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Marty Seifert'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.

Marty Seifert repeatedly refused to provide any responses to citizens on the issues through the 2008 Political Courage Test when asked to do so by national leaders of the political parties, prominent members of the media, Project Vote Smart President Richard Kimball, and Project Vote Smart staff.

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.

Minnesota State Legislative Election 1998 National Political Awareness 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) concerning abortion.

a) Abortions should always be legally available.
b) Abortions should be legal only within the first trimester of pregnancy.
c) Abortions should be legal only when pregnancy resulted from incest, rape, or when the life of the woman is endangered.
X d) Abortions should be legal only when the life of the woman is endangered.
e) Abortions should always be illegal.
f) Abortions should be limited by waiting periods and parental notification requirements.
g) Prohibit the late-term abortion procedure known as "partial-birth" abortion.
h) Support "buffer zones" by requiring demonstrators to stay at least 15 feet away from abortion clinic doorways and driveways.
i) Other
No j) Should Minnesota government funding be provided to clinics and medical facilities that provide abortion services?

Indicate the principles you support (if any) concerning affirmative action. State government agencies should take race and sex into account in the following sectors:

No a) College and university admissions
No b) Public employment
No c) State contracting
d) Other

Indicate which principles you support (if any) to address crime.

a) Increase state funds for construction of state prisons and for hiring of additional prison staff.
X b) Support contracting with private sector firms to build and/or manage state prisons.
X c) End parole for repeat violent felons.
X d) Support the use of the death penalty.
e) Oppose the death penalty.
X f) Implement penalties other than incarceration for certain non-violent offenders.
X g) Inform communities when a convicted sex offender moves into the community.
h) Increase state funds for programs which rehabilitate and educate inmates during and after their prison sentences.
i) Decriminalize the use of marijuana for medicinal purposes.
X j) Strengthen penalties and sentences for drug-related crimes.
X k) Strengthen penalties and sentences for sex offenders.
l) Lower the blood-alcohol-content limit defining drunk driving.
X m) Prosecute juveniles who commit murder or other serious violent crimes as adults.
X n) Increase funding for the statewide taskforce on gang violence.
o) Other

Indicate which principles you support (if any) concerning the economy and employment.

X a) Provide low interest loans and tax credits for starting, expanding, or relocating businesses.
X b) Reduce state government regulations on the private sector in order to encourage investment and economic expansion.
X c) Support limits on cash damages in lawsuits against businesses and professionals for product liability or malpractice.
d) Increase funding for state job-training programs that retrain displaced workers or teach skills needed in today's job market.
e) Increase the minimum wage.
f) Require government and companies contracting for a government project to pay family-supporting wages.
X g) Increase state aid to Minnesota farmers to offset their losses this year.
h) Other
No i) Do you support using state tax dollars to build professional sports stadiums and arenas in Minnesota?
Yes j) Do you support initiatives to create more competition in commercial aviation at the Twin Cities international airport?

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

a) Increase state funds for professional development of public school teachers and administrators.
X b) Encourage private or corporate investment in public school programs.
c) Provide parents with state-funded vouchers to send their children to any participating school (public, private, religious).
X d) Favor charter schools where independent groups receive state authorization and funding to establish new schools.
e) Support sex education programs which stress abstinence.
f) Support sex education programs which stress safe sexual practices.
g) Increase state funds for school construction and facility maintenance.
X h) Increase state funds for hiring of additional teachers.
i) Endorse teacher-led voluntary prayer in public schools.
j) Support year-round school for grades K-12.
X k) Increase existing loan and grant programs to assist Minnesota families with tuition at Minnesota colleges and universities.
X l) Support a state tax credit to help Minnesota families pay for tuition at Minnesota colleges and universities.
m) Support state funding to pay four years' college tuition and fees for high school graduates with a B average or better.
X n) Support increased funding for new technology in the classroom (e.g. computers, Internet access).
o) Other
Undecided p) Do you support state funding of public schools through a broader sales tax instead of property taxes?
Yes q) Do you support requiring students to pass a basic skills test before graduating from high school?

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

a) Require the use of cleaner burning fuels in order to prevent pollution.
X b) Support "self-audit" legislation which creates incentives for industries to audit themselves and clean up pollution.
c) Require a cost/benefit analysis to determine the economic impact of proposed environmental regulations before they are implemented.
X d) Require the state to fully compensate citizens when environmental regulations limit uses on privately owned land.
e) Provide funding for recycling programs in Minnesota.
X f) Request added flexibility from the federal government in enforcing and funding federal environmental regulations.
X g) Suspend participation in unfunded, federally mandated environmental protection legislation.
h) Restructure the electric utility industry to allow consumers to choose their power company.
i) Other
Yes j) State environmental regulations should not be stricter than federal law.
No k) Do you support a moratorium on large-scale animal feedlots?

Indicate which principles you support (if any) regarding government reform.a) Do you support limits on the number of terms of the following Minnesota officials?b) Do you support limiting the following types of contributions to state legislative candidates?

Yes 1) State Senators and Representatives
Yes 2) Governor
Yes 1) Individual
Yes 2) PAC
Yes 3) Corporate
Yes c) Do you support requiring full and timely disclosure of campaign finance information?
Yes d) Do you support imposing spending limits on state level political campaigns?
Undecided e) Do you support partial funding from state taxes for state level political campaigns?
Yes f) Would you vote to ratify an amendment to the U.S. Constitution requiring an annual balanced federal budget?
g) Other

Indicate which principles you support (if any) concerning gun issues.

a) Ban the sale or transfer of all forms of semi-automatic weapons.
b) Increase state restrictions on the purchase and possession of firearms.
c) Maintain state restrictions on the purchase and possession of firearms.
X d) Ease state restrictions on the purchase and possession of firearms.
X e) Repeal state restrictions on the purchase and possession of firearms by law-abiding citizens.
X f) Favor allowing citizens to carry concealed firearms.
g) Require manufacturers to provide child-safety locks with firearms.
h) Other

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

X a) Provide tax incentives to small businesses that provide health care to their employees.
b) Ensure that citizens have access to basic health care, through managed care, insurance reforms, or state funded care where necessary.
c) Increase funding for MinnesotaCare, a program that provides health care for uninsured children.
d) Transfer more existing Medicaid recipients into managed care programs.
e) Use state funds to continue some Medicaid coverage for legal immigrants.
X f) Limit the amount of damages that can be awarded in medical malpractice lawsuits.
g) Guaranteeing medical care to all citizens is not a responsibility of state government.
h) Allow patients to sue health maintenance organizations for malpractice.
X i) Require HMOs to permit members to see any doctor willing to accept the plan's payment.
j) Other

Indicate which principles you support (if any) regarding social issues.

a) Increase state funding for programs to prevent teen pregnancy.
X b) Provide tax credits for businesses that provide child care for their employees.
c) Increase state funds to provide child care to children in low-income working families.
d) Deny or suspend state-issued permits and licenses to parents who are delinquent in paying court-ordered child support.
e) Favor banning smoking in public places.
f) Increase state funding for Head Start in order to serve additional children and/or increase services from a half to a full day.
g) Increase state funding for community centers and other social agencies in areas with at-risk youth.
h) Support state funding of programs for at-risk youth such as guaranteed college loans and job training and placement.
i) Other
No j) Do you believe that the Minnesota government should include sexual orientation in Minnesota's anti-discrimination laws?
No k) Do you believe that the Minnesota government should recognize same-sex marriages?

1. Indicate the funding levels you will support for the following general categories. Select one level only.2. Indicate how Minnesota should spend its tobacco lawsuit settlement money.

Slightly Increase a) Agriculture
Slightly Increase b) Education (K-12)
Slightly Increase c) Education (Higher)
Maintain Status d) Environment
Maintain Status e) Health care
Maintain Status f) Law enforcement
Maintain Status g) Transportation infrastructure (highways, roads, bridges)
Slightly Decrease h) Welfare
i) Other
X a) Health care
X b) Tax relief
c) Education
d) Anti-smoking programs
e) Other

Indicate the tax levels you will support. Select one level only.

Maintain Status a) Alcohol taxes
Slightly Decrease b) Capital gains taxes
Maintain Status c) Cigarette taxes
Slightly Decrease d) Corporate taxes
Maintain Status e) Gas taxes
Greatly Decrease f) Income taxes (incomes below $75,000)
Slightly Decrease g) Income taxes (incomes above $75,000)
Greatly Decrease h) Property taxes
Slightly Decrease i) Sales taxes
j) Other
Undecided k) Do you support a flat tax structure for state income taxes?
Yes l) Do you support increasing the state's child-care tax credit?

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

X a) Maintain the five-year lifetime limit on welfare benefits.
X b) Require that able-bodied recipients participate in work activities in order to receive benefits.
c) Increase employment and job training programs for welfare recipients.
X d) Provide tax incentives to businesses that hire welfare recipients.
e) Provide child care for welfare recipients who work.
f) Increase access to public transportation for welfare recipients who work.
g) Allow welfare recipients to remain eligible for benefits while saving money for education, starting a business, or buying a home.
X h) Limit benefits given to recipients if they have additional children while on welfare.
i) Increase state funding to provide affordable housing to low-income working families.
j) Eliminate government-funded welfare programs.
k) Other
Please explain what your two main legislative priorities will be if elected. Please explain how you would obtain any additional government funding needed to implement these priorities.

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