Michael Frerichs - Political Positions -

Michael W. Frerichs

Senator Michael W. Frerichs's Issue Positions (Political Courage Test)

Full Name:	Michael W. Frerichs
Office:	State Senate (IL) - District 52, Democratic
Last Elected:	11/06/2012
Next Election:	2016

Gender:	Male
Family:	Wife: Laura; 1 Child: Ella
Birth Date:	07/28/1973
Birth Place:	Gifford, IL
Home City:	Gifford, IL
Religion:	Lutheran

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Michael Frerichs refused to tell citizens where he stands on any of the issues addressed in the 2012 Political Courage Test, despite repeated requests from Vote Smart, national media, and prominent political leaders.

What is the Political Courage Test?

Illinois State Legislative Election 1998 National Political Awareness 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.

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.

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Please indicate which principles you support (if any) regarding abortion.
	a) Abortions should always be legally available.
	b) Abortions should be legal only within the first trimester of pregnancy.
X	c) Abortions should be legal only when pregnancy resulted from incest, rape, or when the life of the woman is endangered.
	d) Abortions should be legal only when the life of the woman is endangered.
	e) Abortions should always be illegal.
X	f) Abortions should be limited by waiting periods and parental notification requirements.
X	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

Undecided	j) Should Illinois 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:
Undecided	a) College and university admissions
Undecided	b) Public employment
Undecided	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.
	b) Support contracting with private sector firms to build and/or manage state prisons.
	c) End parole for repeat violent felons.
	d) Expand the use of the death penalty for additional circumstances relating to murder.
X	e) Oppose the death penalty.
X	f) Implement penalties other than incarceration for certain non-violent offenders.
	g) Inform communities when a convicted sex offender moves into the community.
X	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.
	j) Strengthen penalties and sentences for drug-related crimes.
X	k) Strengthen penalties and sentences for sex offenders.
	l) Prosecute juveniles who commit murder or other serious violent crimes as adults.
X	m) Provide funding for military-style "boot camps" for first-time juvenile felons.
	n) Require "impact incarceration" (23 hours per day lockdown) for the first six months of each prisoner's sentence.
X	o) Support laws requiring restitution to crime victims at the personal expense of the criminal.
	p) Require HIV testing for all incoming prison inmates.
	q) Other

Indicate which principles you support (if any) concerning the economy and employment.
	a) Provide low interest loans and tax credits for starting, expanding, or relocating businesses.
	b) Reduce state government regulations on the private sector in order to encourage investment and economic expansion.
	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 re-train displaced workers or teach skills needed in today's job market.
	e) License additional riverboat casinos.
	f) Fund construction of a new major airport to serve the Chicago metropolitan area.
	g) Other

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).
	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.
X	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.
X	j) Fund public school education in Illinois by increasing certain state taxes and decreasing local property taxes.
	k) Support a constitutional amendment eliminating the Illinois State Board of Education and replacing it with a cabinet-level Department of Education led by the Governor.
	l) Provide state-funded tuition and fees to any Illinois student who attends a public college or university as long as they maintain a B average.
	m) Advocate bilingual education programs in public schools.
	n) Other

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.
	b) Support "self-audit" legislation which creates incentives for industries to audit themselves and clean up pollution.
X	c) Require a cost/benefit analysis to determine the economic impact of proposed environmental regulations before they are implemented.
	d) Require the state to fully compensate citizens when environmental regulations limit uses on privately owned land.
X	e) Provide funding for recycling programs in Illinois.
	f) Request added flexibility from the federal government in enforcing and funding federal environmental regulations.
	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) Support state funded efforts to decrease erosion and make other improvements along the Illinois River.
	j) Allow local authorities to block construction of large livestock facilities.
X	k) Support "right to know" laws, making information available to communities exposed to hazardous substances.
	l) Other

No	m) State environmental regulations should not be stricter than federal law.
Undecided	n) Do you support continuing Illinois' status as a host for low-level radioactive waste disposal?

Indicate which principles you support (if any) regarding government reform.
a) Do you support amending the Illinois Constitution to limit the number of terms of the following officials?
No	1) State Senators and Representatives
No	2) Governor
b) Do you support current limits on the following types of contributions to state legislative candidates?
No	1) Individual
No	2) PAC
No	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?
Undecided	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.
X	c) Maintain state restrictions on the purchase and possession of firearms.
	d) Ease state restrictions on the purchase and possession of firearms.
	e) Repeal state restrictions on the purchase and possession of firearms by law-abiding citizens.
	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 who provide health care to their employees.
X	b) Ensure that citizens have access to basic health care, through managed care, insurance reforms, or state funded care where necessary.
	c) Provide health care to uninsured children by expanding Medicaid.
	d) Transfer more existing Medicaid recipients into managed care programs.
	e) Use state funds to continue some Medicaid coverage for legal immigrants.
	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.
X	h) Support a "bill of rights" for managed care patients, allowing them to choose a specialist as their primary care provider, file grievances without fear of penalty from their provider, and receive any emergency care they might need.
	i) Require the names of HIV positive people to be reported to local health departments.
	j) Other

Indicate which principles you support (if any) regarding social issues.
	a) Increase state funding for programs to prevent teen pregnancy.
	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.
X	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

Yes	j) Do you believe that the Illinois government should include sexual orientation in Illinois' anti-discrimination laws?
Undecided	k) Do you believe that the Illinois government should recognize same-sex marriages?

Indicate the funding levels you will support for the following general categories. Select one level only.
Maintain Status	a) Agriculture
Greatly Increase	b) Education (K-12)
Slightly Increase	c) Education (Higher)
Maintain Status	d) Environment
Maintain Status	e) Health care
Slightly Increase	f) Law enforcement
Slightly Increase	g) Transportation infrastructure (highways, roads, bridges)
Slightly Decrease	h) Welfare
	i) Other

Indicate the tax levels you will support. Select one level only.
Slightly Increase	a) Alcohol taxes
Slightly Increase	b) Capital gains taxes
Slightly Increase	c) Cigarette taxes
Slightly Increase	d) Corporate taxes
Maintain Status	e) Gas taxes
Slightly Increase	f) Income taxes (incomes below $75,000)
Slightly Increase	g) Income taxes (incomes above $75,000)
Greatly Decrease	h) Property taxes
Slightly Increase	i) Sales taxes
	j) Other

No	k) Do you support a flat tax structure for state income taxes?

Indicate which principles you support (if any) regarding welfare.
	a) Maintain the 2-year limit on cash assistance.
X	b) Maintain the current work requirements for able-bodied recipients in order to receive benefits.
	c) Increase employment and job training programs for welfare recipients.
	d) Provide tax incentives to businesses who hire welfare recipients.
X	e) Support state-funded loans for facilities seeking to provide child care for welfare recipients.
X	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) Eliminate government-funded welfare programs.
	j) Continue to extend state-funded welfare benefits for legal immigrants.
	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.
If elected as State Representateive for the 104th Illinois House District my top two legislative priorities will be to reduce property taxes and to work with our schools to emphasize the basics while using innovative teaching methods. I believe both our schools and how they are funded need new ideas.

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Michael W. Frerichs

Senator Michael W. Frerichs's Issue Positions (Political Courage Test)

Illinois State Legislative Election 1998 National Political Awareness Test

Abortion

Please indicate which principles you support (if any) regarding abortion.

Affirmative Action

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

Crime

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

Economy and Employment

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

Education

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

Environment & Energy

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

Government Reform

Indicate which principles you support (if any) regarding government reform.

a) Do you support amending the Illinois Constitution to limit the number of terms of the following officials?

b) Do you support current limits on the following types of contributions to state legislative candidates?

Gun Issues

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

Health Issues

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

Social Issues

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

State Budget

Indicate the funding levels you will support for the following general categories. Select one level only.

State Taxes

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

Welfare

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

Legislative Priorities

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