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Bob Brechtel'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.

Bob Brechtel refused to tell citizens where he stands on any of the issues addressed in the 2010 Political Courage Test, despite repeated requests from Vote Smart, national media, and prominent political leaders.

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.

Wyoming State Legislative Election 2006 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) regarding abortion.

X a) Abortions should always be illegal.
b) Abortions should always be legal.
c) Abortions should be legal only within the first trimester of pregnancy.
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) Prohibit public funding of abortions and to organizations that advocate or perform abortions.
X g) Require clinics to give parental notification before performing abortions on minors.
Women should have the right to be fully informed about abortion procedures. Require parent notification before taking a minor across state border for abortion.

State Budget: Indicate the funding levels (#1-6) you will support for the following general categories. Select one level per category.State Taxes: Indicate the tax levels (#1-6) you will support. Select one level per tax.

Maintain Status a) Education (Higher)
Maintain Status b) Education (K-12)
Slightly Increase c) Emergency preparedness
Maintain Status d) Environment
Greatly Increase e) Health care
Slightly Increase f) Law enforcement
Slightly Increase g) Transportation and highway infrastructure
Maintain Status h) Welfare
Slightly Increase a) Alcohol taxes
b) Capital gains taxes
c) Cigarette taxes
Greatly Decrease d) Corporate taxes
Slightly Decrease e) Gasoline taxes
Eliminate f) Property taxes
Maintain Status g) Sales taxes
h) Vehicle taxes
Undecided j) Should the state sales taxes be extended to Internet sales?
Undecided k) Should accounts such as a “rainy day” fund be used to balance the state budget?
No l) Should fee increases be used to balance the state budget?
Yes m) Do you support a permanent repeal of the food tax?
Review spending priorities and growth of government in all areas. Tax and spend responsibly to provide only those services that citizens cannot provide for themselves.
Greatly increase: support reducing taxes when it makes sense.
Do not support a state income tax

Indicate which principles you support (if any) regarding campaign finance and government reform.c) Do you support limiting the following types of contributions to state legislative candidates?

Yes a) Do you support limiting the number of terms for Wyoming governors?
Undecided b) Do you support limiting the number of terms for Wyoming state senators and representatives?
Undecided 1) Individual
Undecided 2) PAC
Undecided 3) Corporate
Undecided 4) Political Parties
Yes d) Do you support requiring full and timely disclosure of campaign finance information?
Undecided e) Do you support imposing spending limits on state level political campaigns?
Undecided f) Do you support adopting statewide standards for counting, verifying and ensuring accuracy of votes?
Undecided g) Do you support prohibiting media exit polling of voters until all polling locations in Wyoming are closed?
No h) Should Wyoming recognize civil unions between same-sex couples?
Supreme Court Justices should be confirmed by Gov.

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

a) Increase state funds for construction of state prisons and hiring of additional prison staff.
b) Support the death penalty in Wyoming.
X c) Support programs to provide prison inmates with vocational and job-related skills and job-placement assistance when released.
X d) End parole for repeat violent offenders.
X e) Implement penalties other than incarceration for certain non-violent offenders.
f) Decriminalize the possession of small amounts of marijuana.
X g) Strengthen penalties and sentences for drug-related crimes.
h) Minors accused of a violent crime should be prosecuted as adults.
i) Require that crimes based on race, ethnic background, religious belief, sex, age, disability, or sexual orientation be prosecuted as hate crimes.
j) Increase state funding for community centers and other social agencies in areas with at-risk youth.
X k) Strengthen sex-offender laws.
l) Support the creation of a cabinet-level position to fight methamphetamine use.
X m) Increase funding for local law enforcement efforts to combat methamphetamine use.
Faith based prison ministry Expand faith based solutions for at risk youth.

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

a) Support national standards and testing of public school students.
X b) Provide parents with state-funded vouchers to send their children to any public school.
X c) Provide parents with state-funded vouchers to send their children to any private or religious school.
d) Increase state funds for school capital improvements (e.g. buildings and infrastructure).
e) Increase funds for hiring additional teachers.
X f) Support teacher testing and reward with merit pay.
X g) Endorse voluntary prayer in public schools.
h) Require public schools to administer high school exit exams.
X i) Provide state funding to increase teacher salaries.
j) Increase funding for Head Start programs.
X k) Provide state funding for tax incentives and financial aid to help make college more affordable.
l) Support sexual education programs that include information on abstinence, contraceptives, and HIV/STD prevention methods.
X m) Support abstinence-only sexual education programs.
Consider current high cost of construction & wise use of capital construction dollars. Support parent choices in education. Oppose school distribution of "emergency contraception" and birth control.

Employment: Indicate which principles you support (if any) regarding employment.Affirmative Action: Should race, ethnicity or gender be taken into account in state agencies’ decisions on:

X a) Increase funding for state job-training programs that retrain displaced workers and teach skills needed in today’s job market.
X b) Reduce state government regulations on the private sector in order 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 children in low-income working families.
e) Increase state funds to provide child care for children in low-income working families.
f) Include sexual orientation in Wyoming's anti-discrimination laws.
g) Increase the state minimum wage.
No a) Public employment
No b) State college and university admissions
No c) State contracting
Support incentives for providing livable wages & health insurance.
Affirmative action should include tollerance for faith, prayer, and expressions of godly values.

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

X a) Promote increased use of alternative fuel technology.
X b) Support increased production of traditional domestic energy sources (e.g. coal, natural gas, and oil).
c) Use state funds to clean up former industrial and commercial sites that are contaminated, unused, or abandoned.
d) Increase funding for improvements to Wyoming's power generating and transmission facilities.
e) Support funding for open space preservation.
f) Enact environmental regulations even if they are stricter than federal law.
Support loan programs for energy infrastructure to encourage expansion of good energy related jobs.

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

a) Maintain and strengthen the enforcement of existing state restrictions on the purchase and possession of guns.
b) Ease state restrictions on the purchase and possession of guns.
c) Repeal state restrictions on the purchase and possession of guns.
X d) Allow citizens to carry concealed guns.
e) Require background checks on gun sales between private citizens at gun shows.
f) Require a license for gun possession.
Consider repeal of restrictions for law abiding citizens.

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

X a) Ensure that citizens have access to basic health care through managed care, insurance reforms, or state-funded care where necessary.
b) Transfer current Medicaid recipients into managed care programs.
X c) Limit the amount of punitive damages that can be awarded in medical malpractice lawsuits.
d) Support patients' right to sue their HMOs.
e) Guaranteed medical care to all citizens is not a responsibility of state government.
f) Legalize physician assisted suicide in Wyoming.
g) Allow doctors to prescribe marijuana to their patients for medicinal purposes.
Support WHCC efforts toward affordable safe health care and insurance.

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

X a) Support increased work requirements for able-bodied welfare recipients.
X b) Increase funding for employment and job training programs for welfare recipients.
X c) Increase access to public transportation for welfare recipients who work.
X d) Redirect welfare funding to faith-based and community-based private organizations.
X e) Use federal TANF (Temporary Assistance to Needy Families) funds to extend health and child care subsidies to the working poor.
X f) Support marriage promotion programs for welfare recipients.
g) Eliminate government-funded welfare programs.
Find solutions allowing home care of patients. Provide adquate DD support and job training for DD clients
As a true Republican; my highest priorities include opposing legislation that damages inalienable rights and stifles freedom, to control the growth of big government, senseless tax and spend policies and government intrusion into the lives of families. I will be working for the passage of legislation that protects parent rights, the sanctity of marriage and the defense of life. I will continue to work with the legislative committee on safe and affordable healthcare.

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