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Diane Whitley'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.
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Other or Expanded Principles & Legislative Priorities are entered exactly as candidates submit them. Vote Smart does not edit for misspelled words, punctuation or grammar.
What is the Political Courage Test?

Colorado 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.
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.
I'm not looking to change or submit any legislation re: abortion. I don't anticipate any legislation being proposed in a Democratically controlled legislature that would change the status quo. I would not support any constitutional amendment or legislation which would restrict or endanger any woman's access to affordable contraception as I believe it is the most effective method of preventing unwanted pregnancy. I not pro-abortion- I am pro-choice.

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.

Slightly Increase a) Education (Higher)
Maintain Status b) Education (K-12)
Greatly Increase c) Emergency preparedness
Slightly Increase d) Environment
Greatly Increase e) Health care
Slightly Increase f) Law enforcement
Greatly Increase g) Transportation and highway infrastructure
Maintain Status h) Welfare
Maintain Status a) Alcohol taxes
Maintain Status b) Cigarette taxes
Slightly Increase c) Corporate taxes
Maintain Status d) Gasoline taxes
Maintain Status e) Income taxes (incomes below $75,000)
Slightly Increase f) Income taxes (incomes above $75,000)
Maintain Status g) Sales taxes
Maintain Status h) Vehicle taxes
No 1) Should state sales taxes be extended to Internet sales?
Undecided 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?
I don't believe that we need to raise taxes in order to increase these programs. Ex. 82.3% of adults incarcerated have substance abuse problems. By increasing substance abuse programs, we can decrease prison populations and cost. 17.2% incarcerated have serious mental health issues. By increasing health care we can return these people to productive lives (paying taxes) and reduce prison crowding and cost. It costs $27, 588 per inmate in addition to the cost of these programs within the system. We need to work smarter not harder.
Transportation and infrastructure maintenance are dangerously underfunded. Using eminent domain for private transportation projects is inequitable to property owners asked for a disproportionate sacrifice. We must establish priorities-- this would be one for me. Law Enforcement and Healthcare are also high priorities. Alot of the cost could be lowered with increased efficiency as listed above-- but it may require additional funding. I don't support any diversion of taxpayer money to any private enterprise.
State sales taxes are easily bypassed by buying from another state. We want to attract consumers to our state businesses, not drive them away.

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 Colorado governors?
Yes b) Do you support the current limit of terms for Colorado state senators and representatives?
Yes 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?
No f) Should Colorado participate in the federal REAL ID program?
g) Other or expanded principles

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

a) Increase state funds for construction of state prisons and hiring of additional prison staff.
X b) Support the death penalty in Colorado.
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) Minors accused of a violent crime should be prosecuted as adults.
f) Support state and local law enforcement officials enforcing federal immigration laws.
g) Support hate crime legislation.
h) Other or expanded principles

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

X a) Support state funding of universal pre-K programs.
X 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.
X 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 Colorado to pay in-state tuition at public universities.
No Child Left Behind should be funded or abolished. Schools and teachers should not be penalized for student test scores. Gifted and talented/special ed programs should be designed to remove these students from the normal classroom to enable mainstream students to progress at a faster pace. This would also raise scores on NCLB, by comparing apples to apples. Federal testing for these students should be tailored to their ability. I will lobby actively against any unfunded mandates. If its worth mandating, its worth funding.

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.
X b) Reduce state government regulations on the private sector.
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.
f) Increase the state minimum wage.
X g) Support laws that prevent employers from dismissing employees at will.
X h) Support financial punishments for those who knowingly employ illegal immigrants.
i) Support increased work requirements for able-bodied welfare recipients.
X j) Increase funding for employment and job training programs for welfare recipients.
k) Prohibit union membership and dues being a condition of employment (right-to-work laws).
I belong to several cooperatives. I'm expected to pay for membership and services. I would not therefore expect a union, which is a form of cooperative, to work for free. I fail to see any difference between the two. Employees deserve an explanation when their jobs are terminated. Constructive criticism leads to improved performance.

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.
X d) Use state funds to clean up former industrial and commercial sites that are contaminated, unused, or abandoned.
X e) Support funding for improvements to Colorado'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.
Subsidizing farmers for biofuels would put undue strain on ranchers who need corn as feed. The market would naturally regulate this situation. If state funds are used to clean up contamination which is a health hazard and a high priority, all efforts should be made to recoup the money spent-- even if it meant seizing assets or denying responsible parties a license to operate in the state. I believe that the state could support funding for GREEN power generating facilities. Funding should be tied to a percentage of power generation from renewable resources such as wind, solar and hydro.

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

No 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?
No c) Should a license be required for gun possession?
Yes 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 background checks. I support license to carry a concealed weapon.

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

a) Ensure that citizens have access to basic health care through managed care, insurance reforms, or state-funded care where necessary.
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 Colorado.
X g) Support allowing doctors to prescribe marijuana to their patients for medicinal purposes.
I oppose any mandatory insurance regulations. They encourage inefficiency and lack of accountability. I favor universal singlepayer healthcare. Medical marijuana has already been passed by initiative of state residents-- doctors should be allowed to prescribe substances that are lawable.

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

Yes a) Should Colorado recognize civil unions between same-sex couples?
Undecided b) Should same-sex couples be allowed to marry?
Yes c) Should Colorado provide state-level spousal rights to same-sex couples?
Yes d) Do you support a moment of silence in public schools?
Yes 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?
Yes 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 Colorado continue affirmative action programs?
k) Do you support state funding of stem cell research?
l) Do you support state funding of embryonic stem cell research?
No m) Do you support allowing pharmacists who conscientiously object to emergency contraception to refuse to dispense it?
Matthew 6:5,6 "And when you pray you are not to be as hypocrites; for they love to pray ...on the street corners in order to be seen by men... But when you pray, go into your inner room and when you have shut your door, pray to your Father who is in secret, and your Father who sees in secret will repay you." My policy on prayer: DON'T ASK, DON'T TELL...
Restoring the constitutional rights of CO citizens including property rights- to restore equity to decisionmaking. To return to the principle that ALL MEN ARE CREATED EQUAL. To put the UNITY back in COMMUNITY. To restore fiscal responsibility by state officials--and end the diversion of taxpayer money to private enterprise. To fix the healthcare system within the state and free the mentally ill being warehoused in our state prisons- to return them to productive lives so they can contribute to society. To strongly advocate for universal singlepayer healthcare.

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