Virjeana Brown's Issue Positions (Political Courage Test)
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Virjeana Brown has provided voters with clear stances on key issues by responding to the 2014 Political Courage Test.
Montana State Legislative Election 2014 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? | ||
| 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 the prohibition of public funds for abortion procedures? | ||
| No | h) Do you support the prohibition of public funds for organizations that perform abortions? | ||
| This decision should be between a woman, her family and her doctor. I strongly disagree with attacks on women's health and legislation trying to deter or limit women's health issues and rights. There are times when minors have been molested by their own parents and/or family members and may need to terminate a pregnancy without the knowledge of the molesting parent. Most parents are involved with a decision to terminate an unwanted pregnancy. I think it is important to be able to provide preventative care that would help to reduce unwanted pregnancies. | |||
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.
| Slightly Increase | a) Education (higher) | ||
| Slightly Increase | b) Education (K-12) | ||
| Slightly Increase | c) Environment | ||
| Slightly Increase | d) Health care | ||
| Maintain Status | e) Law enforcement/corrections | ||
| Slightly Increase | f) Transportation/infrastructure | ||
| Slightly Increase | g) Welfare | ||
| Slightly Increase | a) Alcohol taxes | ||
| Slightly Increase | b) Cigarette taxes | ||
| Greatly Increase | c) Corporate taxes | ||
| Greatly Increase | d) Gas/Oil taxes | ||
| Maintain Status | e) Property taxes | ||
| Maintain Status | f) Income taxes (low-income families) | ||
| Maintain Status | g) Income taxes (mid-income families) | ||
| Maintain Status | h) Income taxes (high-income families) | ||
| If the minimum wage was increased and individuals were making more money, then less money would be needed in SNAP, LIEAP, TANF and Section 8 rental assistance. I advocate for at least a $10.00 minimum wage. If the state was using more restorative justice versus punitive justice, less money would need to go to Law Enforcement/Corrections. Since I'm new to politics, I suggest slight increases to most because I think we need to really put investments into our future through education and protection of the environment. I would like to see all public buildings retrofitted with solar energy. | |||
| I know that the gas/oil industry gets an 18-month tax holiday on new wells. This is when wells are the most productive and the State is losing out on a revenue source that could be used for the infrastructure in Eastern Montana where they are having the largest influx in crime from the Bakken. I also think the State should be selling their liquor licenses at a higher rate instead of allowing the private sector to hold onto them for 5 years and selling for a higher amount. Another lost revenue source. | |||
a) Do you support limits on the following types of contributions for state candidates?
| Yes | 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? | ||
| No | e) Do you support requiring a government-issued photo identification in order to vote at the polls? | ||
| I think there should be NO money in politics. We should have open forums and debates so that voters can hear for themselves where candidates stand on issues. Our political system has been bought out by the people/corporations with the most money. So many are disenfranchised and believe their vote doesn't count anyway. This is unfortunate. If they only realized if we all got out and voted, no amount of money would matter. I don't believe there is an issue with voter fraud. | |||
| No | 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 legalizing the possession of small amounts of marijuana? | ||
| No | d) Should a minor accused of a violent crime be prosecuted as an adult? | ||
| No | e) Should a minor who sends sexually-explicit or nude photos by cell phone face criminal charges? | ||
| No | f) Do you support the enforcement of federal immigration laws by state and local police? | ||
| No | g) Do you support increased driving regulations? | ||
| F) There are federal authorities responsible for enforcing immigration laws and I don't believe it is up to the state and local police to provide enforcement. G) I can only answer no to an increase in driving regulations, because this is vague. I would need more specific information to make a determination. | |||
| No | 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? | ||
| Yes | e) Do you support government spending as a means of promoting economic growth? | ||
| Yes | f) Do you support providing direct financial assistance to homeowners facing foreclosure? | ||
| Yes | g) Do you support an increase of the minimum wage? | ||
| Regulations are generally in effect to protect consumers and force some companies to do the right thing to protect it's workers and the environment. I believe that small business should be given incentives to create jobs. Larger companies and corporation get plenty of breaks now and typically create jobs that are in the service industry and lower paying. I would like to see government spending on retrofitting all public buildings to solar energy or appropriate renewable energy. A living wage for a single person in Montana is $14.40 (Job Gap Report, Alliance for a Just Society). | |||
| Yes | a) Do you support the national Common Core State Standards initiative? | ||
| No | b) Do you support a merit pay system for teachers? | ||
| Yes | c) Is the tenure process for public school teachers producing effective teachers? | ||
| No | d) Should parents be allowed to use vouchers to send their children to any school? | ||
| No | e) Do you support state funding for charter schools? | ||
| Yes | f) Do you support the state government providing college students with financial aid? | ||
| Yes | g) Should illegal immigrants who graduate from Montana high schools be eligible for in-state tuition at public universities? | ||
| My experience of merit pay is that is is a popularity contest and not always about the work getting done or who is the "best". I think the voucher system will create lopsided schools. Perhaps all the best and the brightest will be in one school and every one else in another. It is important for all students to be exposed to all other students, it teaches acceptance and understanding of a range of abilities and talents. Children brought here illegally, need help in becoming legal so they can go onto college here and be eligible for in-state tuition. | |||
| 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 state funding for improvements to Montana's energy infrastructure? | ||
| No | d) Do you support state funding for open space preservation? | ||
| Yes | e) Do you support government regulations of greenhouse gas emissions? | ||
| I have a problem with tax payers paying for open space preservation and then the landowner not allowing access. If access is allowed, then I see no issue with it. | |||
| 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? | ||
| No | d) Should a license be required for gun possession? | ||
| I believe background checks are a reasonable request for purchasing a firearm. Stalkers and those convicted of domestic violence should not be allowed to purchase firearms. I think citizens should be allowed to carry concealed weapons with the appropriate approval. I come from a family of hunters and ranchers. Firearms are a tool and need to be handled responsibly. | |||
| Yes | a) Do you support a universally-accessible, publicly-administered health insurance option? | ||
| b) Do you support expanding access to health care through commercial health insurance reform? | |||
| c) Do you support interstate health insurance compacts? | |||
| Yes | d) Do you support Medicaid expansion under the Affordable Care Act? | ||
| No | e) Do you support requiring individuals to purchase health care insurance? | ||
| 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? | ||
| I believe a single payer option would be best. B)I don't have enough information to comfortably answer this question. C)I don't have enough information to comfortably answer this question. E)There are many people who cannot afford to pay insurance premiums, that is why I do not support "requiring" individuals to purchase health care. F)I would need more information on this as well to be able to answer this. I think it depends on the situation. | |||
| Yes | a) Do you support same-sex marriage? | ||
| Yes | b) Should same-sex couples be allowed to form civil unions? | ||
| Yes | c) Do you support the inclusion of sexual orientation in Montana's anti-discrimination laws? | ||
| Yes | d) Do you support the inclusion of gender identity in Montana's anti-discrimination laws? | ||
| We need to respect all differences regardless if we personally agree or not. Everyone simply wants to be loved and respected and allowed to have the "special" relationship with another. For some people this happens to be with someone of the same sex. We all contribute to the world and need to respect each other for our contributions, not our sexual preferences. | |||
| I will advocate/introduce a bill to raise the minimum wage to $10.00. I want to introduce a bill to change the radioactive limits to the minimum of the industry standards so that we don't continue to get North Dakota's radio active socks. Work to get "Rural" designation for cities like Bozeman so that pediatric specialist could be brought to these cities. Advocate for keeping our "federal" lands federal. Vote against charter schools. Support bills to expand Medicaid. The bills I'm want to introduce do not require additional funding that I'm aware of. |
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