Donn Marshall's Issue Positions (Political Courage Test)
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Donn Marshall refused to tell citizens where he stands on any of the issues addressed in the 2012 Political Courage Test, despite repeated requests from Vote Smart, national media, and prominent political leaders.
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.
West Virginia State Legislative Election 2010 Political Courage Test
| Pro-choice | a) Do you consider yourself pro-choice or pro-life? | ||
| Yes | b) Should abortion be legal only within 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? | ||
| No | 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? | ||
| Yes | g) Do you support sexual education programs that include information on abstinence, contraceptives, and HIV/STD prevention methods? | ||
| No | h) Do you support abstinence-only sexual education programs? | ||
| b) Not when the life of the woman is threatened. Abortions after the first trimester should be exceedingly rare and only because medical circumstances threaten the life of the mother. e & f) In the case of incest, parental notification or consent could endanger the life of the mother. | |||
1) State SpendingIndicate 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.2) State TaxesIndicate 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.3) Budget StabilizationIndicate which proposals you support (if any) for balancing West Virginia's budget.
| Slightly Increase | a) Education (higher) | ||
| Maintain Status | b) Education (K-12) | ||
| Slightly Increase | c) Environment | ||
| Maintain Status | d) Health care | ||
| Slightly Increase | e) Law enforcement | ||
| Slightly Increase | f) Transportation and highway infrastructure | ||
| Maintain Status | g) Welfare | ||
| Slightly Increase | a) Alcohol taxes | ||
| Slightly Increase | b) Cigarette taxes | ||
| Slightly Decrease | c) Corporate taxes | ||
| Maintain Status | d) Gasoline taxes | ||
| Maintain Status | e) Property taxes | ||
| Maintain Status | f) Sales taxes | ||
| Maintain Status | g) Income taxes (low-income families) | ||
| Slightly Decrease | h) Income taxes (middle-income families) | ||
| Maintain Status | i) Income taxes (high-income families) | ||
| Yes | a) Tapping into West Virginia's "rainy day" fund | ||
| Yes | b) Issuing the early release of certain non-violent offenders | ||
| No | c) Increasing tuition rates at public universities | ||
| No | d) Instituting mandatory furloughs and layoffs for state employees | ||
| No | e) Reducing benefits for Medicaid recipients | ||
| Yes | f) Privatizing certain government services | ||
| a & b) At a time when a college degree has never been more important, WV has one of the lowest college graduation rates in the country -- spending a little more to improve that rate will have major benefits down the road, as smarter workers attract higher paying jobs. Our K-12 spending, however, needs to be examined -- it's already a significant amount, but it's not generating results. c) Tourism is a major source of revenue for WV -- we should invest in protecting the environment that yields such significant profits for the state. | |||
| In this economy and with our budget challenges, it will be difficult to increase or decrease any taxes. a & b) Slight increases in taxes on alcohol and cigarettes can help address a substance abuse problem that costs the state $450 million+ dollars a year. Taxpayers currently pay about $1,100 per person as a result of these costs -- a slight tax increase can save individuals and our state a great deal of money. e) We need to address the distribution of property taxes so taxpayers see more benefits from their property taxes in their own communities. | |||
| b) Given the limited prison space currently available, we may be forced by the courts to begin releasing prisoners. We can try to pre-empt this by paroling or exploring alternative incarceration methods for low-level non-violent offenders. This should be carefully monitored to ensure public safety is the first priority. Taking serious steps to address substance abuse can also help with this situation, as addicts who commit crimes are put in drug treatment programs that can address the addiction that led them to other criminal activities. | |||
c) Do you support limits on the following types of contributions to candidates for state government?
| Yes | a) Do you support limits on the number of terms for West Virginia governors? | ||
| No | b) Do you support limits on the number of terms for West Virginia state legislators? | ||
| Yes | 1) Individual | ||
| Yes | 2) Political Action Committee | ||
| Yes | 3) Corporate | ||
| Yes | 4) Political Party | ||
| Yes | d) Should candidates for state office be encouraged to meet voluntary spending limits? | ||
| Yes | e) Do you support requiring full and timely disclosure of campaign finance information? | ||
| f) Other or expanded principles | |||
| 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 drug/alcohol treatment? | ||
| No | c) Should the possession of small amounts of marijuana be decriminalized? | ||
| Yes | d) Should minors accused of a violent crime be prosecuted as adults? | ||
| No | e) Should minors who send 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? | ||
| e) Parents should be dealing with minors that engage in sending sexually explicit or nude photos by cell phone. The courts are a poor substitute for a parent. f)It would be nice if the Feds would provide us with some funding for enforcing their laws! | |||
| No | a) Do you support reducing government regulations on the private sector? | ||
| Yes | b) Do you support stricter safety regulations for the mining industry? | ||
| Yes | c) Do you support increased state funding for job-training programs that re-train displaced workers? | ||
| No | d) Do you support expanding access to unemployment benefits? | ||
| Yes | e) Do you support providing financial incentives to the private sector for the purpose of job creation? | ||
| Yes | f) Do you support increased spending on infrastructure projects for the purpose of job creation? | ||
| No | g) Do you support providing direct financial assistance to homeowners facing foreclosure? | ||
| a) I support reviewing regulations for effectiveness, enforcing existing regulations, and reducing or streamlining them whenever possible. As the recent mine disaster demonstrates, however, there are some areas of the private sector that may need increased regulation. d) I support providing training and creating opportunities for employment. f) Spending on infrastructure programs creates jobs and can fill infrastructure gaps that the state needs to have addressed. | |||
| Yes | a) Do you support national education standards? | ||
| Yes | b) Do you support requiring public schools to administer high school exit exams? | ||
| Yes | c) Do you support using a merit pay system for teachers? | ||
| No | d) Do you support state funding for charter schools? | ||
| Yes | e) Do you support the state government providing college students with financial aid? | ||
| No | f) Should illegal immigrants who graduate from West Virginia high schools be eligible for in-state tuition at public universities? | ||
| a) As the US competes in a global market, education takes on an economic and national security dimension. We should have national education standards to set a minimum requirement that WV will meet and exceed so our young people can compete in the global economy. c) We should consult and work with teachers to ensure effective implementation of merit pay as a tool in improving education. d) Charter schools have not demonstrated a conclusive record of success. I'm not opposed to pilot implementation of charter schools, but this would require teacher and administrator "buy in" to be effective. | |||
| Yes | 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)? | ||
| Yes | c) Do you support providing financial incentives to farms that produce biofuel crops? | ||
| No | d) Do you support state funding for improvements to West Virginia's energy infrastructure? | ||
| No | e) Do you support state funding for open space preservation? | ||
| Yes | f) Do you support enacting environmental regulations aimed at reducing the effects of climate change? | ||
| a) We are an energy state - there's no reason to put all of our eggs in one basket. b) These are developed industries posting profits -- state dollars shouldn't go to profitable, established industries. c) We should help farmers to power their farms with methane powerplants. d) The private sector can do this; in certain cases, a public-private partnership may be needed. e) Park procurement, Farmland Preservation Trusts, and Conservation easements can be used to do this. f) We will be left behind if we don't take steps to address climate change - clean coal technology is vital. | |||
| No | a) Do you support restrictions on the purchase and possession of guns? | ||
| Yes | b) Do you support requiring background checks on gun sales between private citizens at gun shows? | ||
| Yes | c) Do you support allowing individuals to carry concealed guns? | ||
| No | d) Do you support requiring a license for gun possession? | ||
| a) Our existing gun laws appear adequate. b) With existing technology, this should not pose a significant challenge. Insta-check takes place at gun shops, so it could work at gun shows. c) I would like to ensure that those that earn a concealed weapons permit have appropriate training to minimize the risk to innocent bystanders, and demonstrate a degree of competence with their weapon. | |||
| No | 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? | ||
| Yes | c) Do you support interstate health insurance compacts? | ||
| Yes | d) Should individuals be required to purchase health care insurance? | ||
| No | e) Do you support monetary limits on damages that can be collected in malpractice lawsuits? | ||
| Yes | f) Do you support legalizing physician-assisted suicide in West Virginia? | ||
| Yes | g) Do you support allowing doctors to prescribe marijuana to their patients for medicinal purposes? | ||
| Yes | h) Do you support increasing West Virginia's tax on beer to expand substance abuse programs? | ||
| a) This is not currently practical or preferred. d) Those who have insurance shouldn't be paying higher insurance rates to cover the healthcare costs of those who don't purchase health insurance. If we can make insurance affordable to all, we should require it, so everyone pays their own way. e) Some malpractice is so egregious that damages shouldn't be limited. g) If carefully controlled use of marijuana can ease the pain and suffering of terminally ill patients, then it should be legal. h) A beer tax would help us address a very serious and expensive substance abuse problem. | |||
| a) Should marriage only be between one man and one woman? | |||
| Yes | b) Should West Virginia allow same-sex couples to form civil unions? | ||
| c) Do you support state funding for stem cell research? | |||
| Yes | d) Do you support state funding for embryonic stem cell research? | ||
| Yes | e) Do you support the state's use of affirmative action? | ||
| Yes | f) Do you support the inclusion of sexual orientation in West Virginia's anti-discrimination laws? | ||
| Yes | g) Do you support the inclusion of gender identity in West Virginia's anti-discrimination laws? | ||
| a) Marriage is a religious institution, and government can not tell a church who it can or can't marry -- that is up to the church. | |||
| Encouraging business growth and diversification is a top priority, and can be accomplished at minimal cost (and potential profit) via tax incentives, a review and streamlining of regulation, and the creation of a business-friendly environment. Another top priority is education -- teachers should receive competitive pay and benefits, and should be able to work in a classroom environment that encourages learning and minimizes disruption. A third top priority is public safety -- we need to address staffing and equipment issues for emergency services personnel, and take on the drug threat with programs that work: prevention and treatment. |
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