Simone Collins' Issue Positions (Political Courage Test)
Key
Official Position: Candidate addressed this issue directly by taking the Political Courage Test.
Inferred Position: Candidate refused to address this issue, but Vote Smart inferred this issue based on the candidate's public record, including statements, voting record, and special interest group endorsements.
Unknown Position: Candidate refused to address this issue, or we could not infer an answer for this candidate despite exhaustive research of their public record.
Additional Information: Click on this icon to reveal more information about this candidate's position, from their answers or Vote Smart's research.
Other or Expanded Principles & Legislative Priorities are entered exactly as candidates submit them. Vote Smart does not edit for misspelled words, punctuation or grammar.
Simone Collins has provided voters with clear stances on key issues by responding to the 2024 Political Courage Test.
Pennsylvania 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? | ||
| Before 12-15 weeks, I think we should offer broad freedom with abortions. After that period, abortions really become more euthenasia and should be treated as such�i.e. only as a potential compassionate (and tragic) procedure pursued when the unborn child won't survive and pursued in a manner that ensures the unborn child feels no pain. More on my stance here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vIhHqHzhsGI&t=32s | |||
| Yes | a) In order to balance the budget, do you support limiting state government spending on social programs (e.g. SNAP, TANF)? | ||
| Yes | b) Do you support a decrease in income taxes in order to promote economic growth? | ||
| No | c) Do you support a wealth tax in order to pay for public programs in your state? | ||
| Wedon't need to cut spending on social programs to balance the budget; we need to eliminate bureaucratic bloat and legislative gridlock. We can have a lighter tax burden, generous social programs, AND a balanced budget if we manage to run our state and local governments more efficiently (and this is entirely feasible). | |||
| Yes | 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? | ||
| Yes | c) Do you support the enforcement of federal immigration laws by state and local police? | ||
| Yes | d) Do you support the use of private prisons? | ||
| No | e) Do you support mandatory minimum sentences for nonviolent drug offenders? | ||
| While I don't think those under 18 should be prosectured as adults (their brains are not fully myelinated; their impulse control is just lower), they should neverthelss not be integrated with mainstream society if they're a threat to others. | |||
| 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)? | ||
| No | c) Do you support an increase of the minimum wage of Pennsylvania? | ||
| No | d) Do you support government spending on affordable housing projects in Pennsylvania? | ||
| Rather than government spending on affordable housing (which will be inefficent), I would encourage a loosening of regulatory barriers to affordable housing in the state. | |||
| No | a) Do you support adopting federal education standards (e.g. Common Core) in Pennsylvania? | ||
| Yes | b) Do you support state funding for charter schools? | ||
| No | c) Do you support increasing teacher salaries AND/OR benefits in Pennsylvania? | ||
| No | d) Should immigrants in the United States who graduate from Pennsylvania high schools be eligible for in-state tuition at public universities, regardless of immigration status? | ||
| No | e) Should there be an increase in state funding for K-12 schools in low income areas? | ||
| I strongly support school choice and ESAs. I'd support more funding per student in PA if students' parents chould choose where those funds go: To public schools, private schools, charter schools, or homeschooling programs. | |||
| Yes | a) Do you support state funding for the development of renewable energy (e.g. solar, wind, geo-thermal)? | ||
| Yes | 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 | d) Do you support the continuation of fracking in order to bolster the economy? | ||
| Affordable energy and energy security are crucial not not just for private individuals and busiensses, but also for national security. I strongly support nuclear power in addition to the options highlighted above. | |||
| Yes | a)Do you support limiting campaign contributions from corporations, unions, and individuals? | ||
| b) Do you support the use of an independent or bipartisan commission for redistricting? | |||
| Yes | c) Do you support requiring a government-issued photo identification in order to vote at the polls? | ||
| No | d) Do you support automatic voter registration? | ||
| Yes | e) Do you support the implementation of ranked choice voting in Pennsylvania? | ||
| I don't have enough detail on the benefits/drawbacks of independent/bipartisan commissions for redistricting to be able to take a stance. | |||
| No | a) Do you generally support gun-control legislation (e.g. red flag laws, closing the boyfriend loophole)? | ||
| No | 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 Pennsylvania? | ||
| No | a) Should the state government increase funding for treatment facilities to combat opioid abuse? | ||
| No | 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? | ||
| No | d) Do you support mandating vaccinations (e.g. for school or employment)? | ||
| No | e) Do you support expanding paid family AND/OR medical leave benefits (e.g. maternity leave)? | ||
| No | f) Should the government be able to regulate the cost of prescription drugs? | ||
| In general, I am against additional regulation whenever possible because it causes all sorts of knock-on effects one would not expect and can often work against the spirit of its creation. | |||
| No | a) Do you support inclusion of sexual orientation in Pennsylvania's anti-discrimination laws? | ||
| No | b) Do you support the inclusion of gender identity in Pennsylvania's anti-discrimination laws? | ||
| No | c) Do you support greater efforts by Pennsylvania's state government in closing gender, racial, and other wage gaps? | ||
| These efforts tend to backfire in ways that don't serve those they seek to defend. | |||
| I'm for: 1. Reducing regularory and bureaucratic bloat 2. Improving government services by modernizing them and leveraging sound tech 3. Supporting school choice 4. Supporting cultural sovereignty (don't tell me how to live, raise my kids, get healthcare, etc.) These things do not require additoinal funding for implementation; these policies contribute to reduced governmental spending. |
Vote Smart does not permit the use of its name or programs in any campaign activity, including advertising, debates, and speeches.