Michelle Siegel's Issue Positions (Political Courage Test)
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Michelle Siegel has provided voters with clear stances on key issues by responding to the 2020 Political Courage Test.
Pennsylvania State Legislative Election 2020 Political Courage Test
| 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? | ||
| Yes | c) Do you support the prohibition of public funds for organizations that perform abortions? | ||
| I am a strong proponent of adoption, having chosen to adopt myself. I feel this decision should be made by the mother, the father, their pastor and their physician--not the government. The Hyde Amendment completely prohibits public funds from being used to perform abortions. I support funding to women's healthcare providers, which offer routine comprehensive women's healthcare. | |||
| No | a) In order to balance the budget, do you support reducing state employee salaries AND/OR pensions? | ||
| b) In order to balance the budget, do you support an income tax increase on any tax bracket? | |||
| I do not support increasing taxes on hardworking Pennsylvanians, who have been hit hard by policies such as the Wholesale Gas Tax. I do support closing the Delaware Tax Loophole. This corporate loophole allow multi-million dollar companies to register their headquarters in Delaware, while claiming that their Pennsylvania-based locations generate zero taxable income. In the last 15 years, corporate tax giveaways have cost the state of Pennsylvania $3.9 billion dollars. That is $3.9 billion dollars in lost revenue, which is now being paid by everyday hardworking Pennsylvanians. | |||
| Yes | a) Do you support a limit 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? | ||
| Yes | e) Do you support automatic voter registration? | ||
| No | f) Do you support reducing the number of representatives in the Pennsylvania General Assembly? | ||
| No | g) Do you support limiting disaster declarations to 30 days unless approved by the legislature? | ||
| Nothing is more fundamental to our identity as Americans than voting. The past year has seen the passage and implementation of Act 77 and Act 12. These reforms have expanded mail-in voting and made the ballot box more accessible to hard-working Pennsylvanians. However, there is more work to be done. Some of the reforms that I would support, if elected to the legislature, include: automatic voter registration, more funding for voter education, legislation creating an open primary, pre-paid postage for mail-in ballots, early voting on Sundays, and increased access to early mail-in in-person voting. | |||
| a) Do you support capital punishment for certain crimes? | |||
| No | b) Should an individual under 18 accused of a violent crime be prosecuted as an adult? | ||
| 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 in Pennsylvania? | ||
| No | e) Do you support mandatory minimum sentences for non-violent drug offenders? | ||
| Yes | f) Do you support the legalization of recreational marijuana? | ||
| Yes | g) Do you support requiring state and local law enforcement agencies to publicly disclose use-of-force data reports? | ||
| I believe that all police departments should have a deep connection within the communities they serve and that policing should remain local. I agree that some reforms are necessary to weed out those officers who do a disservice to the dignity of the badge they wear, while protecting the rights of dedicated law enforcement officers. | |||
| Yes | a) Do you support state government spending as a means of promoting economic growth? | ||
| b) Do you support lowering state income taxes as a means of promoting economic growth? | |||
| c) Do you support reducing government regulations on the private sector? | |||
| d) Do you support requiring welfare applicants to pass a drug test in order to receive benefits? | |||
| Yes | e) Do you support an increase of the minimum wage of Pennsylvania? | ||
| Yes | f) Do you support requiring employers to provide paid family leave? | ||
| Yes | g) Do you support providing financial relief to businesses AND/OR corporations negatively impacted by the state of national emergency for COVID-19? | ||
| I absolutely support lowering income taxes for hardworking Pennsylvanians such as the 2015 severance tax proposal, which would have drastically reduced the tax burden on middle income families. However, I do not agree with recently proposed property tax changes that would raise income taxes for all income earners and expand the list of goods subject to sales taxes. Similarly, the current pandemic has severely impacted businesses in our communities. I wholeheartedly believe that we must provide assistance to entrepreneurs during this crisis. However, we must prioritize the needs of local family-owned businesses over large national corporations. | |||
| No | a) Do you support adopting federal education standards in Pennsylvania? | ||
| No | b) Do you support state funding for charter schools? | ||
| Yes | c) Do you support increasing teacher salaries AND/OR benefits in Pennsylvania? | ||
| d) Should immigrants unlawfully present in the United States who graduate from Pennsylvania high schools be eligible for in-state tuition at public universities? | |||
| I firmly believe that the best economic investment we can make in communities is the education of our children. We must do more to fix the massive deficits in educational funding, resulting from the funding cuts of 2011-12. Harrisburg's decision to flat fund education has placed a severe tax burden on lower income families and seniors. Pennsylvania ranks 46th in educational funding in the United States. This disparity between wealthy and impoverished districts is fueling an education and opportunity gap. The Fair Funding formula has aided in resolving this challenge; however, funding levels still remain inadequate. | |||
| Yes | a) Do you support state funding for the development of renewable energy (e.g. solar, wind, geo-thermal)? | ||
| Yes | b) Do you support government regulations of greenhouse gas emissions? | ||
| Yes | c) Do you support increasing state funding for clean drinking water initiatives? | ||
| Yes | d) Do you support the taxation of natural gas drilling? | ||
| Environmental conservation is an issue that is very important to me. I received my B.S. in Environmental Sciences with concentrations in Groundwater Hydrology and Climate Change from Susquehanna University. I also have a deeply personal history with environmental pollution. As a child, I witnessed how exposure to highly toxic water from an unlined coal ash-pit led my grandfather and uncle to develop serious health issues. Tragically, my uncle's ulcerative colitis progressed to cancer. Unable to afford treatment and lacking adequate insurance, he curtailed his medical care and succumbed to colon cancer. | |||
| 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 after passing gun safety training? | ||
| Yes | d) Should a license be required for gun ownership? | ||
| e) Do you support mandatory minimum sentences on gun-related crimes? | |||
| I firmly believe that the second amendment gives you a right to own a firearm but not to use one negligently or maliciously. I would be a strong supporter of gun safety training programs. | |||
| Yes | a) Should the state government increase funding for treatment facilities to combat opioid abuse? | ||
| Yes | b) Do you support Medicaid expansion through Pennsylvania's health care programs? | ||
| c) Do you support requiring individuals to purchase health care insurance? | |||
| d) Do you support legislation that grants citizens the right to choose to die through euthanasia? | |||
| No | e) Do you support eliminating religious exemptions for vaccinations? | ||
| Yes | f) Do you support requiring businesses to provide paid medical leave during public health crises, such as COVID-19? | ||
| I know first-hand what happens when you can't afford healthcare. In my twenties, I was forced to go on Medicaid after my insurance denied a life-saving surgery. Far too many of us know someone who has established a Go Fund Me to pay for their medical bills. A recent Gallup Poll showed half of Americans fear going into bankruptcy due to medical expenses. I strongly support accessible and affordable healthcare and a single-payer option. I will work to increase access to hospitals, insurance, prescriptions and healthcare so that no one is forced to choose between health and debt. | |||
| Yes | a) Do you support the inclusion of sexual orientation in Pennsylvania's anti-discrimination laws? | ||
| Yes | b) Do you support the inclusion of gender identity in Pennsylvania's anti-discrimination laws? | ||
| Yes | c) Do you support greater efforts by Pennsylvania state government in closing the pay gap between men and women? | ||
| No one should be discriminated against due to their race, gender, sexual orientation, or gender identity. Our state and U.S. Constitution guarantees equal protection under the law for all. | |||
| Rural people are often ignored in Harrisburg. Our families, schools, farms, and businesses are struggling, while career politicians remain silent. This is why rural people need a bill of rights: The Rural Bill of Rights. . 1. Access to Hospitals and Affordable Healthcare 2. Access to Broadband and Cell Phone Service 3. Access to Public Transportation 4. Investment in Public Education 5. Protection and Growth of Family Farms 6. Access to Good Paying Jobs and Worker Protections 7. Infrastructure Investments 8. Support of Local Businesses 9. Access to Clean Air, Water, and Land 10. Upholding the PA and US Constitutions | |||
| If elected to the Pennsylvania State Senate, my top priority would be passing legislation that addresses the ten policy points included in the Rural Bill of Rights. This is an ambitious platform; however, I truly believe that we are living through a moment that requires bold action. Furthermore, addressing these needs is something that is long overdue in Pennsylvania. I would propose paying for these reforms by closing the Delaware Tax Loophole, which allow corporations to avoid paying billions in taxes. I would also support a severance tax on natural gas and marijuana. |
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