Jim Read'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.
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Jim Read has provided voters with clear stances on key issues by responding to the 2018 Political Courage Test.
Minnesota State Legislative Election 2018 Political Courage Test
| a) Do you generally support pro-choice or pro-life legislation? | |||
| Yes | b) Should abortion be legal when the pregnancy resulted from incest or rape? | ||
| c) Do you support the prohibition of public funds for organizations that perform abortions? | |||
| I deliberately avoid bumper sticker labels to describe my position. Our goal should be to reduce abortion as much as possible in non-coercive ways. These include access to contraception, and assured medical and nutritional support for women to make having a child a better-supported option. I do not support criminalizing all or most abortions, which will lead to dangerous illegal abortions as it has in the past. | |||
1) Budget Stabilization:Indicate which proposals you support (if any) for balancing Minnesota's budget.
| No | a) Reducing state employee salaries AND/OR pensions? | ||
| No | b) Instituting mandatory furloughs AND/OR layoffs for state employees? | ||
| No | c) Reducing benefits for Medicaid recipients? | ||
| d) An income tax increase on any tax bracket? | |||
| The most pressing budget priority is finding funds for transportation, which has been chronically underfunded as a result of falling gas tax revenues. I support a modest increase in transportation user revenues, which could include a most increase gas tax or in vehicle license tab fees. Resolving the underfunding of transportation will free up funds for education, elderly care, and other priorities. | |||
| Yes | a) Do you support any limits 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? | ||
| No | d) Do you support requiring a government-issued photo identification in order to vote at the polls? | ||
| e) Other or expanded principles: | |||
| No | a) Do you support capital punishment for certain crimes? | ||
| b) Do you support the legalization of marijuana for recreational purposes? | |||
| No | c) Should a minor accused of a violent crime be prosecuted as an adult? | ||
| No | d) Do you support the enforcement of federal immigration laws by state and local police? | ||
| I can support legalization of marijuana if public safety issues are adequately addressed. State and local law enforcement should spend time and resources on individuals, whether immigrant or native-born, who pose a threat to public safety. It is not the job of local law enforcement to be deputized by ICE to apprehend individuals who pose no threat to public safety. | |||
| Yes | a) Do you support state government spending as a means of promoting economic growth? | ||
| No | b) Do you support lowering state taxes as a means of promoting economic growth? | ||
| Yes | c) Do you support reducing state government regulations on the private sector? | ||
| Yes | d) Do you support expanding access to unemployment benefits? | ||
| No | e) Do you support requiring welfare applicants to pass a drug test in order to receive benefits? | ||
| Yes | f) Do you support an increase of the minimum wage of Minnesota? | ||
| Some regulations should be reduced or eliminated. Some are essential and should be kept in place. This has to be taken on a case by case basis. Minimum wage increases should be indexed to inflation. | |||
| a) Do you support adopting federal education standards in Minnesota? | |||
| Yes | b) Do you support state funding for charter schools? | ||
| c) Should immigrants unlawfully present in the United States who graduate from Minnesota high schools be eligible for in-state tuition at public universities? | |||
| All of these require qualification. I support adoption some federal education standards and not others. I support in-state tuition for Minnesota High School graduates who entered the U.S. as children ("Dreamers"). Some charter schools are good, some are bad. I would end state funding for bad charter schools, especially those that operate for-profit. | |||
| Yes | a) Do you support state funding for the development of renewable energy (e.g. solar, wind, thermal)? | ||
| Yes | b) Do you support state government regulations of greenhouse gas emissions? | ||
| Yes | c) Do you support increasing state funding for clean drinking water initiatives? | ||
| d) Other or expanded principles: | |||
| a) Do you generally support gun-control legislation? | |||
| Yes | b) Should background checks be required on gun sales between private citizens at gun shows? | ||
| No | c) Should teachers be allowed to bring guns into the classroom? | ||
| d) Should a license be required for gun ownership? | |||
| I support some proposed new restrictions on firearms, and oppose some others. | |||
| Yes | a) Should the state government increase funding for treatment facilities to combat opioid abuse? | ||
| Yes | b) Do you support Medicaid expansion through Minnesota's health care programs? | ||
| Yes | c) Do you support requiring individuals to purchase health care insurance? | ||
| d) Do you support legislation that grants citizens the right to choose to die through euthanasia? | |||
| Yes | e) Do you support eliminating religious exemptions for vaccinations? | ||
| Yes | f) Do you support requiring assisted-living facilities to be licensed by the state? | ||
| Yes | g) Do you support a state tax on all prescription opioids? | ||
| I see "right to die", where the individual makes the choice, as something different from euthanasia, a word often used to describe ending an individual's life without their active consent. This question is badly framed. | |||
| Yes | a) Do you support the inclusion of sexual orientation in Minnesota's anti-discrimination laws? | ||
| Yes | b) Do you support the inclusion of gender identity in Minnesota's anti-discrimination laws? | ||
| Yes | c) Do you support greater efforts by Minnesota state government in closing the pay gap between men and women? | ||
| No | d) Do you support increasing penalties on protesters who obstruct traffic, freeways, or access to airports? | ||
| There should be legal penalties for obstructing traffic, freeways, or access to airports. But the existing penalties under Minnesota law are sufficient. | |||
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