Frank Morse's Issue Positions (Political Courage Test)
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Oregon State Legislative Election 2010 Political Courage Test
| Pro-choice | a) Do you consider yourself pro-choice or pro-life? | ||
| Yes | 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? | ||
| Yes | 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? | ||
| To define this issue in black and white is difficult. It is exceedingly complex. I respect a woman's right to choose, but my personal conviction is that abortion should be a matter of necessity and not of convenience. There are circumstances that justify abortions beyond the first trimester, however, I don't believe in partial birth abortions. | |||
1) State SpendingIndicate what state funding levels (#1-6) you support for the following general categories. Select one level per category- you can 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 can use a number more than once.3) Budget StabilizationIndicate which proposals you support (if any) for balancing Oregon's budget.
| Maintain Status | a) Education (higher) | ||
| Maintain Status | b) Education (K-12) | ||
| Slightly Decrease | c) Environment | ||
| Maintain Status | d) Health care | ||
| Maintain Status | e) Law enforcement | ||
| Maintain Status | f) Transportation and highway infrastructure | ||
| Maintain Status | g) Welfare | ||
| Maintain Status | a) Alcohol taxes | ||
| Maintain Status | b) Cigarette taxes | ||
| Maintain Status | c) Corporate taxes | ||
| Maintain Status | d) Gasoline taxes | ||
| Maintain Status | e) Property taxes | ||
| Slightly Decrease | f) Income taxes (low-income families) | ||
| Maintain Status | g) Income taxes (middle-income families) | ||
| Maintain Status | h) Income taxes (high-income families) | ||
| No | a) Tapping into Oregon's "rainy day" fund | ||
| Yes | b) Redirecting excess income tax collections to a permanent "rainy day" fund | ||
| No | c) Issuing the early release of certain non-violent offenders | ||
| Yes | d) Increasing tuition rates at public universities | ||
| Yes | e) Instituting mandatory furloughs and layoffs for state employees | ||
| No | f) Reducing benefits for Medicaid recipients | ||
| Yes | g) Privatizing certain government services | ||
| In this economy, the hope would be to maintain existing funding for education, health care, law enforcement, transportation, and welfare. The reason I marked a decrease in environment funding is because alternative energy tax breaks do not rise to the same level of importance as keeping schools open, the public safe, and the most needy served. | |||
| I support comprehensive tax reform that will lower the net tax burden for those who now pay by broadening the base to include those who do not now pay. I also support a significant reduction in the capital gains tax which is now 11%. Washington and Nevada are 0%. Capital formation and retention is a vital component of a vibrant economy and the fuel for entrepreneurial business and job creation. Oregon's present tax code is causing a net out migration of high income families. Oregon needs private capital to make the economy prosper. | |||
| I support saving 50% of the personal kicker and 2% of anticipated revenues in good times until the combined savings equals 10% of the general fund. I also support dedicating the corporate kicker to a higher education stability fund. I supported early release of non-violent offenders in 2009, but not the release of the violent offenders that wound up applying for release; the law has been suspended temporarily, but the changes do not assure that violent offenders will stay in prison. Tuition must be set by the universities and not the legislature. | |||
d) Do you support limits on the following types of contributions to candidates for state government?
| Yes | a) Do you support limits on the number of terms for Oregon governors? | ||
| No | b) Do you support limits on the number of terms for Oregon state legislators? | ||
| No | c) Should the Oregon state legislature be required to convene in annual sessions? | ||
| Yes | 1) Individual | ||
| Yes | 2) Political Action Committee | ||
| Yes | 3) Corporate | ||
| Yes | 4) Political Party | ||
| Yes | e) Should candidates for state office be encouraged to meet voluntary spending limits? | ||
| Yes | f) Do you support requiring full and timely disclosure of campaign finance information? | ||
| I have consistently supported annual sessions, but will not support the legislative referral which expands the amount of days the legislature typically meets. The proposal is to meet for 30 days in the even years and 165 days in the odd years. Meeting for 30 days is longer than necessary to re-balance the budget if needed and too short to deal with policy issues. Public participation and transparency are the casualties in a 30 day session. The State of Washington meets annually, 60 days and 105 days. | |||
| 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? | ||
| No | c) Should the possession of small amounts of marijuana be decriminalized? | ||
| No | d) Should minors accused of a violent crime be prosecuted as adults? | ||
| No | e) Should minors who send sexually-explicit or nude photos by cell phone face criminal charges? | ||
| Yes | f) Do you support the enforcement of federal immigration laws by state and local police? | ||
| Life without parole for capital offenses, I believe, better serves justice and financial costs. Prosecuting minors as adults is appropriate for older minors, but not for young minors. Immigration enforcement should be a comprehensive/collaborative effort of both local, state and national law enforcement. Our nation needs secure borders, rational and responsive immigration policies, and a path to citizenship for undocumented workers with appropriate fines and penalties. | |||
| 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? | ||
| Yes | d) Do you support providing financial incentives to the private sector for the purpose of job creation? | ||
| No | e) Do you support increased spending on infrastructure projects for the purpose of job creation? | ||
| No | f) Do you support providing direct financial assistance to homeowners facing foreclosure? | ||
| "Government regulations" is a very broad term. I do not support reducing regulations where matters of life, death, environmental disasters and lending are concerned. I do support reducing regulations that act as impediments to job creation, and that by reducing regulations the public good is not sacrificed. Financial incentives to create jobs must have convincing evidence that the cost in reduced taxes is less than the benefits derived. | |||
| No | 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? | ||
| Yes | f) Should illegal immigrants who graduate from Oregon high schools be eligible for in-state tuition at public universities? | ||
| I support standards, but believe imposing national standards has produced limited benefits. I believe we continue to shift too much control over education to the federal government. I have co-sponsored legislation to grant in-state tuition on the belief that society is better served to have a better educated workforce. The Attorney General has determined that granting in-state tuition for illegal immigrants would likely result in state universities losing the ability to charge out-of-state tuition for legal non residents, thus this issue is not likely to be addressed in the future. | |||
| No | 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? | ||
| No | d) Do you support state funding for improvements to Oregon's energy infrastructure? | ||
| No | e) Do you support state funding for open space preservation? | ||
| No | f) Do you support enacting environmental regulations aimed at reducing the effects of climate change? | ||
| At a time when tax revenues cannot meet the demands for core services, I believe it is ill advised to direct tax monies to non-core activities. Further, we are not asking the right questions with respect to alternative energy: How much market distortion do we want, at what cost and for how long? Creating artificial markets works if it eventually transitions into a self sustaining market. In this market we must be very circumspect about directing tax dollars into non-core activities. I have yet to be convinced that environmental regulations will change climate trends. | |||
| 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? | ||
| No | d) Do you support requiring a license for gun possession? | ||
| Limited restrictions are appropriate based on criminal history and mental health. Otherwise the 2nd Amendment should be liberally interpreted. | |||
| 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 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 continuing to allow physician-assisted suicide in Oregon? | ||
| No | g) Do you support allowing doctors to prescribe marijuana to their patients for medicinal purposes? | ||
| I support universally accessible health care. The challenge is how to fund it. Ultimately, I believe the solution will be a broad based funding model where all pay, the government manages the funding and the private sector delivers the service. Our present system of cost shifting in not sustainable and will result in ever increasing health insurance premiums. | |||
| Yes | a) Should marriage only be between one man and one woman? | ||
| Yes | b) Should Oregon allow same-sex couples to form domestic partnerships? | ||
| Yes | c) Do you support state funding for stem cell research? | ||
| No | d) Do you support state funding for embryonic stem cell research? | ||
| Yes | e) Do you support the state's use of affirmative action? | ||
| Yes | f) Do you support the inclusion of sexual orientation in Oregon's anti-discrimination laws? | ||
| Yes | g) Do you support the inclusion of gender identity in Oregon's anti-discrimination laws? | ||
| I have consistently maintained throughout my public life that my decisions, particularly for social issues, will be based on treating all persons, without regard to gender, race, ethnicity, social standing, or sexual orientation, with dignity, respect and love. | |||
| 1) BUILD A SUSTAINABLE FISCAL FOUNDATION FOR OUR STATE. Smooth Oregon's extreme tax volatility by saving 2% of anticipated revenues, (mandated savings), when times are good, plus 50% of unanticipated personal kicker monies into an Emergency Reserve Fund that caps at 10% of the General Fund. Release of funds only in times of financial stress. Direct the corporate kicker into a Higher Education Stability Fund, capped at 3% of the General Fund. 2) Transform the budget process from status quo, rolled up costs - Current Service Levels to a process focused on process improvement, reduced costs - Continuous Improvement Level. |
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