop inventive ways to produce bio fuels and to harness renewable resources like solar, wind, and geothermal power. Having more options will give us a better outcome now and in the future.

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

Yes a) Should background checks be required on gun sales between private citizens at gun shows?
Yes b) Should citizens be allowed to carry concealed guns?
Yes c) Should a license be required for gun possession?
No d) Do you support current levels of enforcement of existing state restrictions on the purchase and possession of guns?
Undecided e) Do you support current state restrictions on the purchase and possession of guns?
I support the Second Amendment to the Constitution, which upholds the right of U.S. citizens to bear arms. I also support Nebraska?s Concealed Handgun Act, which grants Nebraskans the right to obtain a permit to carry a concealed handgun in order to defend themselves and their loved ones against armed attackers. On the other hand, I believe precautions should be taken to reduce accidental injuries and fatalities from gunshot wounds. In the hands of responsible people, guns are not a problem. They only become a problem when they are used irresponsibly.

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

X a) Ensure that citizens have access to basic health care through managed care, insurance reforms, or state-funded care where necessary.
X b) Guaranteed medical care to all citizens is not a responsibility of state government.
c) Limit the amount of damages that can be awarded in medical malpractice lawsuits.
X d) Allow patients to sue their HMOs.
X e) Require hospitals and labs to release reports on infections that are a risk to public health, while not compromising patient confidentiality.
f) Legalize physician assisted suicide in Nebraska.
X g) Support allowing doctors to prescribe marijuana to their patients for medicinal purposes.
h) Other or expanded principles

['Indicate which principles you support (if any) regarding social issues.', 'Legislative Priorities']

Undecided a) Should Nebraska recognize civil unions between same-sex couples?
No b) Should same-sex couples be allowed to marry?
No c) Should Nebraska provide state-level spousal rights to same-sex couples?
Undecided d) Do you support a moment of silence in public schools?
Undecided e) Do you support voluntary prayer in public schools?
Yes f) Do you support sexual education programs that include information on abstinence, contraceptives, and HIV/STD prevention methods?
No g) Do you support abstinence-only sexual education programs?
No h) Should the state government consider race and gender in state government contracting and hiring decisions?
Yes i) Do you support affirmative action in public college admissions?
Yes j) Should Nebraska continue affirmative action programs?
Yes k) Do you support state funding of stem cell research?
No l) Do you support state funding of embryonic stem cell research?
Undecided m) Do you support allowing pharmacists who conscientiously object to emergency contraception to refuse to dispense it?
I support stem cell research involving adult stem cells, but I disagree with the creation of human life solely to obtain tissue for medical purposes. Research involving adult stem cells should be explored further because it does not pose the same ethical questions as usage of embryonic stem cells and other fetal tissue.
My top priority would be restoring fairness to the system of determining property taxes so that some homeowners are not overburdened in comparison with residents of other areas. My second priority would be encouraging eco-friendly corporations to locate in Nebraska to create additional job opportunities while protecting the environment for future generations.

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