Robert Dutton'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.
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Other or Expanded Principles & Legislative Priorities are entered exactly as candidates submit them. Vote Smart does not edit for misspelled words, punctuation or grammar.
Robert Dutton 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.
Issue Positions
For Presidential and Congressional candidates who refuse to provide voters with their positions, Vote Smart has researched their public records to determine their likely responses. These issue positions are from 2012.
- Robert Dutton. Project Vote Smart: 2002 California State Legislative Political Courage Test. Checked SUPPORT for: "f) Eliminate public funding for abortions and public funding of organizations that advocate or perform abortions."
- Bob Dutton. Project Vote Smart: 2002 California State Legislative Political Courage Test. Checked SUPPORT for: "d) Abortions should be legal when the pregnancy resulted from incest or rape; e) Abortions should be legal when the life of the woman is endangered; g) Prohibit the dilation and extraction procedure, also known as partial birth abortion."
- Bob Dutton. Twitter: @Dutton4Congress. 21 May 2012. "Please follow @Dutton4Congress. Bob is running in the 31st Congressional District. Pro-Life, Pro-Family, Pro-Jobs, Pro-Economic Restraint!" (twitter.com)
- Robert Dutton. Project Vote Smart: 2002 California State Legislative Political Courage Test. Did Not Check SUPPORT for: "b) Abortions should always be legally available."
- Robert Dutton. Project Vote Smart: 2002 California State Legislative Political Courage Test. Did Not Check SUPPORT for: "a) Abortions should always be illegal."
- Despite exhaustive research, Vote Smart was unable to find information about this candidate's position.
- Despite exhaustive research, Vote Smart was unable to find information about this candidate's position.
- Bob Dutton. Biography. 15 June 2012. "During the 2011-12 budget negotiations, Bob Dutton was able to unite the Senate Republican Caucus and not only hold the line against tax increases, but his leadership resulted in taxes being lowered for California families. Reduced sales taxes, car taxes and personal income taxes saved the average California family hundreds of dollars a year." (www.duttonforcongress.com)
- Bob Dutton. Facebook: Timeline. 23 May 2012. "Over regulation and high taxes are killing jobs and growth in the Inland Empire. Send me to Washington to bring sound policies and jobs back to California." (www.facebook.com)
- Bob Dutton. Twitter: @Dutton4Congress. 29 February 2012. "I am humbled to announce that the anti-tax group Howard Jarvis Taxpayers Association has endorsed me for Congress. ¦" (www.duttonforcongress.com)
- Bob Dutton. Taxpayer's Pledge. 13 April 2012. "I, Bob Dutton, pledge to the taxpayers of the 31st Congressional District of the state of California, and to the American people that I will oppose any and all efforts to increase the tax rates for individuals and/or businesses." (votesmart.org)
- Bob Dutton. Issue Position: No Tax Hikes. 30 March 2012. "Not only does citizen legislator Bob Dutton oppose raising taxes to balance the federal budget, but he led the fight last year to reduce the state sales tax rate as well as decrease the car tax . . . and that helps families keep more of their hard-earned income. In 2011, he received an "A" rating from the Howard Jarvis Taxpayers Association and a 100 percent score from the California Taxpayers Association for his votes to protect hard-working families against higher taxes." (www.duttonforcongress.com)
- Bob Dutton. Issue Position: Pay Down National Debt. 30 March 2012. "Bob Dutton is appalled that our national debt is now $15 trillion and that since the time President Obama took office, the national debt has risen an astounding 41%. He favors a tough federal spending cap because powerful D.C. lobbyists like big labor union bosses and greedy corporate interests corrupt decision making in Washington. It's time to stop the influence peddling and get our fiscal house in order." (www.duttonforcongress.com)
- Bob Dutton. Twitter: @Dutton4Congress. 21 May 2012. "Please follow @Dutton4Congress. Bob is running in the 31st Congressional District. Pro-Life, Pro-Family, Pro-Jobs, Pro-Economic Restraint!" (twitter.com)
- Bob Dutton. Issue Position: Cut Wasteful Spending. 30 March 2012. "And, he favors a much simpler tax code, a cut in the corporate tax rate to keep companies here in America and closing unfair tax loopholes that only benefit the wealthy." (www.duttonforcongress.com)
- Bob Dutton. Project Vote Smart: 2002 California State Legislative Political Courage Test. Checked SUPPORT for: "c) Provide low interest loans and tax credits for starting, expanding, or relocating businesses."
- Bob Dutton. Issue Position: Small Businesses Create Jobs. 30 March 2012. "A small business owner for 40 years, Bob Dutton has seen first-hand how suffocating government regulations are simply killing jobs in our region. As a citizen legislator, he successfully brought together state retailers and on-line giant Amazon for a tax compromise that protected tens of thousands of small businesses and created thousands of new jobs in California. Also, he recently received a 100 percent perfect score from the National Federation of Independent Business." (www.duttonforcongress.com)
- Bob Dutton. Taxpayer's Pledge. 13 April 2012. "To foster policies that encourage job creation and work to reduce the suffocating regulatory burden on American businesses." (votesmart.org)
- Bob Dutton. Facebook: Timeline. 23 May 2012. "Over regulation and high taxes are killing jobs and growth in the Inland Empire. Send me to Washington to bring sound policies and jobs back to California." (www.facebook.com)
- Robert Dutton. Project Vote Smart: 2002 California State Legislative Political Courage Test. Checked SUPPORT for: "a) Support national standards and testing of public school students."
- Bob Dutton. On the Issues: Education. 1 August 2012. "The first and most important role of government in providing an education is to guarantee a safe environment for our students. We must also ensure that our schools are held accountable, are held to the highest standards possible, and that we are giving local districts local control." (www.duttonforcongress.com)
- Bob Dutton. Senator Dutton Supports Education Reforms. 4 November 2009. "Sen. Bob Dutton (R-Rancho Cucamonga) praised his colleagues for supporting a measure that will bring real reform to California schools and make them eligible to get up to $1 billion in additional federal funding. The measure, SBX5 1, passed this week in special session by the Senate, is tied directly to the federal government's new "Race to the Top" education program. Among other reforms the bill will remove the caps on the number of charter schools in California, will allow parents to move their students out of low performing schools and will create greater accountable within the classroom. 'I've long advocated for major reforms within our schools to help better educate our students,' said Senator Dutton. 'The measure we passed this week in the California Senate is a step in that direction. Most important it will give greater control of parents to make sure their children can receive the best education possible.'" (cssrc.us)
- Bob Dutton. Issue Position: Build Keystone Oil Pipeline. 30 March 2012. "A Reagan Republican, Bob Dutton strongly supports the construction of the Keystone XL Pipeline because it will not only create thousands of new jobs right here at home, but help reduce America's dependence on foreign oil. Today, our country imports nearly 60% of our oil and this vulnerability results in high gasoline prices that ravage family budgets, hurt businesses and cause job losses." (www.duttonforcongress.com)
- Bob Dutton. Global Warming Zealots Invade California's University System. 23 August 2012. "This week yet another effect of California's lone attempt to save the world from global warming has come to light a growing number of California's colleges and universities will be forced to enter the mad marketplace of carbon credits to offset the greenhouse gases produced on their campuses [¦] There may be one consolation at least the professors and students who've clamored for tougher climate control measures will get a real lesson in the economics of environmental edicts. [¦] They will learn that all actions have consequences, and all environmental actions have costs. Fortunately, it won't just be small businesses and taxpayers who will find that out." (www.foxandhoundsdaily.com)
- Bob Dutton. Senate GOP leader has skirmished with Jerry Brown before. 5 Novemeber 2010. "Brown as Attorney General sued Dutton's home turf of San Bernardino County in 2007, charging that the county needed to update its land use and population-growth planning to quantify and reduce its greenhouse gas emissions.The county, the suit said, needed to get in shape to follow AB 32, the state's landmark greenhouse gas reduction law. 'He was suing my county, so I had to get involved,' said Dutton, a Rancho Cucamonga Republican who remains an ardent foe of AB 32 and would like it suspended for now because he believes it will hinder economy recover." (blogs.sacbee.com)
- Bob Dutton. AB 32. California Legislature 2006 Session. Greenhouse Gases Emission Limits. Bob Dutton voted NO on 31 August 2006. Project Vote Smart summary: (votesmart.org)
- Bob Dutton. Americans for Prosperity Applauds U.S. House Candidate Bob Dutton. 2 July 2012. "The California chapter of the free market grassroots group Americans for Prosperity (AFP-CA) today applauded U.S. House candidate Bob Dutton (31st District) for signing the group's "No Climate Tax Pledge." Dutton joins more than 615 bipartisan lawmakers and candidates on the federal, state and local levels pledging to 'oppose legislation relating to climate change that includes a net increase in government revenue.'" (docs.google.com)
- Bob Dutton. California's Green Jobs Mirage. 13 April 2010. "When Governor Schwarzenegger signed AB 32, California's Global Warming Solutions Act, into law more than three years ago, he declared that the sweeping new regulations imposed by the measure would be 'good for business.' Since then we've learned these regulations carry a multibillion dollar price tag and will be the largest tax increase ever imposed by unelected regulators in California call it the 'global warming tax.' [¦] Even federal lawmakers are backing away from a cap-and-trade proposal, citing economic concerns. Governor Schwarzenegger should follow their lead and put the brakes on AB 32, California's global warming tax. He should insist that regulators' actions not hurt any sector of California's economy, nor increase the food and energy prices consumers pay." (www.duttonreport.com)
- Robert Dutton. Project Vote Smart: 2002 California State Legislative Political Courage Test. Checked SUPPORT for: "e) Allow citizens to carry concealed guns."
- Robert Dutton. Project Vote Smart: 2002 California State Legislative Political Courage Test. Did Not Check SUPPORT for: "a) Ban the sale or transfer of semi-automatic guns, except those used for hunting."
- Robert Dutton. Project Vote Smart: 2002 California State Legislative Political Courage Test. Did Not Check SUPPORT for: "g) Require background checks on gun sales between private citizens at gun shows."
- Robert Dutton. Project Vote Smart: 2002 California State Legislative Political Courage Test. Did Not Check SUPPORT for: "h) Require a license for gun possession."
- Bob Dutton. Project Vote Smart: 2002 California State Legislative Political Courage Test. Checked SUPPORT for: "c) Ease state restrictions on the purchase and possession of guns; d) Repeal state restrictions on the purchase and possession of guns."
- Bob Dutton. Issue Position: Obamacare is bad medicine. 30 March 2012. "Bob Dutton will vote to repeal the massive Obamacare health program that's driving up the cost of health insurance, damaging our economy and will eventually lead to reducing access to quality care. Instead of Obamacare that will cost 800,000 lost jobs and $492 billion in tax increases, he favors reforms like allowing private insurance companies to compete against each other across state lines and clamping down on frivolous lawsuits that only drive up health insurance rates." (www.duttonforcongress.com)
- Bob Dutton. Video: Bob Dutton Discussing Obamacare. 15 May 2012. "I'm going to vote to repeal the massive Obamacare health program." (youtu.be)
- Bob Dutton. Facebook: Timeline. 28 June 2012. "#ObamaCareTax upheld by the Supremes. Romney & a conservative congress must win this November." (www.facebook.com)
- Bob Dutton. Issue Position: Stop Illegal Immigration. 30 March 2012. "Bob Dutton voted to repeal driver licenses for illegal immigrants, co-authored legislation helping correctional officers more easily identify illegal immigrants serving prison time and he'll vote against any attempt in Congress to give amnesty to those that violate our federal laws." (www.duttonforcongress.com)
- Bob Dutton. Senator Dutton's Remarks on Gay Marriage. 17 June 2008. "I'm very disappointed in the Supreme Court in their decision to allow same sex marriage in California. The people spoke clearly in 2000 when they overwhelmingly passed Proposition 22 that defined marriage as union between a man and a woman...Those of use who embrace family values are confident that when the issue is put before the voters of this state again in November that they will once again speak loud and clearly that marriage is reserved for only a man and a woman." (www.redcounty.com)
- Bob Dutton. Twitter: @Dutton4Congress. 21 May 2012. "Please follow @Dutton4Congress. Bob is running in the 31st Congressional District. Pro-Life, Pro-Family, Pro-Jobs, Pro-Economic Restraint!" (twitter.com)
- Despite exhaustive research, Vote Smart was unable to find information about this candidate's position.
- Bob Dutton. Video: Bob Dutton on Social Security and Medicare. 14 March 2012. "Our Senior population relies heavily on these two programs, and we must do all we can to preserve and strengthen both Medicare and Social Security. It's critical that we keep our commitment to our nation's seniors." (youtu.be)
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.
Indicate which principles you support (if any) concerning abortion.
| a) Abortions should always be illegal. | |||
| b) Abortions should always be legally available. | |||
| c) Abortions should be legal only within the first trimester of pregnancy. | |||
| X | d) Abortions should be legal when the pregnancy resulted from incest or rape. | ||
| X | e) Abortions should be legal when the life of the woman is endangered. | ||
| X | f) Eliminate public funding for abortions and public funding of organizations that advocate or perform abortions. | ||
| X | g) Prohibit the dilation and extraction procedure, also known as partial birth abortion. | ||
| h) Support amending the California Civil Code to state that human life begins at conception. | |||
| i) Other or expanded principles | |||
State Budget: Indicate the funding levels you will support for the following general categories.State Taxes: Indicate the tax levels you will support.
| Maintain Funding Status | a) Education (Higher) | ||
| Slightly Increase Funding | b) Education (K-12) | ||
| Slightly Decrease Funding | c) Environment | ||
| Slightly Increase Funding | d) Health care | ||
| Greatly Increase Funding | e) Law enforcement | ||
| Greatly Increase Funding | f) Transportation and Highway infrastructure | ||
| Slightly Decrease Funding | g) Welfare | ||
| h) Other or expanded categories | |||
| Maintain Status | a) Alcohol taxes | ||
| Eliminate | b) Capital gains taxes | ||
| Maintain Status | c) Cigarette taxes | ||
| Greatly Decrease | d) Corporate taxes | ||
| Slightly Decrease | e) Gasoline taxes | ||
| Slightly Decrease | F) Income taxes (incomes below $75,000) | ||
| Slightly Decrease | g) Income taxes (incomes above $75,000) | ||
| Eliminate | h) Inheritance taxes | ||
| Maintain Status | i) Property taxes | ||
| Slightly Decrease | j) Sales taxes | ||
| Maintain Status | k) Vehicle taxes | ||
| l) Other or expanded categories | |||
| No | m) Should Internet sales be taxed? | ||
| Undecided | n) Would you support placing any operating surplus into a "rainy day" fund? | ||
| No | o) Should California legalize gambling in specific cities in order to generate tax revenue? | ||
| p) Other or expanded principles | |||
Indicate which principles you support (if any) regarding campaign finance and governmental reform.e) Do you support limiting the following types of contributions to state legislative and gubernatorial candidates?
| Yes | a) Do you support the current two term, eight year limit for California governors? | ||
| Yes | b) Do you support the current two term, eight year limit for California state senators? | ||
| No | c) Do you support the current three term, six year limit for California assembly members? | ||
| Yes | d) Do you support amending the term limit law to allow voters to place a current legislator on the ballot who would otherwise be ineligible to run for re-election? | ||
| No | 1) Individual | ||
| Yes | 2) PAC | ||
| Yes | 3) Corporate | ||
| Yes | 4) Political Parties | ||
| Yes | f) Do you support requiring full and timely disclosure of campaign finance information? | ||
| No | g) Do you support imposing spending limits on state level political campaigns? | ||
| No | h) Do you support partial funding from state taxes for state level political campaigns? | ||
| No | i) Do you support voting on-line? | ||
| Yes | j) Do you support adopting statewide standards for counting, verifying and ensuring accuracy of votes? | ||
| Yes | k) Do you support prohibiting media exit polling of voters until all polling locations in California are closed? | ||
| No | l) Do you support allowing voter registration on Election day? | ||
| No | m) Should California recognize civil unions between same-sex couples? | ||
| Yes | n) Should California restrict marriage to a relationship only between a man and a woman? | ||
| o) Other or expanded principles | |||
Indicate which principles you support (if any) to address crime.
| X | a) Increase state funds for construction of state prisons and for hiring of additional prison staff. | ||
| X | b) Increase state funds for the construction, renovation, and expansion of local jails and juvenile detention centers. | ||
| c) Support contracting with private sector firms to build and/or manage state prisons. | |||
| X | d) Support the use of the death penalty in California. | ||
| e) Support placing a moratorium on the use of the death penalty in California. | |||
| f) Support programs to provide prison inmates with vocational and job-related skills and job-placement assistance when released. | |||
| X | g) End parole for repeat violent offenders. | ||
| h) Implement penalties other than incarceration for certain non-violent offenders. | |||
| X | i) Strengthen penalties and sentences for drug-related crimes. | ||
| X | j) Support .08 blood-alcohol-content limit defining drunk driving. | ||
| X | k) Prosecute as adults, youths accused of a felony. | ||
| l) Support funding for alternative sentencing programs for juvenile offenders. | |||
| m) Require that crimes based on gender, sexual orientation, or disability be prosecuted as hate crimes. | |||
| n) Ban the use of racial profiling by law enforcement officers. | |||
| o) Increase state funding for community centers and other social agencies in areas with at-risk youth. | |||
| X | p) Increase state funding for additional security of critical infrastructure against terrorist attacks. | ||
| q) Amend the "three-strikes" law so that it is applied only when the third offense is a serious or violent felony. | |||
| r) Other or expanded principles | |||
Indicate which principles you support (if any) regarding education.
| X | a) Support national standards and testing of public school students. | ||
| b) Provide parents with state-funded vouchers to send their children to any participating school (public, private, religious). | |||
| X | c) Increase state funds for school capital improvements (e.g. buildings and infrastructure). | ||
| X | d) Increase state funds for hiring additional teachers. | ||
| e) Support teacher testing and reward teachers with merit pay. | |||
| X | f) Support posting the Ten Commandments in public schools. | ||
| X | g) Endorse teacher-led voluntary prayer in public schools. | ||
| X | h) Support public schools administering high school exit exams. | ||
| X | i) Provide state funding to increase teacher salaries. | ||
| X | j) Increase state funding for Head Start programs. | ||
| X | k) Provide state funding for tax incentives and financial aid to help make college more affordable. | ||
| X | l) Support age-appropriate sexual education programs that teach about abstinence, contraceptives, and HIV/STD prevention methods. | ||
| X | m) Support abstinence-only sexual education programs. | ||
| X | n) Increase the length of the public school year to provide additional hours of classroom instruction. | ||
| o) Other or expanded principles | |||
Employment: Indicate which principles you support (if any) concerning employment.Affirmative Action: Should the following state agencies take race and sex into account when making employment decisions?
| a) Increase funding for state job-training programs that re-train displaced workers or teach skills needed in today's job market. | |||
| X | b) Reduce state government regulations on the private sector to encourage investment and economic expansion. | ||
| X | c) Provide low interest loans and tax credits for starting, expanding, or relocating businesses. | ||
| X | d) Provide tax credits for businesses that provide child care for their employees. | ||
| X | e) Increase state funds to provide child care for children in low-income working families. | ||
| f) Include sexual orientation in California's anti-discrimination laws. | |||
| g) Create a state "living wage" standard. | |||
| h) Other or expanded principles | |||
| No | a) College and university admissions | ||
| No | b) Public employment | ||
| No | c) State contracting | ||
| d) Other or expanded principles | |||
Indicate which principles you support (if any) regarding the environment and energy.
| X | a) Promote increased use of alternative fuel technology. | ||
| X | b) Use state funds to clean up former industrial and commercial sites that are contaminated, unused, or abandoned. | ||
| X | c) Support a bond for clean air, parks, and water conservation programs. | ||
| Yes | d) Do you support state funding for open space preservation? | ||
| No | e) Should state environmental regulations be stricter than federal law? | ||
| No | f) Should California purchase the utility lines of power companies? | ||
| No | g) Should California sell state bonds to create an emergency fund for the purchase of energy? | ||
| h) Other or expanded principles | |||
Indicate which principles you support (if any) concerning gun issues.
| a) Ban the sale or transfer of semi-automatic guns, except those used for hunting. | |||
| b) Maintain and strengthen the enforcement of existing state restrictions on the purchase and possession of guns. | |||
| X | c) Ease state restrictions on the purchase and possession of guns. | ||
| X | d) Repeal state restrictions on the purchase and possession of guns. | ||
| X | e) Allow citizens to carry concealed guns. | ||
| f) Require manufacturers to provide child-safety locks on guns. | |||
| g) Require background checks on gun sales between private citizens at gun shows. | |||
| h) Require a license for gun possession. | |||
| i) Other or expanded principles | |||
Indicate which principles you support (if any) regarding health issues.
| X | a) Ensure that citizens have access to basic health care through managed care, insurance reforms, or state funded care where necessary. | ||
| X | b) Transfer more existing Medicaid recipients into managed care programs. | ||
| X | c) Limit the amount of damages that can be awarded in medical malpractice lawsuits. | ||
| X | d) Support patients' right to sue their HMOs. | ||
| X | e) Support patients' right to appeal to an administrative board of specialists when services are denied. | ||
| f) Guaranteed medical care to all citizens is not a responsibility of state government. | |||
| g) Legalize physician-assisted suicide in California. | |||
| X | h) Increase state funding for training health workers to recognize and respond to the release of biological agents. | ||
| X | i) Require labeling of foods that contain genetically engineered products. | ||
| X | j) Eliminate the requirement that health care facilities must provide non-emergency medical assistance to illegal immigrants. | ||
| k) Other or expanded principles | |||
Indicate which principles you support (if any) regarding welfare.
| a) Support current time limits on welfare benefits. | |||
| b) Increase employment and job training programs for welfare recipients. | |||
| X | c) Provide tax incentives to businesses that hire welfare recipients. | ||
| X | d) Provide child care for welfare recipients who work. | ||
| X | e) Increase access to public transportation for welfare recipients who work. | ||
| X | f) Eliminate government-funded welfare programs. | ||
| X | g) Redirect welfare funding to faith-based and community-based private organizations. | ||
| X | h) Use federal TANF (Temporary Assistance to Needy Families) funds to expand state services to include the working poor. | ||
| X | i) Support tax credits to developers for the construction of low income housing. | ||
| j) Other or expanded principles | |||
| 1. Public Safety - Make sure California has abundant law enforcement, fire fighting, and medical resources and personnel to effectively deal with any terrorist threat or other public health or safety emergency. 2. The economy - Develop a business friendly environment in California so that we will encourage businesses to stay here, more businesses to expand, and new businesses to develop - all providing good paying jobs. The elimination of wasteful spending coupled with a healthy economy will provide the necessary revenues to fund these issues. |
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