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Bob Ekstrom'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.

Bob Ekstrom has refused to provide voters with positions on key issues covered by the 2014 Political Courage Test, despite repeated requests.

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 1996 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.

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

a) Abortions should always be legally available.
b) Abortions should be legally available when the procedure is completed within the first trimester of pregnancy.
c) Abortions should be legal only when the pregnancy resulted from incest, rape, or when the life of the woman is endangered.
X 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.
No g) Should Oregon government funding be provided to clinics and medical facilities that provide abortion services?

Please indicate which principles you support (if any) regarding affirmative action in Oregon.

a) Oregon government should prosecute cases of discrimination in the public and private sector.
X b) Oregon government should provide no affirmative action programs.
c) Specific, adjustable percentages of contracts for state work should be awarded to minority or woman-owned businesses.
No d) Do you believe that Oregon government should recognize same-sex marriages?
No e) Do you think sexual orientation should be added to Oregon's anti-discrimination laws?

Please indicate which principles you support (if any) regarding children & family issues in Oregon.

a) Increase state funding for programs to prevent teen pregnancy.
b) Provide tax credits for businesses that provide child care for their employees.
X c) Deny or suspend state-issued permits and licenses to parents who are delinquent in paying court-ordered child support.

Please indicate which principles you support (if any) to address crime in Oregon.

a) Increase state funds for construction of state prisons and for hiring of additional prison staff.
b) Expand and promote "community policing" programs.
X c) Support "truth in sentencing" for violent criminals so they serve their full sentences with no chance of parole.
d) Expand the use of the death penalty for additional circumstances relating to murder.
e) Oppose the death penalty.
X f) Implement penalties other than incarceration for certain non-violent offenders.
X g) Require mandatory life sentences for third-time, violent felons as set forth by Measure 11 in 1994.
X h) Inform communities when a convicted sex offender moves into the community.
i) Increase state funds for programs which rehabilitate and educate inmates during and after their prison sentences.
j) Decriminalize the possession and private use of certain illegal drugs such as marijuana.
X k) Strengthen penalties and sentences associated with drug-related crimes.
X l) Implement chain gangs in which prison inmates work together in chained work groups.
X m) Support contracting with private sector firms to manage state prisons.
n) Increase state funds for hiring more police officers.
o) Limit the number of appeals allowed for inmates on death row.
p) Incarcerate prisoners serving less than one year in county jails, rather than the state prison system.

Please indicate which principles you support (if any) to address juvenile crime in Oregon.

a) Prosecute juveniles who commit murder or other serious violent crimes as adults.
X b) Provide state funding for military-style "boot-camps" for juvenile first-time felons.
c) Increase state funding for local community centers and other social agencies in areas with at-risk youth.
d) Support state government funding of programs for at-risk youth such as guaranteed college loans and job training and placement.
e) Provide funding for communities to combat gang violence through juvenile correction, domestic violence, and drug abuse prevention/treatment programs.
X f) Allow courts to hold parents accountable for a minor child who commits a crime.

Please indicate which principles you support (if any) concerning Oregon's economic development.

X a) Increase state funds for improving the state's transportation system, including major roadways, railways, and airports.
b) Provide low-interest loans and tax credits for expanding, start-up or relocating businesses.
c) Expand legalized gambling (e.g. video poker, slot machines).
X d) Reduce state government regulations on the private sector.
e) Remove state government controls or caps from wages, prices, rents, profits, production, and interest rates.
f) Support limits on cash damages in lawsuits against businesses and professionals for product liability or malpractice.
g) Increase state funding for programs to re-train unemployed workers.
h) Fund construction of a North-South light rail transportation system for Portland.
i) Extend state-funded unemployment benefits.
X j) Support the elimination of the state lottery in Oregon.

Please indicate which principles you support (if any) regarding Oregon's education system.

a) Increase state funds for professional development and salaries of public school faculty.
X b) Endorse teacher-led voluntary school prayer in public schools.
c) Encourage private or corporate investment in certain public school programs.
d) Provide parents with state-funded vouchers to send their children to any participating school (public, private, religious, technical).
X e) Implement charter schools where teachers and other professionals receive state authorization and funding to establish new schools.
X f) Require the use of state-wide achievement standards for all state public schools.
X g) Emphasize local control of education as long as the school district meets state health and safety standards.
h) Support sex education programs which stress abstinence.
i) Support sex education programs which stress safe sexual practices.
j) Support allocating more state education funding to Oregon's lowest-wealth districts and less to the highest-wealth districts.
k) Increase state funds for higher education.
X l) Increase tuition at state colleges and universities to fund higher education.
X m) Support legislation which would allow voters in local school districts to vote to raise property taxes to fund schools.
n) Support the school funding system set in place by Measure 5 which places a $5 per $1000 limit on local property tax funding for schools.
o) Support an amendment to Measure 5 which would allow more money from local property taxes to be allocated to schools.

Please indicate which principles you support (if any) concerning Oregon's environment and natural resources.

a) Enact tougher environmental standards to encourage the sale of cleaner burning fuels throughout Oregon.
b) Support "self-audit" legislation which creates incentives for polluting industries to audit themselves and clean up pollution.
X c) Require a cost/benefit analysis be completed to determine the economic impact of proposed environmental regulations before they are implemented.
X d) Require the state to reimburse citizens when environmental regulations limit the use of privately owned land.
X e) Continue to provide funding for recycling programs in Oregon.
X f) Request flexibility from the federal government in enforcing and funding federal environmental regulations.
g) Suspend Oregon's participation in unfunded, federally mandated environmental protection legislation.
h) Maintain minimum environmental quality as mandated by current federal regulations.
i) Increase state taxes on gasoline to promote conservation and alternative fuel development.
j) Provide financial and technical assistance to localities to assist them in watershed planning.
k) Support flow augmentations and reservoir drawdowns as measures to promote recovery of the salmon population.
l) The Endangered Species Act should continue to rely on regulations that require property owners to protect threatened plants and animals on their land.
X m) The Endangered Species Act should be amended to rely on incentives to encourage property owners to protect threatened plants and animals on their land.
n) Expand the bottle bill to cover more types of containers.
Yes o) Do you support initiatives which would allow cities to expand their boundaries by modifying "Urban Growth Boundaries"?

a) Do you support the laws which limit the terms of the following Oregon officials?

Yes 1) State Senators (8 years, to take effect in 2002)
Yes 2) State Representatives (6 years, to take effect in 1998)
Yes 3) Governors (limited to eight out of every twelve years)
Yes b) Do you support amending the U.S. Constitution to require an annual balanced federal budget?
Yes c) Do you support requiring limits on individual contributions to state legislative candidates?
Yes d) Do you support requiring limits on PAC contributions to state legislative candidates?
Yes e) Do you support requiring limits on corporate contributions to state legislative candidates?
Yes f) Do you support requiring full and timely disclosure of campaign finance information?
g) Do you support imposing spending limits on political campaigns?
Yes h) Do you support partial funding from state taxes for state level political campaigns?
Undecided i) Do you support conducting state elections by mail-in ballot?

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

a) Support expanding the nationwide federal ban on the public sale of assault weapons to include all forms of semi-automatic weapons.
b) Increase state restrictions on the purchase and possession of firearms.
c) Maintain all state registration procedures and state restrictions on possessing firearms.
d) Ease state procedures and restrictions on the purchase and registration of firearms.
X e) Repeal all state bans and measures that restrict law-abiding citizens from obtaining firearms.
X f) Allow law-abiding citizens to carry concealed firearms.

Please indicate which principles you support (if any) concerning Oregon's health care system.

a) Expand state funding for pre-natal and infant care programs available in the state, including immunizations.
X b) Provide tax incentives to assist small businesses in providing health care to their employees.
c) Ensure that Oregon citizens have access to basic health care, through managed care, insurance reforms, or state-funded care where necessary.
d) Guaranteeing medical care to all citizens is not a responsibility of state government.
X e) Limit the amount of damages that can be awarded in medical malpractice lawsuits.
f) Support a "managed competition" health care plan that does not include mandated health alliances, government cost control powers, or employer/employee mandates.
g) Provide state assistance to seniors and the disabled in having access to home and community-based health care.
h) Continue the Oregon Health Plan which ensures state-funded basic health care to Oregon citizens.
X i) Support legislation requiring health insurance providers to cover alternative medical care (e.g. chiropractors, herbalists).
No j) Do you believe that terminally ill individuals should have the right to end their life?

Indicate what changes you support (if any) concerning levels of funding for the following categories. Select one number only.

Eliminate a) Abortion
Eliminate b) Affirmative Action
Maintain Status c) Agriculture
Slightly Increase d) AIDS Programs
Maintain Status e) Education
Maintain Status f) Environment
Maintain Status g) Health Care
Slightly Increase h) Law Enforcement
Greatly Decrease i) Welfare

Please indicate the changes you will support (if any) concerning Oregon's tax levels.

Maintain Status a) Alcohol Taxes
Greatly Decrease b) Business Taxes
Eliminate c) Capital Gains Taxes
Slightly Decrease d) Cigarette Taxes
Greatly Decrease e) Income Taxes (incomes less than $75,000)
Slightly Decrease f) Income Taxes (incomes greater than $75,000)
Greatly Decrease g) Property Taxes
Maintain Status h) State Fees
Undecided i) Do you support a flat tax structure for state income taxes?
No j) Do you support implementing a sales tax in Oregon to fund Oregon schools?

Please indicate which principles you support (if any) regarding Oregon's welfare system.

X a) Increase state funding for child care services to welfare recipients who work or attend school.
X b) Continue to allow Medicaid-eligible welfare recipients with small children to work and receive state-funded health care until they become self-sufficient.
X c) Continue to require that able-bodied welfare recipients receive job training, attend school, or work in order to receive welfare benefits.
X d) Support the "Jobs Plus" requirement that unwed mothers under the age of 18 attend school and live with a parent or guardian (if possible) to receive welfare benefits.
X e) Limit the welfare benefits given to recipients if they have additional children.
X f) Provide two-parent families living in poverty the same welfare benefits as one-parent families.
g) Eliminate government-funded welfare and advocate privately-funded assistance to people in need.
h) Maintain Oregon's maximum two (out of every four) year limit on welfare benefits for recipients who are able to work.
X i) Require mothers to identify their child(ren)'s father in order to receive welfare benefits.
1) Reform Oregon's 'no-fault' divorce laws. Encourage a greater commitment to marriage vows by allowing individuals involved to bear more of the costs brought on by divorce. Require problem solving counseling before divorce. Help couples succeed. 2) Require cost/benefit and efficiency audits of all state programs and agencies.

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