Shaina Smith's Issue Positions (Political Courage Test)
Key
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Shaina Smith has provided voters with clear stances on key issues by responding to the 2024 Political Courage Test.
Rhode Island 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? | ||
| Prohibiting certain insurance beneficiaries, but not others from coverage for such procedures may be perceived as discriminatory towards those individuals who depend on certain insurance plans. Disparities within our health care system already exists for various patient populations; there's no need to create additional barriers. | |||
| 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? | ||
| For us to consider such a tax, it's prudent to look at developing a structure that will not deter entrepreneurship and independent business. Rhode Island should not be discouraging these individuals from crafting a successful business concept when looking at such a tax. Also, the term "wealth tax" can create an immediate, negative response to constituents who may feel that the government is looking to make a quick dollar on his/her/their success. I perceive this type of tax model as an equitable one, a concept that seeks to balance out the wealth disparities faced in the United States. If done correctly, such an equitable tax will not discourage wealth of individuals, but rather aims to balance out the economy. This type of model would also have to account for individuals who may not make enough of an annual income to pay their taxes owed, but who may possess a high value asset, such as a large farm with acreage. Again, all of these factors would need to be strongly considered, with safe guards in place, in addition to all considerations prior to such a tax being presented and/or voted on. | |||
| 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? | ||
| No | f) Do you support making it much easier to terminate police officers accused of misconduct? | ||
| I selected "no" for supporting the termination of police officers "accused" of misconduct, as the question doesn't specify whether the officer has been found guilty of misconduct. Should an officer be found guilty of misconduct, the termination process should be a clear one that works for the people, not for the individual (police officer). | |||
| 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 in Rhode Island? | ||
| Yes | d) Do you support government spending on affordable housing projects in Rhode Island? | ||
| As a small business owner, our family understands the challenges independent establishments face. At the same time, it's important to not only remain competitive, but to retain employees, ensure they are able to afford goods and services outside of place of employment, especially for those businesses unable to offer insurance benefits and other incentives. Retention of employees has been difficult post-pandemic and, with the rising costs of living, supplies, services, etc. employers must be mindful of providing a livable wage for those individuals who show up daily and keep the company afloat. Housing and homelessness has become a prevalent issue within Rhode Island, with the focal point of the recently passed state budget plan including both topics impacting our state. As we continue combatting social inequities, homelessness, an aging population of veterans, school teachers and others, we must be in a position to provide housing options as it will keep tax dollars within Rhode Island, provide additional jobs for tradesmen, and allow our gracefully aging community the opportunity to do so without moving out-of-state. | |||
| No | a) Do you support adopting federal education standards (e.g. Common Core) in Rhode Island? | ||
| Yes | b) Do you support state funding for charter schools? | ||
| Yes | c) Do you support increasing teacher salaries AND/OR benefits in Rhode Island? | ||
| Yes | d) Should immigrants in the United States who graduate from Rhode Island high schools be eligible for in-state tuition at public universities, regardless of immigration status? | ||
| Rhode Island immigrants pay taxes, can obtain special licenses, make up roughly 16% of our labor force (Analysis of 2018 ACS 1-year PUMS data by the American Immigration Council) and have poured millions of dollars into our state's economy. They provide transportation, healthcare support, building and grounds cleaning and maintenance, office and administrative support, in addition to numerous other services. As contributing members to our state and its work force, our investing in their education will, in turn, provide our families with invaluable services in the future. | |||
| 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 Rhode Island? | ||
| At this time, it remains inconclusive as to whether or not ranked choice voting proves more democratic and demonstrates the choices of the American people. I've spent quite a bit of time learning about the process, tabulations, pros and cons and believe a cohort study may help Rhode Island determine whether or not it should consider this type of voting method for all elections, primaries, local only, etc. | |||
| 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 Rhode Island? | ||
| Yes | d) Do you support requiring gun owners to keep their firearms in locked safes or with tamper-proof mechanical locks when not in use? | ||
| Regarding the right to concealed carry in Rhode Island, I indicated my support because our state has two licensing avenues for obtaining a right to carry permit for pistol and revolver owners. These mandatory and discretionary licensing requirements to applications fulfills the constitutional guarantee to bear arms, as concluded by Rhode Island courts. | |||
| 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? | ||
| No | 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? | ||
| Our nation's health care structure and various epidemics that plagues its people continue to be significant problems for families and individuals. While the country faces an increase regarding the misuse and abuse of prescription medications, sometimes an unintended result stemming from other factors at play (for example, improper storing of prescriptions), it's important to recognize that there is not a one-size-fits-all mechanism to combat the opioid issue. Social disparities, education, demographics, mental health, safe storage, abuse deterrents and a myriad of other factors and tools must be considered, outside of simply increasing state government funding for treatment facilities. Treatment is a temporary solution for those individuals seeking to manage their disease of addiction. Such management tools for the afflicted individual may prove effective for that person, but it is not a far-reaching mechanism that can solve the epidemic alone. Additionally, responsible patients living with chronic pain who have found relief from medications such as those within the opioid category should not have their treatment option hindered as the result of any opioid prescribing laws which may prevent or significantly reduce a doctor's likelihood of prescribing out of fear from being prosecuted or held liable for determining that such a treatment option is medically necessary. | |||
| Yes | a) Do you support inclusion of sexual orientation in Rhode Island's anti-discrimination laws? | ||
| Yes | b) Do you support the inclusion of gender identity in Rhode Island's anti-discrimination laws? | ||
| Yes | c) Do you support greater efforts by Rhode Island's state government in closing gender, racial, and other wage gaps? | ||
| If elected, my top two priorities would include legislation that empowers vulnerable populations, including children and adults living with chronic pain, and handicap inclusivity issues. I have drafted legislation concerning unfair insurance practices in Rhode Island. My proposal would protect consumers from commercial health insurers making significant changes to the prescription drug benefit during the health plan year. Concerning handicap inclusivity, I will be fighting for the expansion of RIPTA's pilot program which allows for approved individuals the opportunity to receive door to door transportation, a much needed motility option for individuals unable to either drive themselves for medical reasons or who are wheelchair bound and do not have a modified vehicle available. The proposal would eliminate the cumbersome and discriminating application process, developing an accessibility-friendly method for being approved as an individual with medical motility issues seeking to utilize RIPTA in areas where bus stops are currently scarce, particularly in rural areas. This funding would be obtained through the state budget proposal, under the transportation line item responsible for funding RIPTA. |
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