Shawn Olson's Issue Positions (Political Courage Test)
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Indiana State Legislative Election 2010 Political Courage Test
| Pro-life | a) Do you consider yourself pro-choice or pro-life? | ||
| No | b) Should abortion be legal only within the first trimester of pregnancy? | ||
| No | c) Should abortion be legal when the pregnancy resulted from incest or rape? | ||
| Yes | d) Should abortion be legal when the life of the woman is endangered? | ||
| Yes | e) Do you support requiring parental notification before an abortion is performed on a minor? | ||
| Yes | f) Do you support requiring parental consent before an abortion is performed on a minor? | ||
| Yes | g) Do you support sexual education programs that include information on abstinence, contraceptives, and HIV/STD prevention methods? | ||
| Yes | h) Do you support abstinence-only sexual education programs? | ||
| "Blessings of Liberty to ourselves and our Posterity do ordain and establish this Constitution for the United States of America." ~ Preamble to the US Constitution. Posterity = "all future generations". Our posterity shall not be denied Life or Liberty under the 5th and 14th amendments. So yes! Life is a constitutional issue and that is why I'm a strong believer in protecting life. The only reason I can see to end a pregnancy is when it risks the mother's life. And no Doctor or government official can make that decision only the family can make such a decision. | |||
1) State SpendingIndicate what state funding levels (#1-6) you support for the following general categories. Select one level per category; you may use a number more than once.2) State TaxesIndicate what state tax levels (#1-6) you support for the following general categories. Select one level per category; you may use a number more than once.3) Budget StabilizationIndicate which proposals you support (if any) for balancing Indiana's budget.
| Maintain Status | a) Education (higher) | ||
| Maintain Status | b) Education (K-12) | ||
| Slightly Decrease | c) Environment | ||
| Slightly Decrease | d) Health care | ||
| Maintain Status | e) Law enforcement | ||
| Maintain Status | f) Transportation and highway infrastructure | ||
| Slightly Decrease | g) Welfare | ||
| Maintain Status | a) Alcohol taxes | ||
| Maintain Status | b) Cigarette taxes | ||
| Slightly Decrease | c) Corporate taxes | ||
| Slightly Decrease | d) Gasoline taxes | ||
| Greatly Decrease | e) Property taxes | ||
| Maintain Status | f) Sales taxes | ||
| Greatly Decrease | g) Income taxes (low-income families) | ||
| Greatly Decrease | h) Income taxes (middle-income families) | ||
| Slightly Decrease | i) Income taxes (high-income families) | ||
| Yes | a) Tapping into Indiana's "rainy day" fund | ||
| No | b) Issuing the early release of certain non-violent offenders | ||
| No | c) Increasing tuition rates at public universities | ||
| Yes | d) Instituting mandatory furloughs and layoffs for state employees | ||
| No | e) Reducing benefits for Medicaid recipients | ||
| Yes | f) Privatizing certain government services | ||
| We as a state are still doing well. We are one of two states still in the black. But we will have to tighten our belts to continue on that path. Things are going to continue to get tough in the next couple of years and we need to be prepared too stand the coming storm. When we take the time to cut government waste, end corruption we will shine over other states and Industry will take notice to build here creating more jobs while making Indiana a better place. We need to ensuring our tax dollars reach the classrooms. | |||
| We can't be like California or Illinois and just raise taxes at will to pay for what ever political pet project that comes along. Indiana already is what they call a donor state. A donor state is when more money goes to the federal government than we get back from the federal government. We here in Indiana are propping up states like California and Illinois while they drain our citizens money, giving us less economic freedom to buy or live how we would like. | |||
| A Its a rainy day fund and with the current economic problems guess what its raining so it would be appropriate to get into the fund but only as a last resort and not to prop up some political pet project. B & C) are more like maybe's. B) would really have to be on what the offense was and very heavily regulated and watched. C) If it helps to keep the school open then it might have to be a possibility. | |||
c) Do you support limits on the following types of contributions to candidates for state government?
| Yes | a) Do you support limits on the number of terms for Indiana governors? | ||
| No | b) Do you support limits on the number of terms for Indiana state legislators? | ||
| No | 1) Individual | ||
| No | 2) Political Action Committee | ||
| Yes | 3) Corporate | ||
| No | 4) Political Party | ||
| No | d) Should candidates for state office be encouraged to meet voluntary spending limits? | ||
| Yes | e) Do you support requiring full and timely disclosure of campaign finance information? | ||
| Term Limits: We already have a system where someone has to run for office every couple of years. If you don't like what the person is doing vote them out. If you get enough voters to agree with you they are gone. But don't take away an individual right to vote! If you want to see really bad legislation then put into place term limits the last year they can run oh look out they will put any bill they want. Placing term limits on the lower offices always gives more power to the executive offices. | |||
| Yes | a) Do you support capital punishment for certain crimes? | ||
| Yes | b) Do you support alternatives to incarceration for certain non-violent offenders, such as mandatory counseling or substance abuse treatment? | ||
| Yes | c) Should the possession of small amounts of marijuana be decriminalized? | ||
| Yes | d) Should a minor accused of a violent crime be prosecuted as an adult? | ||
| e) Should a minor who sends sexually-explicit or nude photos by cell phone face criminal charges? | |||
| Yes | f) Do you support the enforcement of federal immigration laws by state and local police? | ||
| No | g) Do you support a statewide ban on smoking in public places? | ||
| E: Is a double edge sword. What do you do with a couple sending pictures back and forth who are both minors. Should they be treated the same as one who took photos of another without their knowledge and then sends it to someone else. This law will have to be written extremely carefully. | |||
| Yes | a) Do you support reducing government regulations on the private sector? | ||
| Yes | b) Do you support increased state funding for job-training programs that re-train displaced workers? | ||
| Yes | c) Do you support expanding access to unemployment benefits? | ||
| Yes | d) Do you support providing financial incentives to the private sector for the purpose of job creation? | ||
| Yes | e) Do you support increased spending on infrastructure projects for the purpose of job creation? | ||
| Yes | f) Do you support providing direct financial assistance to homeowners facing foreclosure? | ||
| g) Other or expanded principles | |||
| Yes | a) Do you support national education standards? | ||
| Yes | b) Do you support requiring public schools to administer high school exit exams? | ||
| c) Do you support using a merit pay system for teachers? | |||
| Yes | d) Do you support state funding for charter schools? | ||
| Yes | e) Do you support the state government providing college students with financial aid? | ||
| No | f) Should illegal immigrants who graduate from Indiana high schools be eligible for in-state tuition at public universities? | ||
| g) Other or expanded principles | |||
| No | a) Do you support state funding for the development of alternative energy? | ||
| No | b) Do you support state funding for the development of traditional domestic energy sources (e.g. coal, natural gas, oil)? | ||
| No | c) Do you support providing financial incentives to farms that produce biofuel crops? | ||
| No | d) Do you support state funding for improvements to Indiana's energy infrastructure? | ||
| No | e) Do you support state funding for open space preservation? | ||
| No | f) Do you support enacting environmental regulations aimed at reducing the effects of climate change? | ||
| I do agree that we should give tax breaks, incentives, and even low interest loans for development of alternative energy and to help promote cleaner burning fuels, and to protect our environment but if the state gives money to these projects then they become a political projects and the politicians will decide their favorite group to give money to and its usually their political pet projects they fight for. | |||
| No | a) Do you support restrictions on the purchase and possession of guns? | ||
| No | b) Do you support requiring background checks on gun sales between private citizens at gun shows? | ||
| Yes | c) Do you support allowing individuals to carry concealed guns? | ||
| No | d) Do you support requiring a license for gun possession? | ||
| I believe the Second Amendment clearly states that individuals have a right to keep and bear arms. The whole point of the Bill of Rights was to specifically state the rights of the individual in our Constitution. The founding fathers believed so strongly in the right to keep and bear arms that it came in only behind freedom of speech in importance. You and I both know that the amendment has absolutely nothing to do with owning arms for the purpose of hunting. It's about something much more serious than that. | |||
| No | a) Do you support a universally-accessible, publicly-administered health insurance option? | ||
| Yes | b) Do you support expanding access to health care through commercial health insurance reform? | ||
| Yes | c) Do you support interstate health insurance compacts? | ||
| No | d) Should individuals be required to purchase health care insurance? | ||
| Yes | e) Do you support monetary limits on damages that can be collected in malpractice lawsuits? | ||
| No | f) Do you support legalizing physician-assisted suicide in Indiana? | ||
| Yes | g) Do you support allowing doctors to prescribe marijuana to their patients for medicinal purposes? | ||
| Health care is a great concern of mine. I'm not for a complete take over of a large percentage of our economy. But changes need to be made. I should be able to walk into any insurance agency and shop for Health Insurance, if we were to treat health care insurance like we buy car insurance where we decide the coverage, the deductible, and expand our choices for coverage like being allowed to call a company in a different state our cost for coverage will go down. | |||
| Yes | a) Should marriage only be between one man and one woman? | ||
| No | b) Should Indiana allow same-sex couples to form civil unions? | ||
| No | c) Do you support state funding for stem cell research? | ||
| No | d) Do you support state funding for embryonic stem cell research? | ||
| No | e) Do you support the state's use of affirmative action? | ||
| No | f) Do you support the inclusion of sexual orientation in Indiana's anti-discrimination laws? | ||
| No | g) Do you support the inclusion of gender identity in Indiana's anti-discrimination laws? | ||
| Everyone should have the right of privacy. What they do in their homes is up to them. The concept of Marriage Licenses was introduced in the 1920's when 38 states prohibited other races from marrying without the state approved license. Thus changing the fundamentally institution of marriage, a private contract was exchanged for a public contract and the state entered as a third party in the marriage contract. | |||
| The role of government is not to create jobs, but to create an environment where jobs will prosper. I understand that the small business is what makes America a success. Through ingenuity of small business, the backs of hard working Americans, the innovations during the industrial revolution made America the world leader it is today. In Indiana we should be proud our state is standing strong while other states are in a even more serious economic down turn. We shall strive for a lasting economic success, by creating the environment where jobs will continue to flourish and prosper in Indiana. |
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