Jennifer Allen's Issue Positions (Political Courage Test)
Key
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Jennifer Allen has provided voters with clear stances on key issues by responding to the 2024 Political Courage Test.
Montana State Legislative Election 2024 Political Courage Test
| Pro-choice | a) Do you generally support pro-choice or pro-life legislation? | ||
| Yes | b) Do you support legalizing abortion when the pregnancy resulted from incest or rape? | ||
| No | c) Do you support the prohibition of public funds (e.g. Medicaid) for organizations that perform abortions? | ||
| There are many things that I pay taxes for that I am not happy about. If we prohibit the use of public funds for abortions then that means that poor people do not have the same freedoms that the rest of us have. And that is not okay. | |||
| No | a) In order to balance the budget, do you support limiting state government spending on social programs (e.g. SNAP, TANF)? | ||
| No | b) Do you support a decrease in income taxes in order to promote economic growth? | ||
| Yes | c) Do you support a wealth tax in order to pay for public programs in your state? | ||
| No | a) Do you support capital punishment for violent crimes? | ||
| No | b) Should an individual under 18 accused of a violent crime be prosecuted as an adult? | ||
| No | c) Do you support the enforcement of federal immigration laws by state and local police? | ||
| No | d) Do you support the use of private prisons? | ||
| No | e) Do you support mandatory minimum sentences for nonviolent drug offenders? | ||
| Whether someone under 18 accused of a violent crime should be prosecuted as an adult should depend on the individual circumstances of the case. Similarly for mandatory minimum sentences for nonviolent drug offenders. Justice needs flexibility. I believe we will have safer communities if we leave enforcement of federal immigration laws to the federal enforcement agencies. We need community members to be able to come forward without fear of retribution. Prisons and agencies that restrict our freedoms should not be privatized. | |||
| Yes | a) Do you support state government spending as a means of promoting economic growth (e.g. grants, tax incentives)? | ||
| No | b) Do you support reducing state government regulations on the private sector (e.g. for business or the environment)? | ||
| Yes | c) Do you support an increase of the minimum wage of Montana? | ||
| Yes | d) Do you support government spending on affordable housing projects in Montana? | ||
| I don't believe we should have regulation for the sake of regulation. I support common sense simplifications of regulations. However, Montanans have some wild history of disasters that occurred as a result of lack of regulation in environmental and labor laws and commerce. We have had robber barons and the Berkeley Pit. | |||
| Yes | a) Do you support adopting federal education standards (e.g. Common Core) in Montana? | ||
| No | b) Do you support state funding for charter schools? | ||
| Yes | c) Do you support increasing teacher salaries AND/OR benefits in Montana? | ||
| Yes | d) Should immigrants in the United States who graduate from Montana high schools be eligible for in-state tuition at public universities, regardless of immigration status? | ||
| I support funding for charter schools that are within the public school system - ones that can enhance the educational experience but not pull funds from the system that is designed to serve everyone. And, since the system is intended to serve everyone, I support immigrants who have graduated from Montana high schools being eligible for in state tuition at public universities. Education builds our state, helps immigrants integrate into our work force and enhances the vitality of our economy. | |||
| Yes | a) Do you support state funding for the development of renewable energy (e.g. solar, wind, geo-thermal)? | ||
| No | b) Do you support state governments allowing permits for drilling on public lands? | ||
| Yes | c) Do you support increasing state funding for clean drinking water initiatives? | ||
| Yes | a)Do you support limiting campaign contributions from corporations, unions, and individuals? | ||
| Yes | b) Do you support the use of an independent or bipartisan commission for redistricting? | ||
| No | c) Do you support requiring a government-issued photo identification in order to vote at the polls? | ||
| Yes | d) Do you support automatic voter registration? | ||
| Yes | e) Do you support the implementation of ranked choice voting in Montana? | ||
| Yes | f) Do you support changing Montana's elections to a "Top-Four" primary system? | ||
| We currently do not require a government issued photo identification, but do require a government letter or check with full name and address. We have had no problems with voter fraud with this process, so don't see any reason to change it. | |||
| Yes | a) Do you generally support gun-control legislation (e.g. red flag laws, closing the boyfriend loophole)? | ||
| Yes | b) Should background checks be required on gun sales between private citizens at gun shows? | ||
| Yes | c) Do you support the right to concealed carry in Montana? | ||
| I support the right to concealed carry in Montana ONLY with appropriate training, oversight and monitoring. Red Flag laws are a particular legislative focus for me, due to my experience in implementing involuntary mental health treatment, etc. Red Flag laws, or the temporary removal of weapons from persons who are a danger to themselves or others, allow us to intervene in a crisis within a process designed to act quickly, but protect people's rights. | |||
| Yes | a) Should the state government increase funding for treatment facilities to combat opioid abuse? | ||
| Yes | b) Do you support a government-run (e.g. single-payer) healthcare program such as Medicare-for-All? | ||
| Yes | c) Should an individual have the right to choose to die (e.g. those with a terminal illness) through euthanasia? | ||
| Yes | d) Do you support mandating vaccinations (e.g. for school or employment)? | ||
| Yes | e) Do you support expanding paid family AND/OR medical leave benefits (e.g. maternity leave)? | ||
| Yes | f) Should the government be able to regulate the cost of prescription drugs? | ||
| No | g) Do you support the 2023 ban on gender-affirming medical care for minors passed in Montana? | ||
| Healthcare and prescription drugs, like prisons, should not be privatized. We should not be making a profit off of sick people. As a woman who lost her husband to cancer five years ago, I absolutely support an individual's right to choose to die if they are terminally ill. My husband did not wish this option, despite his increasing pain and suffering, but if he had, I would have supported him. I support mandated vaccinations (with appropriate religious and medical exemptions) for schools, childcare and healthcare employment. We have a responsibility for the health of our communities and neighbors. | |||
| Yes | a) Do you support inclusion of sexual orientation in Montana's anti-discrimination laws? | ||
| Yes | b) Do you support the inclusion of gender identity in Montana's anti-discrimination laws? | ||
| Yes | c) Do you support greater efforts by Montana's state government in closing gender, racial, and other wage gaps? | ||
| I have 8 top priorities! Defend reproductive freedom, address gun violence, mitigate property taxes, maintain Montana's Medicaid program, increase access to affordable housing, respond to our climate change crisis, enhance childcare and family leave, rebuild the Montana mental health system. The 2023 Legislature has already set aside 300 million of our recent surplus towards rebuilding the mental health system and the Legislature will be responsible for reviewing and implementing numerous recommendations from a commission to rebuild a well designed program of services. Research shows that Montana Medicaid, like most state Expanded Medicaid systems, are essentially revenue neutral - they are primarily funded by Federal dollars, save dollars in other areas and enhance state revenues through economic and work force boosts. We can mitigate property taxes (which were not corrected as they should have been last session) and still have plenty of funds to support affordable housing through loans and trust dollars. These two processes of property tax mitigation and implementation into affordable housing has strong bipartisan support. Responding to our climate change crisis includes developing policy and supports to level the playing field within the energy market between renewable energy and lessening our dependence on fossil fuels. We need to be careful, as our revenue streams (and tax breaks!) are heavily weighted towards extractive energy. I am supportive of a plan of policy development that I have been studying that is "tiered" to make policy changes in this area sensibly, in a way that works financially and with minimal risk but supports real change. Take a peek at the Colorado State University Center for New Energy Economy - the Montana Brief. Reproductive freedom doesn't cost any money that I am aware of - pregnancy is actually more expensive and dangerous than abortion or birth control. Enhancing gun safety could cost some funds, particularly if we act on developing Red Flag Laws that temporarily remove weapons if someone is a danger to themselves or others. Implementing such laws require trained staff and court time to ensure everyone's rights are being respected. However, we are in the middle of rebuilding our mental health system anyway, so this is a key time to integrate a mental health "first responder" system into our local programs. We do know that a healthy mental health first responder system helps seriously decrease the work load of local law enforcement but it just doesn't work to shift dollars from one "silo" to another easily. Besides, our law enforcement needs more funding and staff, not less. Child care and family leave are another change that could require state funding depending on the incentives chosen. Take a look at the Kalispell Chamber of Commerce 2022 Call to Action on Childcare. Good ideas here. Overall, we should have the funds for these priorities without undue stress on our state funding. HOWEVER, we know that we haven't updated our tax structure in twenty years. It is time to modernize it. It is time to readjust the tax brackets. |
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