Sonja Mentzer's Issue Positions (Political Courage Test)
On The Ballot: Running, Democratic for State House (SD) - District 11
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.
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This candidate has responded to a Political Courage Test in a previous election. As a continued effort to provide the American public with factual information on candidates running for public office, these archived responses are made available here.
South Dakota 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? | ||
| No | 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? | ||
| 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? | ||
| f) Should South Dakota legalize cannabis use, possession and distribution for those 21 and older, with some restrictions? | |||
| Regardless how I feel or vote on this matter, I will support the voice and vote of the people on November 5th. The people of South Dakota should not have to vote numerous times on the same subject when it was passed by the vote of the people. | |||
| 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 South Dakota? | ||
| Yes | d) Do you support government spending on affordable housing projects in South Dakota? | ||
| Housing is and has been a major issue for so many across South Dakota, not just availability but affordability. There are apartments and developments being built but yet we still have a two year waiting list for our senior housing, or income restricted residents. It is up to state or cities to incentives for landlords or developers to accept some of our housing programs. We love our vacation homes and the ABNB / VRBO option but this ties up so many homes that would otherwise be on the market for sale or full time rental. Sioux Falls itself has at any time upwards of 1,000 houses unavailable for sale. Many cities both in South Dakota and around the country do put a limit on how many are being used in this manor, much like a liquor license. | |||
| Yes | a) Do you support adopting federal education standards (e.g. Common Core) in South Dakota? | ||
| No | b) Do you support state funding for charter schools? | ||
| Yes | c) Do you support increasing teacher salaries AND/OR benefits in South Dakota? | ||
| Yes | d) Should immigrants in the United States who graduate from South Dakota high schools be eligible for in-state tuition at public universities, regardless of immigration status? | ||
| Yes | a) Do you support state funding for the development of renewable energy (e.g. solar, wind, geo-thermal)? | ||
| 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? | ||
| No | d) Do you support the transfer of zoning for pipelines from county commissioners to the Public Utilities Commission? | ||
| 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? | ||
| 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? | ||
| No | e) Do you support the implementation of ranked choice voting in South Dakota? | ||
| 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? | ||
| No | c) Do you support the right to concealed carry in South Dakota? | ||
| 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) Should the state legislature be able to establish work requirements for individuals who are eligible for Medicaid under the expansion of the program that voters approved in 2022? | ||
| The other states that have tried to implement work requirements on Medicaid recipients spent millions of dollars and saw zero increase in their employment numbers. We as tax payers pay more for people not being on any form of health insurance than we ever could as raising the income requirements on families to qualify for Medicaid. | |||
| Yes | a) Do you support inclusion of sexual orientation in South Dakota's anti-discrimination laws? | ||
| Yes | b) Do you support the inclusion of gender identity in South Dakota's anti-discrimination laws? | ||
| Yes | c) Do you support greater efforts by South Dakota's state government in closing gender, racial, and other wage gaps? | ||
| My priorities are going to be addressing our childcare issues, affordable and accessible healthcare, making sure we don't lose any more nursing homes across our great state. I will always support our educators, emergency personnel, and those marginalized individuals who don't always get a seat at the table of democracy. |
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