Merlyn Huso'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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Merlyn Huso has provided voters with clear stances on key issues by responding to the 2016 Political Courage Test.
Montana State Legislative Election 2016 Political Courage Test
| a) Do you generally support pro-choice or pro-life legislation? | |||
| No | 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? | ||
| 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? | |||
| 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? | ||
| I believe that "pro-choice" and "pro-life" are word choices to make the opposite party look bad and therefore doesn't deserve a response. I do not believe in abortion as a birth control practice and don't believe that abortions should be performed after the first trimester, however, medical situations may arise after that time that should be resolved between the mother and her doctor after giving full consideration to the situation. | |||
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.3) State Taxes: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.
| Maintain Status | a) Education (higher) | ||
| Maintain Status | b) Education (K-12) | ||
| Maintain Status | c) Environment | ||
| Maintain Status | d) Health care | ||
| Slightly Increase | e) Law enforcement/corrections | ||
| Greatly Increase | f) Transportation/infrastructure | ||
| Maintain Status | g) Welfare | ||
| Maintain Status | a) Alcohol taxes | ||
| Maintain Status | b) Cigarette taxes | ||
| Maintain Status | c) Corporate taxes | ||
| Maintain Status | d) Small business taxes | ||
| Maintain Status | e) Gas/Oil taxes | ||
| Maintain Status | f) Property taxes | ||
| Maintain Status | g) Income taxes (low-income families) | ||
| Maintain Status | h) Income taxes (mid-income families) | ||
| Maintain Status | i) Income taxes (high-income families) | ||
| j) Other or expanded principles: | |||
| (e) corrections in the district I would represent are necessary to maintain the legal care requirements for incarcerated inmates causing some increased expenditures. Hopefully resolutions can be found to keep increased costs reasonable. (f) A infrastructure bill has not been passed during the last three legislative sessions in Montana and needs to be accomplished. Any passage would represent a "great increase." | |||
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? | ||
| No | 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) Do you support the enforcement of federal immigration laws by state and local police? | ||
| Yes | f) Do you support delaying the seizure of assets by law enforcement officials until after a conviction? | ||
| (c) I support the legalization of marijuana for medical reasons beyond current restrictions, but I am not ready to approve recreational use presently. (d) Situations could arise that may merit such treatment, but it must be determined on an individual case basis. There is a reason for the current restrictions that necessitates court review which I find acceptable. (e) I believe that participation by state and local police in enforcement of immigration laws can be accomplished when requested by federal authorities, however, most such laws are federal. I would need more knowledge to assess this situation than I currently have. | |||
| Yes | a) Do you support government spending as a means of promoting economic growth? | ||
| No | b) Do you support lowering taxes as a means of promoting economic growth? | ||
| c) Do you support reducing government regulations on the private sector? | |||
| Yes | d) Do you support increased state funding for job-training programs that re-train displaced workers? | ||
| No | e) Do you support expanding access to unemployment benefits? | ||
| Yes | f) Do you support requiring welfare applicants to pass a drug test in order to receive benefits? | ||
| g) Do you support providing financial incentives to the private sector for the purpose of job creation? | |||
| No | h) Do you support providing direct financial assistance to homeowners facing foreclosure? | ||
| Yes | i) Do you support an increase of the minimum wage? | ||
| j) Should employers be able to ask about applicants' criminal history before interviewing them? | |||
| No | k) Do you support transferring the control over some federal land to the Montanan state government? | ||
| Wouldn't it be nice if we could answer all questions with a simple yes or no answer. I simply can't respond to some of these questions as it may require some understanding and compromise within me to possibly negotiate a legitimate result that is acceptable to the legislative body. | |||
| Yes | a) Do you support the national Common Core State Standards initiative? | ||
| Yes | 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? | ||
| No | 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? | |||
| (a) The concept is good, however, there may need to be some adjustments, or, at least some provision for flexibility where one size doesn't fit all. | |||
| Yes | a) Do you support state funding for the development of renewable energy (e.g. solar, wind, thermal)? | ||
| Yes | 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? | ||
| d) Do you support state funding for open space preservation? | |||
| Yes | e) Do you support government regulations of greenhouse gas emissions? | ||
| Yes | f) Do you support increased regulations of the hydraulic fracturing ("fracking") industry? | ||
| (a) Through tax credits as presently exist (c) I believe that such improvements should originate in private industry with oversight by the Public Service Commission. | |||
| No | a) Do you generally support gun-control legislation? | ||
| 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? | ||
| The gun issue is certainly frustrating. I have never felt that the government is trying to take my guns. I simply don't believe that it is even possible. Yet, I don't see the need for assault rifles or .50 caliber center fire weapons in private citizenry. It is scary to contemplate how the need may arise for possession of such weaponry. | |||
| Yes | a) Do you support a universally-accessible, publicly-administered health insurance option? | ||
| No | 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 ("Obamacare")? | ||
| e) Do you support requiring individuals to purchase health care insurance? | |||
| Yes | 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 don't believe that our health care system can ever be improved without conversion to a single payer system. The insurance companies and health care providers seemingly collude to provide coverage for revenue requirements regardless of health care provisions | |||
| Yes | a) Do you support same-sex marriage? | ||
| Yes | b) Do you support the inclusion of sexual orientation in Montana's anti-discrimination laws? | ||
| c) Do you support the inclusion of gender identity in Montana's anti-discrimination laws? | |||
| d) Other or expanded principles: | |||
| The Montana legislature has not passed an infrastructure bill in the last three legislative sessions, essentially six years. That seems irresponsible where communities in eastern Montana are experiencing significant water and water treatment facility needs. As well, the Board of Regents recommended a remodel of a state university building as its top priority. That was rejected in the process. The governor has proposed a funding model that should be workable. I will advocate for federal retention and access to public lands where elements of the legislature have promoted sale or transfer of such lands. |
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