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John McGimpsey's Issue Positions (Political Courage Test)

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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.

John McGimpsey refused to tell citizens where he stands on any of the issues addressed in the 2010 Political Courage Test, despite repeated requests from Vote Smart, national media, and prominent political leaders.

What is the Political Courage Test?
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.

Idaho State Legislative Election 2008 Political Courage Test

The Political Courage Test asks candidates which items they will support if elected. It does not ask them to indicate which items they will oppose. Through extensive research of public polling data, we discovered that voters are more concerned with what candidates would support when elected to office, not what they oppose. If a candidate does not select a response to any part or all of any question, it does not necessarily indicate that the candidate is opposed to that particular item.

Indicate which principles you support (if any) regarding abortion.

a) Abortions should always be illegal.
b) Abortions should always be legal.
c) Abortions should be legal only within the first trimester of pregnancy.
X d) Abortions should be legal when the pregnancy resulted from incest or rape.
X e) Abortions should be legal when the life of the woman is endangered.
f) Abortions should be subject to a mandatory waiting period.
X g) Require clinics to give parental notification before performing abortions on minors.
I support eliminating the necessity for most abortions through education, contraception, and provision of public and private assistance for alternatives. I recognize and support the right of women to exercise free agency and control over their body. I support parental notification with judicial override.

State Budget: Indicate what state funding levels (#1-6) you support for the following general categories. Select one level per category, you can use a number more than once.State Taxes: Indicate what state tax levels (#1-6) you support for the following general categories. Select one level per category, you can use a number more than once.

Slightly Increase a) Education (Higher)
Slightly Increase b) Education (K-12)
Slightly Decrease c) Emergency preparedness
Maintain Status d) Environment
Maintain Status e) Health care
Maintain Status f) Law enforcement
Slightly Increase g) Transportation and highway infrastructure
Slightly Decrease h) Welfare
i) Other or expanded categories
Slightly Increase a) Alcohol taxes
Maintain Status b) Cigarette taxes
Maintain Status c) Corporate taxes
Maintain Status d) Gasoline taxes
Eliminate e) Grocery taxes
Maintain Status f) Income taxes (incomes below $75,000)
Maintain Status g) Income taxes (incomes above $75,000)
Maintain Status h) Sales taxes
Eliminate i) Other or expanded categories
Yes 1) Do you support extending the grocery tax credit to low income Idahoans?
Yes 2) Should state sales taxes be extended to Internet sales?
Yes 3) Should accounts such as a "rainy day" fund be used to balance the state budget?
Yes 4) Should fee increases be used to balance the state budget?
Undecided 5) Should vehicle registration fees be increased to address the transportation department’s budget shortfall?
In order to compensate for grocery sales tax exemption, I support significantly repealing at least a like amount of current sales tax exemptions. Additional exemptions, if any, should be targeted to encourage investment, and should automatically sunset. Roads and infrastructure are in critical need of additional funding, which should be provided by increased fees, in addition to higher fuel taxes.
Exempting internet sales from sales tax disadvantages in-state businesses. Idaho should move immediately to enter the multi-state compact to provide uniform handling of internet sales taxes. Solving the transportation budget problem will require a comprehensive plan including fees, fuel taxes, and general funds, and will require negotiations and participation of all stakeholders to achieve.

Indicate which principles you support (if any) regarding campaign finance and government reform.c) Do you support limiting the following types of contributions to state legislative candidates?

No a) Do you support limiting the number of terms for Idaho governors?
No b) Do you support limiting the number of terms for Idaho state senators and representatives?
Yes 1) Individual
Yes 2) PAC
Yes 3) Corporate
Yes 4) Political Parties
Yes d) Do you support requiring full and timely disclosure of campaign finance information?
Undecided e) Do you support imposing spending limits on state-level political campaigns?
No f) Should Idaho participate in the federal REAL ID program?
g) Other or expanded principles

Indicate which principles you support (if any) regarding crime.

X a) Increase state funds for construction of state prisons and hiring of additional prison staff.
X b) Support the death penalty in Idaho.
X c) Support programs to provide prison inmates with vocational and job-related skills and job-placement assistance when released.
X d) Implement penalties other than incarceration for certain non-violent offenders.
e) Decriminalize the possession of small amounts of marijuana.
f) Minors accused of a violent crime should be prosecuted as adults.
g) Support state and local law enforcement officials enforcing federal immigration laws.
h) Support hate crime legislation.
i) Other or expanded principles

Indicate which principles you support (if any) regarding education.

X a) Support state funding of universal pre-K programs.
b) Support federal education standards and testing requirements for K-12 students (No Child Left Behind).
X c) Support state education standards and testing requirements for K-12 students.
X d) Support requiring public schools to administer high school exit exams.
e) Allow parents to use vouchers to send their children to any public school.
f) Allow parents to use vouchers to send their children to any private or religious school.
X g) Provide state funding to increase teacher salaries.
X h) Provide state funding for tax incentives and financial aid to help make college more affordable.
X i) Support allowing illegal immigrant high school graduates of Idaho to pay in-state tuition at public universities.
j) Support the potential for merit pay only for teachers who accept short-term contracts.
I support state education standards. I also support periodic standardize testing. However, I believe that testing requirements have become too frequent and too rigid, potentially leading to too much "teaching to the test". I support merit pay for teachers. Such a system, however, must be the result of collaboration between educators, administrators, school boards and the public to ensure that the basis for merit pay is educationally and fiscally sound.

Indicate which principles you support (if any) regarding employment.

X a) Increase funding for state job-training programs that re-train displaced workers and teach skills needed in today’s job market.
b) Reduce state government regulations on the private sector.
X c) Provide low interest loans and tax credits for starting, expanding, or relocating businesses.
d) Provide tax credits for businesses that provide child care for children in low-income working families.
e) Increase state funds to provide child care for children in low-income working families.
X f) Include sexual orientation in Idaho's anti-discrimination laws.
g) Include gender identity in Idaho's anti-discrimination laws.
h) Increase the state minimum wage.
i) Support laws that prevent employers from dismissing employees at will.
j) Support financial punishments for those who knowingly employ illegal immigrants.
X k) Support increased work requirements for able-bodied welfare recipients.
X l) Increase funding for employment and job training programs for welfare recipients.
Incentives must be focused on investment - in both people and responsible employers - which result in increased economic activity that pays for the investment. I don't believe the state should be financially penalizing employers of illegal immigrants until and unless the federal government takes action to fix our current immigration crisis. To do so would penalize *both* hard-working immigrants trying to achieve legal status, and the state's economy.

Indicate which principles you support (if any) regarding the environment and energy.

X a) Promote increased use of alternative fuel technology.
b) Support increased production of traditional domestic energy sources (e.g. coal, natural gas, oil, etc).
c) Support providing financial incentives to farms that produce biofuel crops.
X d) Use state funds to clean up former industrial and commercial sites that are contaminated, unused, or abandoned.
X e) Support funding for improvements to Idaho's power generating and transmission facilities.
X f) Support funding for open space preservation.
g) Limit carbon dioxide and other greenhouse gases linked to global warming.
X h) Enact environmental regulations even if they are stricter than federal law.
Idaho's quality of life is a precious economic, as well as life-style, resource. Idaho should take action to preserve that quality, even if it means enacting standards stricter than those of the federal government. I don't believe that biofuel crop subsidies are warranted, given existing federal policy. I support the development of economically viable alternatives to petroleum fuels.

Indicate which principles you support (if any) regarding guns.

Undecided a) Should background checks be required on gun sales between private citizens at gun shows?
Yes b) Should citizens be allowed to carry concealed guns?
No c) Should a license be required for gun possession?
Yes d) Do you support current levels of enforcement of existing state restrictions on the purchase and possession of guns?
Yes e) Do you support current state restrictions on the purchase and possession of guns?
I don't see any need for changes in Idaho gun laws.

Indicate which principles you support (if any) regarding health.

a) Ensure that citizens have access to basic health care through managed care, insurance reforms, or state-funded care where necessary.
X b) Guaranteed medical care to all citizens is not a responsibility of state government.
c) Limit the amount of damages that can be awarded in medical malpractice lawsuits.
X d) Allow patients to sue their HMOs.
X e) Require hospitals and labs to release reports on infections that are a risk to public health, while not compromising patient confidentiality.
f) Legalize physician assisted suicide in Idaho.
X g) Support allowing doctors to prescribe marijuana to their patients for medicinal purposes.
While I don't believe that the state should guarantee medical care, I do believe it's the responsibility of government to encourage and promote, and where necessary, mandate, access to affordable basic medical care to its citizens. Lack of health care is a huge economic drain on Idaho's economy.

['Indicate which principles you support (if any) regarding social issues.', 'Legislative Priorities']

Yes a) Should Idaho recognize civil unions between same-sex couples?
No b) Should same-sex couples be allowed to marry?
Undecided c) Should Idaho provide state-level spousal rights to same-sex couples?
Yes d) Do you support a moment of silence in public schools?
Yes e) Do you support voluntary prayer in public schools?
Yes f) Do you support sexual education programs that include information on abstinence, contraceptives, and HIV/STD prevention methods?
No g) Do you support abstinence-only sexual education programs?
Undecided h) Should the state government consider race and gender in state government contracting and hiring decisions?
Undecided i) Do you support affirmative action in public college admissions?
Undecided j) Should Idaho continue affirmative action programs?
Yes k) Do you support state funding of stem cell research?
Yes l) Do you support state funding of embryonic stem cell research?
No m) Do you support allowing pharmacists who conscientiously object to emergency contraception to refuse to dispense it?
If by "state-level spousal rights" one means an individual's right to designate who they want to associate with, enter into contracts with, make decisions for them if they're incapacitated, inherit joint property, etc, I fully support them. Otherwise, that seems to me to be a nebulous term that requires specification.
My top priority is working to improve the quality of life for working families in Idaho Falls and the State of Idaho. This includes ensuring a competitive environment for business, access to excellent public schools and affordable higher education to provide the workforce necessary to attract businesses and to provide opportunities for our children and grandchildren. I also will work for real local control of both spending and revenue, rather than centralizing power in Boise.

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