Charles Shaffer'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.
Charles Shaffer has provided voters with clear stances on key issues by responding to the 2020 Political Courage Test.
West Virginia State Legislative Election 2020 Political Courage Test
| Pro-life | a) Do you generally support pro-choice or pro-life legislation? | ||
| No | b) Do you support legalizing abortion when the pregnancy resulted from incest or rape? | ||
| Yes | c) Do you support the prohibition of public funds for organizations that perform abortions? | ||
| d) Other or expanded principles: | |||
| No | a) In order to balance the budget, do you support reducing state employee salaries AND/OR pensions? | ||
| No | b) In order to balance the budget, do you support an income tax increase on any tax bracket? | ||
| Yes | c) Do you support reducing personal property taxes? | ||
| d) Other or expanded principles: | |||
| Yes | a) Do you support a limit on campaign contributions to state candidates? | ||
| Yes | b) Do you support the regulation of indirect campaign contributions from corporations and unions? | ||
| Yes | c) Do you support the use of an independent AND/OR bipartisan commission for redistricting? | ||
| Yes | d) Do you support requiring a government-issued photo identification in order to vote at the polls? | ||
| No | e) Do you support automatic voter registration? | ||
| Yes | f) Do you support creating an intermediate state court of appeals? | ||
| g) Other or expanded principles: | |||
| Yes | a) Do you support capital punishment for certain crimes? | ||
| Yes | b) Should an individual under 18 accused of a violent crime be prosecuted as an adult? | ||
| Yes | c) Do you support the enforcement of federal immigration laws by state and local police? | ||
| Yes | d) Do you support the use of private prisons in West Virginia? | ||
| No | e) Do you support mandatory minimum sentences for non-violent drug offenders? | ||
| I think the court should be the deciding factor on age limit of someone under 18 to be tried as an adult as well as minimum sentences for non-violent drug offenders. I am interested in private prisons but I would like to see how feasible they have been in other states. | |||
| No | a) Do you support state government spending as a means of promoting economic growth? | ||
| Yes | b) Do you support lowering state income taxes as a means of promoting economic growth? | ||
| Yes | c) Do you support reducing government regulations on the private sector? | ||
| Yes | d) Do you support requiring welfare applicants to pass a drug test in order to receive benefits? | ||
| No | e) Do you support an increase of the minimum wage of West Virginia? | ||
| No | f) Do you support requiring employers to provide paid family leave? | ||
| Yes | g) Do you support providing financial relief to businesses AND/OR corporations negatively impacted by the state of national emergency for COVID-19? | ||
| The financial relief, if needed, to corporations made need to be repaid over a time frame that does not financially hinder the corporations that needed assistance. | |||
| No | a) Do you support adopting federal education standards in West Virginia? | ||
| Yes | b) Do you support state funding for charter schools? | ||
| Yes | c) Do you support increasing teacher salaries AND/OR benefits in West Virginia? | ||
| Yes | d) Should immigrants unlawfully present in the United States who graduate from West Virginia high schools be eligible for in-state tuition at public universities? | ||
| On the issue of high school immigrants that are here unlawfully, they probably came with parents and why should they be denied a future as long as they are treated the same as WV students going to college. I am not for free tuition for the immigrant, just equal treatment. | |||
| No | a) Do you support state funding for the development of renewable energy (e.g. solar, wind, geo-thermal)? | ||
| No | b) Do you support government regulations of greenhouse gas emissions? | ||
| Yes | c) Do you support increasing state funding for clean drinking water initiatives? | ||
| Greenhouse gas emissions has scientists from opposite sides of the issue stating their points and I question the validity without objective proof. I am for hydroelectric energy first and then solar. I want to see the cost of solar and wind to see if it is truly feasible. | |||
| No | a) Do you generally support gun-control legislation? | ||
| Yes | b) Should background checks be required on gun sales between private citizens at gun shows? | ||
| Yes | c) Should teachers be allowed to bring guns into the classroom after passing gun safety training? | ||
| No | d) Should a license be required for gun ownership? | ||
| I teach concealed carry and I am for some teachers being armed in school. This would be for backup for the school security officer as well as protection for the students. | |||
| Yes | a) Should the state government increase funding for treatment facilities to combat opioid abuse? | ||
| No | b) Do you support Medicaid expansion through West Virginia's health care programs? | ||
| No | c) Do you support requiring individuals to purchase health care insurance? | ||
| Yes | d) Do you support legislation that grants citizens the right to choose to die through euthanasia? | ||
| No | e) Do you support eliminating religious exemptions for vaccinations? | ||
| No | f) Do you support requiring businesses to provide paid medical leave during public health crises, such as COVID-19? | ||
| The state govt. needs to see success from treatment facilities before allocating any funds to the facility. The state also needs to offer those with drug addiction a choice for state help or faith based help. The state should offer the same assistance to faith based as the state does to the secular facilities. | |||
| No | a) Do you support the inclusion of sexual orientation in West Virginia's anti-discrimination laws? | ||
| No | b) Do you support the inclusion of gender identity in West Virginia's anti-discrimination laws? | ||
| Yes | c) Do you support greater efforts by West Virginia state government in closing the pay gap between men and women? | ||
| No | d) Do you support expanding anti-discrimination laws to include hair textures and protective hairstyles? | ||
| e) Other or expanded principles: | |||
| I feel strongly for the need for term limits. I also want accountability for projects that fail (the intermodal project) in Pritchard. I would like to see a lodge built at Beech Fork Lake with a water park. | |||
| I would like to see the state lease the property for the lodge area and allow a private hotel/motel company bid on the building of the lodge with a water park and possibly a convention center. The state would build the road to the area for the location of the lodge, etc. The state needs to get out of trying to run a business and allow the business community to do its job. |
Vote Smart does not permit the use of its name or programs in any campaign activity, including advertising, debates, and speeches.