Melissa Martin's Issue Positions (Political Courage Test)
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Official Position: Candidate addressed this issue directly by taking the Political Courage Test.
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Melissa Martin has provided voters with clear stances on key issues by responding to the 2018 Political Courage Test.
Florida State Legislative Election 2018 Political Courage Test
| Pro-choice | a) Do you generally support pro-choice or pro-life legislation? | ||
| Yes | b) Should abortion be legal when the pregnancy resulted from incest or rape? | ||
| No | c) Do you support the prohibition of public funds for organizations that perform abortions? | ||
| With the level of controversy in our society, public funds should not be used to pay for abortions, though health care centers like Planned Parenthood, who provide a community service in other healthcare needs, should still be considered. In my opinion, the abortion issue is intimately tragic, but there is no way a pre-viability ban would be appropriate or enforceable (assuming exceptions for rape/incest). I support proven methods -- effective education and access to prevention -- that has and will continue to greatly reduce the number/rate of unwanted pregnancies, which would benefit all concerned. | |||
1) Budget Stabilization:Indicate which proposals you support (if any) for balancing Florida's budget.
| No | a) Do you support the creation of a state income tax in Florida? | ||
| No | b) Reducing state employee salaries AND/OR pensions? | ||
| No | c) Instituting mandatory furloughs AND/OR layoffs for state employees? | ||
| No | d) Reducing benefits for Medicaid recipients? | ||
| I would question the millions (billions?) going toward corporate subsidies (welfare), mandate and enforce heftier fines for polluters, regulate and levy taxes on the cannabis industry, increase taxes on products proven to substantially contribute to costly burdens on Florida and her communities (such as fertilizer with phosphates, etc), and other ways to shift the cost burden BACK to those profiting off of pollution/social harm. These are just quick ideas, but my process would include deliberate research and consultation with a spectrum of experts and experienced advocates on such matters. | |||
| Yes | a) Do you support any limits on campaign contributions to state candidates? | ||
| Yes | b) Do you support the regulation of indirect campaign contributions from corporations and unions? | ||
| Yes | c) Do you support the use of an independent AND/OR bipartisan commission for redistricting? | ||
| No | d) Do you support requiring a government-issued photo identification in order to vote at the polls? | ||
| This is a critical area of issues and why it's at the top of my legislative priorities. We need campaign finance and elections reform while enabling easier registration and voting. I like ranked-choice voting. We need to end legislation-by-bribery and the overt influence of big/dark money. We should discuss some reasonable model of publicly financed elections to restore the voice of the voting populous. There are many, many things to do, but after due consultation with watchdog groups, civic organizations and anti-corruption advocates, I'd like this to be my first bill I file as a state senator. | |||
| No | a) Do you support capital punishment for certain crimes? | ||
| Yes | b) Do you support the legalization of marijuana for recreational purposes? | ||
| No | c) Should a minor accused of a violent crime be prosecuted as an adult? | ||
| No | d) Do you support the enforcement of federal immigration laws by state and local police? | ||
| Yes | e) Do you support prohibiting the use of handheld electronic devices while operating a motor vehicle? | ||
| Criminal law is a tool to help shape societal behavior; facts and evidence should drive justice, not emotions or politics. I believe in maximizing freedom and liberties as long as we don't cause harm to another. If/when that happens, there is a duty to make things right. Regarding "sanctuary cities," I believe in home rule authority, especially for matters regarding budget and resourcing. I also believe that wise investment into our children (from early learning, through K12, to connecting them into local employment opportunities) would go a long way to reducing crime and better assuring public safety. | |||
| Yes | a) Do you support state government spending as a means of promoting economic growth? | ||
| Yes | b) Do you support lowering state taxes as a means of promoting economic growth? | ||
| Yes | c) Do you support reducing state government regulations on the private sector? | ||
| Yes | d) Do you support expanding access to unemployment benefits? | ||
| No | e) Do you support requiring welfare applicants to pass a drug test in order to receive benefits? | ||
| Yes | f) Do you support an increase of the minimum wage of Florida? | ||
| Each of these answers have caveats and explanations. Both taxing and spending should be narrowly tailored to extract maximum benefit for minimal costs to taxpayers; creative problem solving will be necessary and should be sought first. But Republicans tax & spend just as Democrats do, the difference being how. I align with expert economists that "trickle down" does not work to improve society; sound investment would go toward education and nurturing young minds to become smart, productive citizens. Starving out this area and expecting any outcome than widespread under-employment, lack of affordable healthcare/housing, etc. -- is disingenuous. It's physics. | |||
| No | a) Do you support adopting federal education standards in Florida? | ||
| No | b) Do you support state funding for charter schools? | ||
| c) Should immigrants unlawfully present in the United States who graduate from Florida high schools be eligible for in-state tuition at public universities? | |||
| Yes | d) Do you support increasing funding for the state education budget? | ||
| It depends what "federal education standards" you're talking about. I believe that authority for a child's evaluation should rest with a certified teacher and all other levels of government should support and enable that teacher. The practical reality of charter / choice schools is that they're siphoning off critical funds from public education with no objective benefit or assurance. That's called waste. There may be some good news stories and support for those that "work," but as a system, it's irresponsible. Regarding undocumented students -- I'm not sure how this would be possible without a Federal program in place. | |||
| Yes | a) Do you support state funding for the development of renewable energy (e.g. solar, wind, thermal)? | ||
| Yes | b) Do you support state government regulations of greenhouse gas emissions? | ||
| Yes | c) Do you support increasing state funding for clean drinking water initiatives? | ||
| Yes | d) Do you support increasing state funding for environmental restoration projects? | ||
| I support state actions to help lay down a fair market for renewable energy; funds may be in the form of incentive grants (matched funding) for local governments to grow the necessary infrastructure. When entire generations choose to ignore science and neglect the environment or the infrastructure purportedly protecting it, then you will find a multi-billion dollar price tag for the future generation to handle if it wants to keep its natural treasures and clean water supply. We are that future generation, so our decision is -- do we fix things or do we kick it to our kids? | |||
| 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? | ||
| No | c) Should teachers be allowed to bring guns into the classroom? | ||
| Yes | d) Should a license be required for gun ownership? | ||
| Drivers licenses are mandated so society is assured of one's mental and physical competence to handle something that could cause damage, injury or death to others. So yes, it would be wholly appropriate to apply the same logic to lethal weapons -- especially those designed to kill many people in little time. I also think that we should take this opportunity to invest heavily in mental health awareness and services and perhaps looking into helping the nonlethal weapon industry take root in Florida. | |||
| Yes | a) Should the state government increase funding for treatment facilities to combat opioid abuse? | ||
| Yes | b) Do you support Medicaid expansion through Florida's health care programs? | ||
| c) Do you support requiring individuals to purchase health care insurance? | |||
| Yes | d) Do you support legislation that grants citizens the right to choose to die through euthanasia? | ||
| e) Do you support eliminating religious exemptions for vaccinations? | |||
| In a single-payer, universal health care system, the issue of requiring purchase is sidestepped as society invests in a system that serves everyone, bringing the costs lower as well. All doctors and healthcare professionals and administrators I've talked with so far point the same way. Regarding euthanasia -- I can see a few cases where this right would be appropriate. Vaccinations work if there are sufficient numbers in place. I don't think the current trend is religion-based, so I believe there are other discussions we should be having. | |||
| Yes | a) Do you support the inclusion of sexual orientation in Florida's anti-discrimination laws? | ||
| Yes | b) Do you support the inclusion of gender identity in Florida's anti-discrimination laws? | ||
| Yes | c) Do you support greater efforts by Florida state government in closing the pay gap between men and women? | ||
| d) Other or expanded principles: | |||
| 1 - GOOD Government - campaign finance reform, independent redistricting, ranked-choice voting, greater ethical standards (esp regarding conflicts of interest and preferential treatment), full transparency, effective investigations and swift accountability for fraud, waste & abuse of power. 2 - HEALTHY Environment - allocate matching Land Acquisition Trust Funds toward capital improvement projects for national estuaries like the Indian River Lagoon, conditioned on local governments prohibiting new subpar septic systems near impaired waters. Also, ban fracking activities, off-shore drilling, and deep-well injections of toxic wastewater. 3 - GREEN Communities - Wise investment in aerospace & green tech R&D, apprenticeships, etc. |
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