Card image cap

Ross Swartzendruber'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.

Candidates who qualify will be invited to take the 2020 Political Courage Test.

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.

Oregon State Legislative Election 2012 Political Courage Test

Pro-choice a) Do you generally support pro-choice or pro-life legislation?
No b) Should abortions be illegal after 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?
No g) Do you support the prohibition of public funds for abortion procedures?
No h) Do you support the prohibition of public funds for organizations that perform abortions?
I support the right of individual freedom to choose.

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 may use a number more than once.3) Budget Stabilization:Indicate which proposals you support (if any) for balancing Oregon's budget.

Slightly Increase a) Education (higher)
Greatly Increase b) Education (K-12)
Maintain Status c) Environment
Greatly Increase d) Health care
Maintain Status e) Law enforcement/corrections
Slightly Increase f) Transportation/infrastructure
Maintain Status g) Welfare
h) Other or expanded categories:
Maintain Status a) Alcohol taxes
Maintain Status b) Cigarette taxes
Slightly Increase c) Corporate taxes
Greatly Increase d) Gas/Oil taxes
Maintain Status e) Property taxes
Slightly Decrease f) Income taxes (low-income families)
Slightly Decrease g) Income taxes (mid-income families)
Slightly Increase h) Income taxes (high-income families)
i) Other or expanded categories:
a) Tapping into Oregon's "rainy day" fund
b) Increasing tuition rates at public universities
c) Reducing or eliminating public worker collective bargaining
d) Reducing state employee salaries AND/OR pensions
e) Instituting mandatory furloughs AND/OR layoffs for state employees
f) Reducing benefits for Medicaid recipients
Increase revenue through local 100% renewable energy production

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
Yes 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 the use of an independent AND/OR bipartisan commission for redistricting?
No e) Do you support requiring a government-issued photo identification in order to vote at the polls?
I support publically-funded elections.
No 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) Do you support decriminalizing the possession of small amounts of marijuana?
No 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?
No f) Do you support the enforcement of federal immigration laws by state and local police?
No g) Should illegal immigrants be able to obtain a special Oregon driver's license?
h) Other or expanded principles:
No 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?
No 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?
Yes g) Do you support eliminating corporate kicker checks?
I support increased revenue through local 100% renewable power production
No a) Do you support the national Common Core State Standards initiative?
No b) Do you support a merit pay system for teachers?
Yes c) Is the tenure process for public school teachers producing effective teachers?
No d) Should parents be allowed to use vouchers to send their children to any school?
Yes e) Do you support state funding for charter schools?
Yes f) Do you support the state government providing college students with financial aid?
Yes g) Should illegal immigrants who graduate from Oregon high schools be eligible for in-state tuition at public universities?
I support smaller class sizes.
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)?
Yes c) Do you support state funding for improvements to Oregon's energy infrastructure?
Yes d) Do you support state funding for open space preservation?
Yes e) Do you support enacting environmental regulations aimed at reducing the effects of climate change?
I support local 100% renewable power production.
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?
No d) Should a license be required for gun possession?
e) Other or expanded principles:
Yes 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 efforts to channel Medicaid and other publicly funded health programs into "Coordinated Care Organizations"?
Yes d) Do you support interstate health insurance compacts?
Yes e) Do you support requiring individuals to purchase health care insurance?
Yes f) Do you support monetary limits on damages that can be collected in malpractice lawsuits?
Yes g) Do you support allowing doctors to prescribe marijuana to their patients for medicinal purposes?
h) Other or expanded principles:
No a) Should marriage only be between one man and one woman?
Yes b) Should same-sex couples be allowed to form civil unions?
Yes c) Do you support the inclusion of sexual orientation in Oregon's anti-discrimination laws?
Yes d) Do you support the inclusion of gender identity in Oregon's anti-discrimination laws?
e) Other or expanded principles:
My main issue is creating 100% renewable power production in rural communities and expanding the feed-in tariff to include all renewable energy sources.Only minor policy changes are needed to achieve these goals which would create jobs and provide increased revenue for distressed communities. Also, I support expanding allowances on exclusive farm use-zoned land. Again, this would increase revenue at little or no cost for implementation.

Vote Smart does not permit the use of its name or programs in any campaign activity, including advertising, debates, and speeches.

arrow_upward