Steven Benson's Issue Positions (Political Courage Test)
Key
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Steven Benson 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? | ||
| No | 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? | ||
| I am in favor of reducing the number of abortions which occur by supporting programs which support, not punish, women facing difficult decisions: access to contraception, pre- and post-natal care, food & shelter support for mothers and children, education and job training opportunities for mothers, support for adoption, affordable health care, etc. These have been proven to reduce abortion incidence in other states and nations. Let's do what works instead of what makes us feel good about ourselves! | |||
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) | ||
| Maintain Status | b) Education (K-12) | ||
| Maintain Status | c) Environment | ||
| Maintain Status | d) Health care | ||
| Maintain Status | e) Law enforcement/corrections | ||
| Slightly Increase | f) Transportation/infrastructure | ||
| Maintain Status | g) Welfare | ||
| Slightly Increase | a) Alcohol taxes | ||
| Slightly Increase | b) Cigarette taxes | ||
| Maintain Status | c) Corporate taxes | ||
| Slightly Increase | d) Gas/Oil taxes | ||
| Maintain Status | e) Property taxes | ||
| Eliminate | f) Income taxes (low-income families) | ||
| Maintain Status | g) Income taxes (mid-income families) | ||
| Slightly Increase | h) Income taxes (high-income families) | ||
| i) Other or expanded principles: | |||
| subsidies for oil well development: decrease (an industry with record profits doesn't need subsidies. | |||
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? | ||
| f) Other or expanded principles: | |||
| 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? | ||
| Yes | 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? | ||
| Yes | g) Do you support increased driving regulations? | ||
| We need to reduce our incarceration rate by implementing systems which rehabilitate, not just punish. | |||
| Yes | 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? | ||
| No | 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? | ||
| No | f) Do you support providing direct financial assistance to homeowners facing foreclosure? | ||
| Yes | g) Do you support an increase of the minimum wage? | ||
| We need a balance of private and public avenues for jobs and the economy. It's not either/or. | |||
| 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? | ||
| Tenure "per se" is not the problem, but we could look at adjusting the way job security is offered. Charter schools may be encouraged within guidelines, but not at the expense of public schools. All young people who show ability and determination should be enabled to pursue higher education. | |||
| 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? | ||
| Yes | d) Do you support state funding for open space preservation? | ||
| Yes | e) Do you support government regulations of greenhouse gas emissions? | ||
| When the fossil fuel industry is recording record profits, there is no need for government subsidy. A true "all of the above" energy policy would work to achieve balance in energy sources. We need to recognize that global warming and human-caused climate change are real and pose a serious threat. Every state (and every nation) must do their part. | |||
| 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? | ||
| regarding (a): We've always had and always will have some "restrictions" on gun ownership (no cannons or RPGs, etc.) Reasonable guidelines (concerning types of weapons and individuals with a histories of violence or instability) should not restrict the average citizen's rights to gun ownership and use. | |||
| Yes | 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) Do you support Medicaid expansion under the Affordable Care Act? | ||
| No | e) Do you support requiring individuals to purchase health care insurance? | ||
| No | 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? | ||
| In place of requiring individuals to purchase health insurance, a universal single payer system (while maintaining private health care delivery systems) would be preferable. In absence of that, an individual mandate is a "necessary evil" on the path toward a greater good. While tort reform is necessary, it is not a major driver in health care costs. Reform must be done cautiously in a manner which would preserve protections for individuals from exploitation in pursuit of profits. | |||
| 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? | ||
| In a truly democratic, free society, we must maintain equal respect and opportunity for all. | |||
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