Neil Billington's Issue Positions (Political Courage Test)
Key
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.
Neil Billington has demonstrated Political Courage by telling citizens where he stands on the issues he may face if elected.
Michigan State Legislative Election 2012 Political Courage Test
| Pro-choice | a) Do you generally support pro-choice or pro-life legislation? | ||
| Yes | b) Should abortions be illegal after the first trimester of pregnancy? | ||
| Yes | c) Should abortion be legal when the pregnancy resulted from incest or rape? | ||
| Yes | d) Should abortion be legal when the life of the woman is endangered? | ||
| Yes | e) Do you support requiring parental notification before an abortion is performed on a minor? | ||
| No | f) Do you support requiring parental consent before an abortion is performed on a minor? | ||
| No | g) Do you support the prohibition of public funds for abortion procedures? | ||
| No | h) Do you support the prohibition of public funds for organizations that perform abortions? | ||
| No | i) Do you support increased licensing restrictions for abortion providers? | ||
| i BELIEVE IT IS THE WOMAN'S RIGHT TO CHOOSE WHAT IS BEST FOR HER, IT IS HER CHOICE- NOT YOURS! THIS ALSO PREVENTS BACK ALLEY DOCTORS FROM HARMING HER. | |||
1) State Spending:Using the key, 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.2) State Taxes:Using the key,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.3) Budget Stabilization:Indicate which proposals you support (if any) for balancing Michigan's budget.
| Greatly Increase | a) Education (higher) | ||
| Greatly Increase | b) Education (K-12) | ||
| Eliminate | c) Environment | ||
| Slightly Increase | d) Health care | ||
| Greatly Decrease | e) Law enforcement/corrections | ||
| Maintain Status | f) Transportation/infrastructure | ||
| Slightly Increase | g) Welfare | ||
| Slightly Increase | h) Other or expanded categories: | ||
| Greatly Decrease | a) Alcohol taxes | ||
| Greatly Decrease | b) Cigarette taxes | ||
| Greatly Increase | c) Corporate taxes | ||
| Maintain Status | d) Gas/Oil taxes | ||
| Slightly Decrease | e) Property taxes | ||
| Slightly Increase | f) Sales taxes | ||
| Greatly Decrease | g) Income taxes (low-income families) | ||
| Greatly Decrease | h) Income taxes (mid-income families) | ||
| Slightly Increase | i) Income taxes (high-income families) | ||
| No | j) Do you support requiring a two-thirds vote of the legislature in order to approve all future tax increases? | ||
| Yes | a) Tapping into Michigan's "rainy day" fund | ||
| No | b) Increasing tuition rates at public universities | ||
| No | c) Reducing or eliminating public worker collective bargaining | ||
| Yes | d) Reducing state employee salaries AND/OR pensions | ||
| No | e) Instituting mandatory furloughs AND/OR layoffs for state employees | ||
| No | f) Reducing benefits for Medicaid recipients | ||
| C - STOP FRACKING! D - COME AFTER HIGH COST OF INSURANCE HOSPITALS- DOCTORS- DENTIST and PHARMACEUTICALS E - WE NEED OUR POLICE! G - INCREASE UNEMPLOYMENT BENIFITS H - RAISE SALES TAX | |||
| J - 2/3 VOTE WOULD CREATE A PARTY MAJORITY RULE AND GRID LOCK ANY ATTEMPTS FOR AMENDMENT. IT IS THE PEOPLE WE SERVE NOT OURSELVES! | |||
| MAKE A MANDATORY REQUIREMENT OF ALL ELECTED GOVERNMENT OFFICIALS, LEAD BY EXAMPLE AND TAKE A 50% PAY CUT! CONDUCT BUSINESS IN LANSING AND NOT THE MACKIAW CENTER! TIME FOR RESPONSIBLE SPENDING! | |||
a) Do you support limits on the following types of contributions for state candidates?
| No | 1) Individual | ||
| Yes | 2) Political Action Committee | ||
| Yes | 3) Corporate | ||
| Yes | 4) Political Party | ||
| Yes | b) Should candidates for state office be encouraged to meet voluntary spending limits? | ||
| Yes | c) Do you support requiring full and timely disclosure of campaign finance information? | ||
| Yes | d) Do you support the use of an independent AND/OR bipartisan commission for redistricting? | ||
| Yes | e) Do you support requiring a government-issued photo identification in order to vote at the polls? | ||
| No | f) Do you support Michigan's emergency manager law? | ||
| D - IT'S TIME THAT IT IS DONE RIGHT! AND NOT FOR POLITICAL GAIN! IT'S ABOUT THE PEOPLE! WHY SHOULD A LINE DIVIDE A STREET IN TWO THAT BELONG TO THE SAME COMMUNITY. JERRY MANDERING SHOULD NOT BE ALLOWED! | |||
| Yes | a) Do you support capital punishment for certain crimes? | ||
| Yes | b) Do you support alternatives to incarceration for certain non-violent offenders, such as mandatory counseling or substance abuse treatment? | ||
| Yes | c) Do you support decriminalizing the possession of small amounts of marijuana? | ||
| Yes | d) Should a minor accused of a violent crime be prosecuted as an adult? | ||
| Yes | e) Should a minor who sends sexually-explicit or nude photos by cell phone face criminal charges? | ||
| Yes | f) Do you support the enforcement of federal immigration laws by state and local police? | ||
| LAW ENFORCEMENT NEEDS TO BE HIGHLY VISSIBLE IN COMMUNITIES TO DETER CRIME! | |||
| Yes | a) Do you support reducing government regulations on the private sector? | ||
| Yes | b) Do you support increased state funding for job-training programs that re-train displaced workers? | ||
| Yes | c) Do you support expanding access to unemployment benefits? | ||
| Yes | d) Do you support providing financial incentives to the private sector for the purpose of job creation? | ||
| No | e) Do you support increased spending on infrastructure projects for the purpose of job creation? | ||
| Yes | f) Do you support providing direct financial assistance to homeowners facing foreclosure? | ||
| Yes | g) Do you support a constitutional amendment affirming a right to collective bargaining in Michigan? | ||
| No | h) Do you support construction of a new bridge across the Detroit River to Canada? | ||
| No | i) Should Michigan allow more casinos? | ||
| B - OUR MIDDLE CLASS IS BEING DESTROYED BY THESE BIG CORPORATIONS THAT HAVE LEFT MICHIGAN TO GO TO ANOTHER COUNTRY! THEY SHOULD NOT BE GIVEN ATAX BREAK - BUT LEVIED HIGHER FOR DOING SO TO THE AMERICAN PEOPLE THAT DEDICATED THEIR WORK SERVICE TO THEM. | |||
| No | a) Do you support the national Common Core State Standards initiative? | ||
| Yes | b) Do you support a merit pay system for teachers? | ||
| No | c) Is the tenure process for public school teachers producing effective teachers? | ||
| No | d) Do you support replacing pension plans for new teachers with 401(k)-style retirement plans? | ||
| No | e) Should parents be allowed to use vouchers to send their children to any school? | ||
| No | f) Do you support state funding for charter schools? | ||
| Yes | g) Do you support the state government providing college students with financial aid? | ||
| No | h) Should illegal immigrants who graduate from Michigan high schools be eligible for in-state tuition at public universities? | ||
| THE TEACHERS NEED TO HAVE INCREASED FUNDING FOR THEIR CLASS ROOMS! THE STUDENTS ARE LOOSING OUT! CUT SUPERVISOR AND PRINCIPAL PAY - INCREASE TEACHERS PAY! THEY ARE THE ONE TRAINING OUR CHILDREN IN THE WAYS THAT THEY WILL GO! "GLOBAL COMPETITIVENESS" | |||
| No | a) Do you support state funding for the development of alternative energy? | ||
| No | b) Do you support state funding for the development of traditional domestic energy sources (e.g. coal, natural gas, oil)? | ||
| c) Do you support state funding for improvements to Michigan's energy infrastructure? | |||
| No | d) Do you support state funding for open space preservation? | ||
| Yes | e) Do you support enacting environmental regulations aimed at reducing the effects of climate change? | ||
| [c) Do you support state funding for improvements to Michigan's energy infrastructure? Candidate marked both yes and no] C-ONLY-IF IT WOULD TAKE THE COST BURDEN FROM THE CONSUMERS! | |||
| Yes | a) Do you support restrictions on the purchase and possession of guns? | ||
| Yes | b) Should background checks be required on gun sales between private citizens at gun shows? | ||
| Yes | c) Should citizens be allowed to carry concealed guns? | ||
| Yes | d) Should a license be required for gun possession? | ||
| THE RIGHT TO POSSES AND BEAR ARMS - IS OUR 2ND AMENDMENT OF THE UNITED STATES CONSTITUTION! | |||
| Yes | a) Do you support a universally-accessible, publicly-administered health insurance option? | ||
| Yes | b) Do you support expanding access to health care through commercial health insurance reform? | ||
| No | c) Do you support interstate health insurance compacts? | ||
| No | d) Do you support requiring individuals to purchase health care insurance? | ||
| No | e) Do you support establishing a state-run health insurance exchange? | ||
| Yes | f) Do you support monetary limits on damages that can be collected in malpractice lawsuits? | ||
| Yes | g) Do you support allowing doctors to prescribe marijuana to their patients for medicinal purposes? | ||
| THE HIGH COST OF "CATASTROPHIC" AUTO INSURANCE SHOULD BE RE-EVALUATED TO PROTECT POLICY HOLDERS FROM MIS-USE OF FUNDS- EITHER TO THE INJURED or COMPANY ITS SELF. | |||
| No | a) Should marriage only be between one man and one woman? | ||
| Yes | b) Should same-sex couples be allowed to form civil unions? | ||
| Yes | c) Do you support the inclusion of sexual orientation in Michigan's anti-discrimination laws? | ||
| Yes | d) Do you support the inclusion of gender identity in Michigan's anti-discrimination laws? | ||
| AS A PUBLIC SERVANT, IT IS THE PEOPLE I REPRESENT - NOT MYSELF. I AM NOT THE ONE TO JUDGE. ANOTHER PERSON'S PREFERENCE IN CHOICE OF PARTNER IS THEIR OWN BUSINESS. | |||
| REFORM TAXES, THE HIGH COST OF LIVING AND SHRINKING BENEFITS! MAKE MICHIGAN FAMILIES PRIORITY ONE SO THAT THEY CAN LIVE, GROW WORK AND RETIRE IN MICHIGAN! PUT THE BACK-BONE BACK INTO OUR ECONOMY WITH GOOD PAYING JOBS AND NO PENSION TAX! LEAD BY EXAMPLE ELECTED GOVERNMENT OFFICALS, 50% PAY CUT AND REDUCED BENIFITS! TAX INCENTIVES FOR CORPORATIONS ONLY WHEN THEY'VE PROVEN PUTTING MICHIGAN WORKERS BACK TO WORK! ALL CHILDREN DESERVE THEY VERY BEST IN PUBLIC EDUCATION! KEEP NEIGHBORHOODS SAFE AND WELL EQUIPPED, POLICE-FIRE-EMS ARE NOT OPTIONS WE CAN LIVE WITHOUT! PROTECT OUR GREAT LAKES! MICHIGAN HAS 20% OF THE [...] |
Vote Smart does not permit the use of its name or programs in any campaign activity, including advertising, debates, and speeches.