William Pierce III'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.
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.
Rhode Island State Legislative Election 2010 Political Courage Test
| Pro-choice | a) Do you consider yourself pro-choice or pro-life? | ||
| No | b) Should abortion be legal only within the first trimester of pregnancy? | ||
| Yes | 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? | ||
| No | 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? | ||
| No | h) Do you support abstinence-only sexual education programs? | ||
| I support a woman's right to choose. As a man, I believe I have no right to tell a woman what she can and can not do with her body. I do however believe she should make a informed decision before doing so. | |||
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 Rhode Island's budget.
| Slightly Increase | a) Education (higher) | ||
| Maintain Status | b) Education (K-12) | ||
| Maintain Status | c) Environment | ||
| Maintain Status | d) Health care | ||
| Maintain Status | e) Law enforcement | ||
| Maintain Status | f) Transportation and highway infrastructure | ||
| Slightly Decrease | g) Welfare | ||
| Maintain Status | a) Alcohol taxes | ||
| Slightly Increase | b) Cigarette taxes | ||
| Slightly Decrease | c) Corporate taxes | ||
| Slightly Decrease | d) Gasoline taxes | ||
| Greatly Decrease | e) Property taxes | ||
| Slightly Decrease | f) Sales taxes | ||
| Slightly Decrease | g) Income taxes (low-income families) | ||
| Slightly Decrease | h) Income taxes (middle-income families) | ||
| Slightly Decrease | i) Income taxes (high-income families) | ||
| No | a) Tapping into Rhode Island's "rainy day" fund | ||
| Yes | 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 | ||
| Before deciding to increase or decrease funding for different programs, we need to stand back and analyze how we are spending the money and what cuts can be made to ensure that our money is being used effectively. | |||
| We do not have a revenue problem, we have a spending problem. The money we need to solve the state?s problems is there, we just have to look at how we are spending our money. Our tax rates are already high enough across the board we need to start making some cuts in order to start attracting people and businesses to Rhode Island. | |||
| The way to solve our issues is not to make across the board cuts to program but to see which programs are effective and which ones need more review. | |||
e) Do you support limits on the following types of contributions to candidates for state government?
| Yes | a) Should municipalities share the administration of certain public services? | ||
| Yes | b) Should all state legislative actions be subject to the jurisdiction of the Rhode Island Ethics Commission? | ||
| Yes | c) Do you support limits on the number of terms for Rhode Island governors? | ||
| Yes | d) Do you support limits on the number of terms for Rhode Island state legislators? | ||
| Yes | 1) Individual | ||
| Yes | 2) Political Action Committee | ||
| Yes | 3) Corporate | ||
| Yes | 4) Political Party | ||
| Yes | f) Should candidates for state office be encouraged to meet voluntary spending limits? | ||
| Yes | g) Do you support requiring full and timely disclosure of campaign finance information? | ||
| I support government transparency completely. We need to ensure that Rhode Islanders can trust their elected officials and know that they are representing them in their best interest. I also fully support putting legislative votes (including committee votes) online within 24 hours of legislative action as well as providing a time frame that will allow members ample time to review legislation and amendments before voting. | |||
| 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) 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? | ||
| No | e) Should a minor who sends sexually-explicit or nude photos by cell phone face criminal charges? | ||
| Yes | f) Do you support expanding the definition of a hate crime to include gender identity? | ||
| Yes | g) Do you support the enforcement of federal immigration laws by state and local police? | ||
| I believe that capital punishment should only be a option in the extreme cases. Given the "revolving door" that is being created from the justice system, I believe that we should invest completely in programs that work curb this ever growing issue. As someone who has worked in the criminal system, I am against decriminalizing marijuana and believe our law enforcement agencies have a duty to enforce all laws from higher jurisdictions. | |||
| Yes | a) Do you support reducing government regulations on the private sector? | ||
| Yes | b) Do you support the legalization of casino-style gambling? | ||
| Yes | c) Do you support increased state funding for job-training programs that re-train displaced workers? | ||
| Yes | d) Do you support expanding access to unemployment benefits? | ||
| Yes | e) Do you support providing financial incentives to the private sector for the purpose of job creation? | ||
| Yes | f) Do you support increased spending on infrastructure projects for the purpose of job creation? | ||
| Yes | g) Do you support providing direct financial assistance to homeowners facing foreclosure? | ||
| We need to attract businesses to Rhode Island in order to get back on track. One of the main issues I plan on addressing when I am elected is increasing state funding for vocational programs to retrain out of work Rhode Islanders to ensure we are a model for a nation and to attract businesses. | |||
| Yes | a) Do you support national education standards? | ||
| Yes | b) Do you support requiring public schools to administer high school exit exams? | ||
| Yes | 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 Rhode Island high schools be eligible for in-state tuition at public universities? | ||
| Our education system needs major repairs and we need to reevaluate the way we are operating. We need to work together with the School Administration and with Teacher Unions to ensure we get back on track. In-state tuition at public universities for illegal immigrants should only be granted to students who are on a documented pathway to citizenship with the Federal Government. | |||
| Yes | 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? | ||
| Yes | d) Do you support state funding for improvements to Rhode Island's energy infrastructure? | ||
| Yes | e) Do you support state funding for open space preservation? | ||
| Yes | f) Do you support enacting environmental regulations aimed at reducing the effects of climate change? | ||
| Our environment is a important resource that makes Rhode Island known throughout the world. When elected, I pledge to work to ensure our Bay and land resources are protected and preserved. | |||
| Yes | a) Do you support restrictions on the purchase and possession of guns? | ||
| Yes | 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? | ||
| Yes | d) Do you support requiring a license for gun possession? | ||
| I am a firm supporter of the 2nd amendment. We need to work to ensure that the 2nd amendment is protected while also keeping weapons out of the hands of people who are not trained properly. | |||
| 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? | ||
| Yes | f) Do you support legalizing physician-assisted suicide in Rhode Island? | ||
| g) Do you support allowing doctors to prescribe marijuana to their patients for medicinal purposes? | |||
| I am a firm believer that health care is a right and not a commodity. When elected, I will work to ensure that the recent the federal health care legislation is properly enacted to benefit Rhode Islanders and not the Health Care industry. | |||
| No | a) Should marriage only be between one man and one woman? | ||
| Yes | b) Should Rhode Island 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? | ||
| Yes | f) Do you support the inclusion of sexual orientation in Rhode Island's anti-discrimination laws? | ||
| Yes | g) Do you support the inclusion of gender identity in Rhode Island's anti-discrimination laws? | ||
| One of my main goals when elected is to ensure passage of the same sex marriage legislation. I will be a proud co-sponsor of the legislation and will work to ensure Rhode Island is a proud supporter. I do not support affirmative action as I believe the right person should be hired. | |||
| I am focused on fixing the economy in Rhode Island and getting Rhode Islanders back to work. We have a great work force here in Rhode Island, we need to work together to ensure that we get Rhode Island working and working to ensuring our children are properly educated to enter college and the workforce. I am also focused on balancing our state budget and working with local cities and towns to ensure that we do not pass on our budget issues to local communities. Delete |
Vote Smart does not permit the use of its name or programs in any campaign activity, including advertising, debates, and speeches.