Fred Horch's 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.
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Fred Horch has provided voters with clear stances on key issues by responding to the 2020 Political Courage Test.
Maine State Legislative Election 2020 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 for organizations that perform abortions? | ||
| d) Other or expanded principles: | |||
| Yes | a) In order to balance the budget, do you support reducing state employee salaries AND/OR pensions? | ||
| Yes | b) In order to balance the budget, do you support an income tax increase on any tax bracket? | ||
| Yes | c) Do you support the creation of a tax on internet streaming services? | ||
| When it comes to taxes, I support considering all options and finding a fair way to pay for government services that benefit everyone. | |||
| Yes | a) Do you support a limit on campaign contributions to state candidates? | ||
| Yes | b) Do you support the regulation of indirect campaign contributions from corporations and unions? | ||
| Yes | c) Do you support the use of an independent AND/OR bipartisan commission for redistricting? | ||
| No | d) Do you support requiring a government-issued photo identification in order to vote at the polls? | ||
| No | e) Do you support automatic voter registration? | ||
| f) Other or expanded principles: | |||
| No | a) Do you support capital punishment for certain 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 in Maine? | ||
| No | e) Do you support mandatory minimum sentences for non-violent drug offenders? | ||
| As with taxes, I believe we should consider all options when determining sentences for criminal activity. Maine does not have the death penalty; I think that is good. | |||
| Yes | a) Do you support state government spending as a means of promoting economic growth? | ||
| Yes | b) Do you support lowering state income taxes as a means of promoting economic growth? | ||
| Yes | c) Do you support reducing government regulations on the private sector? | ||
| No | d) Do you support requiring welfare applicants to pass a drug test in order to receive benefits? | ||
| Yes | e) Do you support an increase of the minimum wage of Maine? | ||
| Yes | f) Do you support requiring employers to provide paid family leave? | ||
| Yes | g) Do you support providing financial relief to businesses AND/OR corporations negatively impacted by the state of national emergency for COVID-19? | ||
| Yes | h) Do you support legalizing sports betting in Maine? | ||
| Yes | i) Do you support legalizing tribal gaming in Maine? | ||
| j) Other or expanded principles: | |||
| No | a) Do you support adopting federal education standards in Maine? | ||
| Yes | b) Do you support state funding for charter schools? | ||
| Yes | c) Do you support increasing teacher salaries AND/OR benefits in Maine? | ||
| No | d) Should immigrants unlawfully present in the United States who graduate from Maine high schools be eligible for in-state tuition at public universities? | ||
| People who citizens of another country and living in the United States without the permission of our government should be required to obtain permission to be living here before they are classified as residents for in-state tuition purposes. Citizens of other countries who are visiting the United States to go to school should pay out-of-state resident tuition at public universities. | |||
| Yes | a) Do you support state funding for the development of renewable energy (e.g. solar, wind, geo-thermal)? | ||
| Yes | b) Do you support government regulations of greenhouse gas emissions? | ||
| Yes | c) Do you support increasing state funding for clean drinking water initiatives? | ||
| d) Other or expanded principles: | |||
| Yes | a) Do you generally support gun-control legislation? | ||
| Yes | b) Should background checks be required on gun sales between private citizens at gun shows? | ||
| No | c) Should teachers be allowed to bring guns into the classroom after passing gun safety training? | ||
| No | d) Should a license be required for gun ownership? | ||
| We should respect the right to own a gun, but also make sure that people who should not have guns do not have them. I believe guns should not be used on school grounds. | |||
| Yes | a) Should the state government increase funding for treatment facilities to combat opioid abuse? | ||
| Yes | b) Do you support Medicaid expansion through Maine's health care programs? | ||
| No | c) Do you support requiring individuals to purchase health care insurance? | ||
| Yes | d) Do you support legislation that grants citizens the right to choose to die through euthanasia? | ||
| No | e) Do you support eliminating religious exemptions for vaccinations? | ||
| Yes | f) Do you support requiring businesses to provide paid medical leave during public health crises, such as COVID-19? | ||
| g) Other or expanded principles: | |||
| Yes | a) Do you support the inclusion of sexual orientation in Maine's anti-discrimination laws? | ||
| Yes | b) Do you support the inclusion of gender identity in Maine's anti-discrimination laws? | ||
| Yes | c) Do you support greater efforts by Maine state government in closing the pay gap between men and women? | ||
| Yes | d) Do you support inclusion of the Equal Rights Amendment in the state constitution? | ||
| e) Other or expanded principles: | |||
| I believe that government should work well. For example, the legislature should respect citizen initiatives such as the requirement that state funding cover 55% of the cost of public education in Maine. The best way to make Maine's government work better is to elect more independent lawmakers who are committed to working together rather than fighting for a party line. | |||
| My top legislative priority is to grow a stronger and more sustainable economy, prevent dangerous pollution, and increase wealth in Maine by making solar power more affordable. Reducing our dependence on fossil fuel and increasing our ability to produce our own power will keep more money circulating in Maine's economy. There are several ways to accomplish this goal, including direct investment in public infrastructure projects, reducing regulations that slow down solar power developments, providing better access to capital markets for solar projects, and instituting a carbon tax and dividend. |
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