Denise Wilkerson's Issue Positions (Political Courage Test)
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Denise Wilkerson has provided voters with clear stances on key issues by responding to the 2024 Political Courage Test.
Texas 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? | ||
| Many of those organizations are the only source for necessary life-saving health care such as pap smears and other cancer screenings in certain communities. Texas has a shortage of women's health care providers. They should be able to receive Medicaid funding for their health care services. | |||
| 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? | ||
| Texas doesn't have state personal income taxes. Texas doesn't have a business income tax but imposes a franchise tax on certain businesses. Businesses with revenues under $2.47 million pay no tax. Businesses with revenues of $20 million or less pay 0.331%. Larger businesses pay either 0.375% or 0.75%, depending on the type of business. We already have significant economic growth in Texas but we need business to pay for the infrastructure that supports these businesses somehow. Large businesses need to pay their fair share in taxes. | |||
| Yes | a) Do you support capital punishment for violent crimes? | ||
| 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? | ||
| No | e) Do you support mandatory minimum sentences for nonviolent drug offenders? | ||
| Yes | f) Do you support the legalization of marijuana for recreational use? | ||
| As a former prosecutor, I know that not all minors who are accused of violent crimes should be prosecuted as an adult. It should be determine based on all the facts and circumstances of each individual case. Federal immigration laws should be enforced in cooperation with state and local police. Otherwise, the federal immigration enforcement can unduly burden state and local resources. | |||
| Yes | a) Do you support state government spending as a means of promoting economic growth (e.g. grants, tax incentives)? | ||
| Yes | 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 in Texas? | ||
| Yes | d) Do you support government spending on affordable housing projects in Texas? | ||
| I believe that less regulation should be done on the state level. Local governments should have the authority to respond to their community needs and values in many areas that were killed by the "Death Star" bill. For example, a city should have the authority to strictly regulate sexually oriented businesses if that is within the values of their community. We all don't need to be like Dallas and Houston. But the Death Star bill took that authority away. | |||
| No | a) Do you support adopting federal education standards (e.g. Common Core) in Texas? | ||
| Yes | b) Do you support state funding for charter schools? | ||
| Yes | c) Do you support increasing teacher salaries AND/OR benefits in Texas? | ||
| Yes | d) Should immigrants in the United States who graduate from Texas high schools be eligible for in-state tuition at public universities, regardless of immigration status? | ||
| No | e) Do you support removing diversity, equity and inclusion offices on public college and university campuses? | ||
| I support decreasing state funding for charter schools. They need more oversight and accountability. Public school districts outperformed charter schools on STAAR tests (all subjects) for each of the last five years for which there is data. o Districts earned more A and B ratings and fewer D and F ratings from the state than charters. o Public school districts have higher graduation rates and much lower dropout rates than charters bsed on these findings, fewer public resources should be diverted to charter schools. | |||
| 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? | ||
| No | e) Do you support the implementation of ranked choice voting in Texas? | ||
| 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 Texas? | ||
| I support concealed carry for persons with a Texas Handgun License. Permitless carry laws have been associated with increased gun violence in some studies: A 2023 Johns Hopkins study found that after states moved to permitless carry, nonfatal shootings and other gun assaults increased by 32%. The study analyzed 11 states that previously required training or proficiency to obtain a concealed carry permit. A RAND study found that five of the more methodologically strong studies found that permitless carry laws were associated with higher rates of homicide. The Brady Campaign says that studies show permitless carry leads to an increase in aggravated assault, rape, robbery, and murder. To keep our law enforcement and community safe, I would seek to require permits for carrying again. | |||
| 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? | ||
| Yes | a) Do you support inclusion of sexual orientation in Texas' anti-discrimination laws? | ||
| Yes | b) Do you support the inclusion of gender identity in Texas' anti-discrimination laws? | ||
| Yes | c) Do you support greater efforts by Texas' state government in closing gender, racial, and other wage gaps? | ||
| Fund Our Public Schools / Stop Vouchers I will fight to fully fund our public schools and stop the siphoning of taxpayer dollars into private school voucher schemes. Every child in Texas deserves access to a quality education, regardless of their zip code. Public education is a cornerstone of our communities, and we must ensure that teachers, students, and schools have the resources they need to thrive. I stand firmly against vouchers that undermine our public schools and add burdens to local homeowners with higher property taxes. Improve Health Care Outcomes for Women and Children Texas has one of the highest maternal and infant mortality rates in the country, which is unacceptable. I will champion policies that expand access to affordable, quality health care for women and children, including better prenatal care, postpartum support, and comprehensive family health services. We must also protect access to reproductive health care and ensure that all Texans can make personal health care decisions without political interference. Fight Corruption and Increase Government Transparency Texans deserve an accountable government that works for the people, not for special interests. I will push for stronger ethics laws, increased transparency in campaign finance, and policies that root out corruption in government. By holding elected officials to the highest standards, we can restore faith in our institutions and make sure that decisions made in Austin are for the benefit of all Texans, not just the powerful few. |
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