Jane Montemayor's Issue Positions (Political Courage Test)
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Jane Montemayor has provided voters with clear stances on key issues by responding to the 2016 Political Courage Test.
Minnesota State Legislative Election 2016 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? | |||
| 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? | |||
| 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? | ||
| All life is precious. Absolutely. That said, many of the questions around abortion can not be answered with simple "yes/no" responses. Choices between saving the mother or saving the child are tragic and cannot be answered legislatively. Issues of rape, incest, age and the health of the mother are highly personal which is why I believe that decisions about a woman's health are between the woman and her doctor. I also believe that organizations that provide women's health should not be penalized overall if they provide abortion services, especially to save the life of the woman. | |||
1) State Spending: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: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 | ||
| 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 Decrease | d) Small business taxes | ||
| Slightly Increase | e) Gas/Oil taxes | ||
| Maintain Status | f) Property taxes | ||
| Maintain Status | g) Sales taxes | ||
| Maintain Status | h) Income taxes (low-income families) | ||
| Maintain Status | i) Income taxes (mid-income families) | ||
| Slightly Increase | j) Income taxes (high-income families) | ||
| Yes | k) Do you support applying sales taxes to all online purchases? | ||
| 47B is a fortunate district in that the need for additional funding for many programs is appropriate in many cases. My interest is in supporting economic growth of the area by attracting new businesses and encouraging business startups. In order to do this my top priorities are improvement of roads as well as public transportation, expanded education opportunities and safe communities. These will require investment in each area. However, much of this investment may be offset by other measures as the full budget is negotiated. Healthcare should not be impacted and I support repeal of the sunset on provider tax. | |||
| Taxation is always a sensitive area of discussion. The overall goal is to not adversely impact any particular group in order to achieve goals, such as transportation and safe communities, that benefit all citizens. Taxes overall must be reviewed, especially as they relate to small businesses. Implementation of adjusted tax policies must be carefully thought out in order to have a positive, rather than negative impact on business. This could mean offsetting taxes in early years of new programs to allow businesses to adjust. We also need to stop the nickle and dime tax policies that create gridlock. | |||
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 believe that we need campaign reform and the elimination of Citizens United. Money in politics is destroying the democratic process and the ideal that government must be "..of the people, for the people and by the people." I believe that campaign funding should be strictly limited to allow for more citizens and not only the wealthy to participate. Further, the idea that money equates free speech on behalf of corporations has no place in elections as it ultimately disenfranchises the electorate. Advertising and other election propaganda should be limited to development, approval, distribution and accountability by the candidates only. | |||
| 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? | ||
| 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? | |||
| No | e) Do you support the enforcement of federal immigration laws by state and local police? | ||
| f) Do you support delaying the seizure of assets by law enforcement officials until after a conviction? | |||
| Yes | g) Do you support requiring all on-duty law enforcement officials to wear functioning body cameras while in the field? | ||
| Crime & Public Safety are another area where simple yes/no answers do not represent the full need. For example, I support legalization of small amounts of marijuana IF it is regulated and tested for potency and dosage etc much the same as alcohol and OTC medications. We do not provide sufficient resources to law enforcement given that they are asked to be not just police but also drug enforcement, immigration, mental health, and advocates for youth. We also need to re-evaluate the effectiveness of punishment as a deterrent, especially with regard to youth. | |||
| Yes | a) Do you support government spending as a means of promoting economic growth? | ||
| b) Do you support lowering taxes as a means of promoting economic growth? | |||
| c) Do you support reducing government regulations on the private sector? | |||
| d) Do you support increased state funding for job-training programs that re-train displaced workers? | |||
| e) Do you support expanding access to unemployment benefits? | |||
| No | f) Do you support requiring welfare applicants to pass a drug test in order to receive benefits? | ||
| Yes | g) Do you support providing financial incentives to the private sector for the purpose of job creation? | ||
| 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? | |||
| Since the 1980s we have argued about the impact of lowering individual and corporate taxes on the economy. The idea that lowering taxes on wealthy individuals creates jobs is false as savings on taxes does not directly translate to job creating. Public investment in education, transportation and infrastructure benefits individuals and business alike. However, we need better linkage between federal programs and their implementation at the local level. This may include public/private partnerships and direct investment. There is also a direct correlation between spending on unemployment and economic growth. Welfare reform is important however drug testing is not a solution. | |||
| Yes | a) Do you support the national Common Core State Standards initiative? | ||
| Yes | 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? | |||
| 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 Minnesota high schools be eligible for in-state tuition at public universities? | |||
| In general I support national standards of education. This ensures that students have equal opportunity regardless of state or district. We need not just basics but also critical thinking to encourage innovation and problem solving. I also support a variety of programs around college financial aid including no interest loans, repayment inline with income achievement and grant programs. I also support expansion of trade schools in order to strengthen and create new opportunities for non-college oriented families. All of these initiatives will make us more competitively globally. | |||
| a) Do you support state funding for the development of renewable energy (e.g. solar, wind, thermal)? | |||
| 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 Minnesota'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? | ||
| Yes | f) Do you support increased regulations of the hydraulic fracturing ("fracking") industry? | ||
| The environment is a precious asset the needs to be shared and nurtured. Looking at other countries, and even places within the U.S. such as New York City, pollution in general is an issue that has real economic impacts on healthcare, availability of natural resources such as water, and industries such as tourism. We can be a global leader in alternative energy sources. Doing so will strengthen our economy, lower the costs of diseases such as asthma and certain cancers, and improve overall quality of life. | |||
| Yes | a) Do you generally support gun-control legislation? | ||
| 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? | ||
| Yes | d) Should a license be required for gun possession? | ||
| I do support expanded, universal background checks and have yet to meet a responsible gun owner who is not willing to be submitted to one. As a state with a hunting culture we already require licensing for hunting. Certain types of guns could be associated with a hunting license rather than subjecting the individual to multiple licensing processes. I believe that current concealed carry laws are adequate. | |||
| 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? | ||
| c) Do you support interstate health insurance compacts? | |||
| Yes | d) Do you support Medicaid expansion under the Affordable Care Act ("Obamacare")? | ||
| Yes | 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 support a public option (aka Single Payer) as it has proven successful in developed countries worldwide. At the same time we need commercial health insurance reform to allow for true competition in all markets (state, urban and rural). We also need to remove restrictions on negotiating drug prices for medicare / medicade as well as through exchanges. As with my previous answer on marijuana, I support allowing doctors to prescribe it as long as there are verifiable standards for potency and dosage in place. | |||
| Yes | a) Do you support same-sex marriage? | ||
| Yes | b) Do you support the inclusion of sexual orientation in Minnesota's anti-discrimination laws? | ||
| c) Do you support the inclusion of gender identity in Minnesota's anti-discrimination laws? | |||
| I absolutely support same sex marriage. There is no reason to deny the rights and privileges of marriage to any couple in a committed, legally binding relationship. Sexual orientation in anti-discrimination laws should be included. While I generally support the inclusion of gender identity, I am concerned that the amount of fluidity around the subject requires thought in order to craft appropriate legislation (if required). | |||
| My top priorities are economic growth, education and safe communities. These priorities depend upon additional funding for infrastructure, including transportation and broadband, and investment in programs that support conflict resolution, homelessness and and education. Studies have shown that more than 50% of Minnesotans support a minor gas tax increase to fund transportation. Broadband could be achieved through public / private partnerships by encouraging network expansion. Investment in education and safe communities could potentially be funded either through closing of certain tax loopholes, a minimal energy tax, or other examination of other expenses. |
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