Susan Elliott's Issue Positions (Political Courage Test)
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Susan Elliott 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? | ||
| b) Should abortions be illegal after the first trimester of pregnancy? | |||
| c) Should abortion be legal when the pregnancy resulted from incest or rape? | |||
| d) Should abortion be legal when the life of the woman is endangered? | |||
| e) Do you support requiring parental notification before an abortion is performed on a minor? | |||
| f) Do you support requiring parental consent before an abortion is performed on a minor? | |||
| g) Do you support the prohibition of public funds for abortion procedures? | |||
| h) Do you support the prohibition of public funds for organizations that perform abortions? | |||
| It?s surprising to find no questions about ?reproductive issues? like women?s access to health care, birth control or sex education, and no questions about preventing rape or domestic abuse. All these are black-and-white questions about abortion. Each answer would requires explanation. How about, ?Do you support sex education that empowers young women and men to make their own decisions in sexual relationships?? (YES) As a minister, I accompanied women and families before and after decisions about pregnancies. It was never simple, whatever the choice, and that includes the choice to have bear the child. That?s why I support choice. | |||
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.
| a) Education (higher) | |||
| b) Education (K-12) | |||
| c) Environment | |||
| d) Health care | |||
| e) Law enforcement/corrections | |||
| f) Transportation/infrastructure | |||
| g) Welfare | |||
| a) Alcohol taxes | |||
| b) Cigarette taxes | |||
| c) Corporate taxes | |||
| d) Gas/Oil taxes | |||
| e) Property taxes | |||
| f) Income taxes (low-income families) | |||
| g) Income taxes (mid-income families) | |||
| h) Income taxes (high-income families) | |||
| In the process of developing a state budget, we can easily be penny-wise and pound-foolish. This means investments in the future in the form of infrastructure, education, and promoting future economic development. Budgeting is a comprehensive balancing process that includes careful examination of spending items as well as revenue generation and tax breaks. All of the items listed are appropriate for state spending, but I would need to examine the details in each area before advocating spending levels in such a general way. | |||
| A more detailed list is needed before making such a general decision. However, Montana?s Oil & Gas Tax Holiday, which is not on the list here, needs to be repealed. Unlike neighboring states, Montana offers oil and gas interests a ?tax holiday? for the first 12 to 18 months of production, when about half of the resource is usually extracted. Montana loses that revenue. After that, Montana?s tax rate is only 9.26% compared to 15.9% in Wyoming. This rate needs reconsideration. I would undertake detailed examination of other taxes and tax breaks as well. | |||
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? | ||
| The main issue in campaign finance is omitted from this list: DARK MONEY. No matter what restrictions are put on candidates? official campaign organizations, the unrestricted use of massive contributions to organizations with minimal reporting requirements is the real issue. No one should be able to spend money to support a political candidate or influence legislation anonymously. Overall limits also need to be set to level the playing field. I would support legislation to protect the democratic rights and free speech of individuals of average means needs from the influence of massive wealth in the electoral process. | |||
| 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? | ||
| d) Should a minor accused of a violent crime be prosecuted as an adult? | |||
| e) Should a minor who sends sexually-explicit or nude photos by cell phone face criminal charges? | |||
| f) Do you support the enforcement of federal immigration laws by state and local police? | |||
| g) Do you support increased driving regulations? | |||
| The question of when and how to prosecute minors for particular crimes needs to be left to prosecutors and the judicial branch. Oversight is required within the judicial branch to assure that prosecutors are fair and unbiased in their decisions about when to prosecute, but this should be determined based on actual cases, not blanket legislation. While federal officials should be responsible for enforcement of federal immigration laws, state and local police should receive training to assist federal officials in these matters. On driving regulations, What is being proposed and why? If marijuana is legalized, it should be regulated. | |||
| a) Do you support reducing government regulations on the private sector? | |||
| b) Do you support increased state funding for job-training programs that re-train displaced workers? | |||
| c) Do you support expanding access to unemployment benefits? | |||
| d) Do you support providing financial incentives to the private sector for the purpose of job creation? | |||
| e) Do you support government spending as a means of promoting economic growth? | |||
| f) Do you support providing direct financial assistance to homeowners facing foreclosure? | |||
| Yes | g) Do you support an increase of the minimum wage? | ||
| For questions �a� through �f�, I would need to see specific proposals. For example, most regulations on the private sector were enacted for specific reasons. They may be outdated or no longer necessary. Some also have unintended adverse consequences. If so, I would consider repeal or change given adequate justification. Periodic review of regulations is appropriate. Financial incentives to the private sector for job creation are also worth considering, but I would need to evaluate specific proposals. | |||
| a) Do you support the national Common Core State Standards initiative? | |||
| b) Do you support a merit pay system for teachers? | |||
| c) Is the tenure process for public school teachers producing effective teachers? | |||
| 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? | ||
| g) Should illegal immigrants who graduate from Montana high schools be eligible for in-state tuition at public universities? | |||
| National standards are useful as guidelines, but I am hearing from parents and teachers about issues with the implementation of the Common Core. I would convene a nonpartisan working group between legislative sessions to consider these and other education issues and whether other legislation is needed in Montana. I oppose using taxpayer dollars for private education, but I support providing alternatives within the public system. Effective teaching is much more complex than implied in the questions. We need to consider how Montana students without immigration papers can be assisted to obtain legal status � and thus qualify for in-state tuition. | |||
| a) Do you support state funding for the development of alternative energy? | |||
| b) Do you support state funding for the development of traditional domestic energy sources (e.g. coal, natural gas, oil)? | |||
| c) Do you support state funding for improvements to Montana's energy infrastructure? | |||
| d) Do you support state funding for open space preservation? | |||
| e) Do you support government regulations of greenhouse gas emissions? | |||
| I support state funding for a future-oriented economic development strategy, including alternative energy options. Specific proposals are needed for alternative energy and for infrastructure, however, that can demonstrate long-term economic viability. I do not see any need to continue to subsidize the private sector to develop fossil fuels. Fossil fuel developments are already well-funded, profitable and established and can pay their own way without special tax breaks. I would also need to see specific proposals for regulation of greenhouse gas emissions, but I support exploring strategies for reducing these emissions. | |||
| a) Do you support restrictions on the purchase and possession of guns? | |||
| b) Should background checks be required on gun sales between private citizens at gun shows? | |||
| c) Should citizens be allowed to carry concealed guns? | |||
| d) Should a license be required for gun possession? | |||
| I currently would not advocate for any changes in Montana�s gun laws. I would like to hear from a broad range of constituents about any proposals to change current laws. | |||
| 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? | ||
| 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? | |||
| g) Do you support allowing doctors to prescribe marijuana to their patients for medicinal purposes? | |||
| Many proposals confuse health insurance with health care. The Affordable Care Act is currently what we have to work with. I support Medicaid expansion as a way to provide health care for 70,000 Montanans, including workers and 8,000 veterans. As a long-term strategy, we need to address health care costs and look more directly at the provision of affordable health care. Most of the questions address health insurance proposals. I see these as continuing down a path of unnecessary complexity and unaffordable health care. I would work with experts and constituents to develop pilot proposals to provide affordable health care. | |||
| 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? | ||
| Many people are uncomfortable with recent changes that have led to greater visibility and acceptance of people of different sexual orientations and gender identities. I am willing to hear this discomfort from constituents. Yet in a democratic society, every citizen has rights, even citizens who are different from the majority. I support anti-discrimination laws because government has the responsibility in a democratic society to protect minorities from the tyranny of the majority. U.S. and Montana Constitutions also guarantee that government will not establish a religion. Laws defining marriage according to one religious grouping�s view violate this guarantee. | |||
| Vital issues are missing from this questionnaire, such as: public lands, community impacts in oil and gas �boom� areas, eminent domain, domestic violence, child abuse, protection of water resources, and wildlife management. There are also no questions related to agriculture or tourism, the main engines of Montana�s economy. I am committed to having the �political courage� to listen to various points of view and ideas for solutions challenges Montana faces. I promise to be a state senator who will work with constituents and other legislators to make broadly reasonable and beneficial proposals BEFORE the up-or-down votes. |
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