Lyn Tackett's Issue Positions (Political Courage Test)
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Lyn Tackett has demonstrated Political Courage by telling citizens where she stands on the issues she may face if elected.
Iowa State Legislative Election 2012 Political Courage Test
| Pro-life | a) Do you generally support pro-choice or pro-life legislation? | ||
| Yes | b) Should abortions be illegal after the first trimester of pregnancy? | ||
| No | c) Should abortion be legal when the pregnancy resulted from incest or rape? | ||
| No | 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 the prohibition of public funds for abortion procedures? | ||
| Yes | h) Do you support the prohibition of public funds for organizations that perform abortions? | ||
| I've known women who have had abortions and all of them wished they'd never had it done. One woman said she wished she could have seen the ultrasound before the procedure because then she would have never had it. A friend of mine was raped and considered an abortion but decided to have her baby. She told me she was so glad she didn't go through with it and had her baby. If a woman's is threatened, that is a call both parents must make based on a medical diagnosis by her doctor, not legislation. | |||
1) State Spending:Using the key, indicate 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 Taxes:Using the key, 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.3) Budget Stabilization:Indicate which of the proposals below you support (if any) for balancing Iowa's budget by marking Yes (Y) or No (N).
| Maintain Status | a) Education (higher) | ||
| Maintain Status | b) Education (K-12) | ||
| Maintain Status | c) Environment | ||
| Maintain Status | d) Health care | ||
| Maintain Status | e) Law enforcement/corrections | ||
| Maintain Status | f) Transportation/infrastructure | ||
| Maintain Status | g) Welfare | ||
| h) Other or expanded categories: | |||
| Maintain Status | a) Alcohol taxes | ||
| Maintain Status | b) Cigarette taxes | ||
| Greatly Decrease | c) Corporate taxes | ||
| Maintain Status | d) Gas/Oil taxes | ||
| Greatly Decrease | e) Property taxes (commercial) | ||
| Greatly Decrease | f) Property taxes (residential) | ||
| Slightly Increase | g) Sales taxes | ||
| Greatly Decrease | h) Income taxes (low-income families) | ||
| Greatly Decrease | i) Income taxes (mid-income families) | ||
| Slightly Decrease | j) Income taxes (high-income families) | ||
| No | a) Tapping into Iowa's "rainy day" fund | ||
| Yes | b) Increasing tuition rates at public universities | ||
| Yes | c) Reducing or eliminating public worker collective bargaining | ||
| No | d) Reducing state employee salaries AND/OR pensions | ||
| e) Instituting mandatory furloughs AND/OR layoffs for state employees | |||
| Yes | f) Reducing benefits for Medicaid recipients | ||
| Insanity is "doing the same thing over and over but expecting different results". I propose we examine how we have set the tax basis and consider alternatives, such as the fair tax, which is a consumption tax. It could help lower or eliminate property and income taxes. If the current tax system isn't effective, then why keep it? If we can do better, shouldn't we examine the possibilities? Raising taxes is a quick fix that doesn't address the problem. Instead, it takes more money away from people, inhibits new businesses (which lowers the job market), and grows bigger government. | |||
| If I understood the b) question correctly, I answered it because tuition rates will always increase to meet the costs of going to school regardless of legislation. I would not want to see anyone out of work, so we need to make sure we meet payroll so we don't have to institute furloughs. We do this by balancing the budget and stop the runaway spending. As for reducing Medicaid benefits, I would have to see which benefits we are talking about and eliminating non-essentials. Right now, it covers Viagra but not diabetic socks. | |||
a) Do you support limits on the following types of contributions for state candidates?
| No | 1) Individual | ||
| Yes | 2) Political Action Committee | ||
| Yes | 3) Corporate | ||
| No | 4) Political Party | ||
| Yes | b) Should candidates for state office be encouraged to meet voluntary spending limits? | ||
| Yes | c) Do you support requiring full and timely disclosure of campaign finance information? | ||
| Yes | d) Do you support Iowa's use of a non-partisan commission for redistricting? | ||
| Yes | e) Do you support requiring a government-issued photo identification in order to vote at the polls? | ||
| If we demand a photo I.D. to make a bank transaction, board a plane, buy cigarettes and alcohol, etc., why don't we have one for voting? It is a simple measure to ensure the integrity of our voting process. After all, voting puts people in place that make the laws for photo I.D. in all other areas of life. So I support voter I.D. It just makes sense. | |||
| 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? | ||
| No | c) Do you support decriminalizing the possession of small amounts of marijuana? | ||
| Yes | d) Should a minor accused of a violent crime be prosecuted as an adult? | ||
| Yes | 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? | ||
| Yes | g) Should Iowa ban traffic-enforcement cameras? | ||
| What constitutes a "small amount"? That answer can be subjective. According to Piaget & Erikson, minors by the age of 14 generally have formed their adult world view, thus current laws trying minors 14 years and older as adults are justified. Our rise in technology makes us face new challenges in keeping citizens safe while balancing privacy. | |||
| Yes | a) Do you support reducing government regulations on the private sector? | ||
| No | b) Do you support increased state funding for job-training programs that re-train displaced workers? | ||
| 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? | ||
| No | 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? | ||
| No | g) Should Iowa legalize online gambling? | ||
| When you say "expanding access to unemployment benefits", what you mean exactly? Length of time to receive them? Scope of qualifications? I support the IMS program now in place that is helping families of foreclosures because they are dealing with the cause of the problem and negotiating a solution. Government isn't the answer for everything. Some of the best "help programs" come from the private and non-profit sectors. | |||
| a) Do you support the national Common Core State Standards initiative? | |||
| Yes | b) Do you support a merit pay system for teachers? | ||
| No | c) Is the tenure process for public school teachers producing effective teachers? | ||
| Yes | d) Should parents be allowed to use vouchers to send their children to any school? | ||
| Yes | e) Should third-grade students be held back if they fail a state reading proficiency exam? | ||
| Yes | f) Do you support state funding for charter schools? | ||
| g) Do you support the state government providing college students with financial aid? | |||
| No | h) Should illegal immigrants who graduate from Iowa high schools be eligible for in-state tuition at public universities? | ||
| I support legislation that gives the parents to right to choose their child's education: homeschooling, charter, private, faith-based, parochial, public, etc. My husband, his family and myself are all educators. We have worked in both public and private sectors so I speak from experience. I support graduates who want to become legal and will fight hard to lift the roadblocks to legal immigration in as much as an be done on a state level. I want all graduates to have a higher education, but done legally. | |||
| Yes | a) Do you support state funding for the development of alternative energy? | ||
| Yes | b) Do you support state funding for the development of traditional domestic energy sources (e.g. coal, natural gas, oil)? | ||
| Yes | c) Do you support state funding for improvements to Iowa's energy infrastructure? | ||
| d) Do you support state funding for open space preservation? | |||
| e) Do you support enacting environmental regulations aimed at reducing the effects of climate change? | |||
| The environment is very important to me. We garden organically, eat natural foods and live a healthy lifestyle. I support legislation that protects the environment and considers alternative energy in a way that works with homeowners, farmers and businesses. I do NOT support Agenda 21. | |||
| No | a) Do you support restrictions on the purchase and possession of guns? | ||
| No | b) Should background checks be required on gun sales between private citizens at gun shows? | ||
| Yes | c) Should citizens be allowed to carry concealed guns? | ||
| Yes | d) Should a license be required for gun possession? | ||
| I support the 2nd Amendment and will sponsor any "stand your ground" legislation so citizens can exercise their right to protect themselves and their families. | |||
| 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) Do you support requiring individuals to purchase health care insurance? | ||
| Yes | e) Do you support monetary limits on damages that can be collected in malpractice lawsuits? | ||
| f) Do you support allowing doctors to prescribe marijuana to their patients for medicinal purposes? | |||
| I support tort reform and giving patients and doctors more say in their health care options. There was one doctor who found a way to provide medical care for his patients at a low monthly cost so both he and his patients benefited, but the government stopped it "because it's not allowed." Why not? Let's explore the options. The goal is affordable health care without sacrificing quality and that can be accomplished far better than a one-size-fits-all approach. | |||
| Yes | a) Should marriage only be between one man and one woman? | ||
| No | b) Should Iowa continue to grant marriage licenses to same-sex couples? | ||
| c) Do you support the inclusion of gender identity in Iowa's anti-discrimination laws? | |||
| God created marriage as a sacred, committed union between a man and a woman, so I support what He created. "What God has joined together, let no one else separate". (Mark 10:9). I'm not sure what you are looking for in c). Unless presented with a clearer definition on what you mean and clarity on the semantics, I am unable to give a proper answer. We already have laws that protect people from being discriminated by gender, age, race, ethnicity, etc. | |||
| My top priority is the family. YOUR LIFE MATTERS to God and myself. I will correct the flawed child support system in our state, sponsor "stand your ground" legislation and support parents in their right to choose their child's education. Our families are under attack and I'm asking for the chance to defend them. I'm knocking on doors & calling people in person because I believe in being for real with people. It's time we get egos out of office and stand up for what is right. Your prayers and vote in November are so graciously appreciated. Thank you. |
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