Card image cap

Harris McDowell III'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.

Harris McDowell III has refused to provide voters with positions on key issues covered by the 2016 Political Courage Test, despite repeated requests from Vote Smart and voters like you.

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.

Delaware 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.

X 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.
d) Abortions should be legal only when the life of the woman is endangered.
e) Abortions should always be illegal.
f) Abortions should be limited by mandatory waiting periods.
Yes g) Should girls under 18 be required to inform a parent or legal guardian before having an abortion?
h) Should Delaware government funding be provided to clinics and medical facilities that provide abortion services?

Please indicate which principles you support (if any) regarding affirmative action and civil rights in Delaware.

X a) The Delaware government should prosecute cases of discrimination in the public and private sectors.
b) Do you support the proposed bill (HB 114) to end most affirmative action in Delaware?
No c) Do you believe that the Delaware government should recognize same-sex marriages?
d) Do you believe that sexual orientation should be added to Delaware's anti-discrimination laws?

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

X a) Increase state funding for programs to prevent teen pregnancy.
X b) Provide tax credits for businesses that provide child care for their employees.
c) Deny or suspend state-issued permits and licenses to parents who are delinquent in paying court-ordered child support.
X d) Require non-custodial parents to help cover college costs for their children up to age 23.

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

X a) Increase state funds for construction of state prisons and for hiring of additional prison staff.
X 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.
X h) Inform communities when a convicted sex offender moves into the community.
X 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.
k) Strengthen penalties and sentences associated with drug-related crimes.
l) Implement chain gangs in which prison inmates work together in chained work groups.
m) Require prison inmates to pay a portion of their health care costs.
n) Support contracting with private sector firms to manage state prisons.

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

X 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.
X c) Increase state funding for local community centers and other social agencies in areas with at-risk youth.
X d) Support state government funding of programs for at-risk youth such as guaranteed college loans and job training and placement.
e) Allow courts to hold parents accountable for a minor child who violates the law.

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

X a) Increase state funds for improving the state's transportation system, including major roadways, railways, and airports.
X b) Provide low interest loans and tax credits for expanding, start-up, or relocating businesses.
c) Expand legalized gambling (e.g. video gambling).
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.
X g) Increase state funding for programs to re-train unemployed workers.

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

X a) Increase state funds for professional development and salaries of public school faculty.
b) Endorse teacher-led voluntary school prayer in public schools.
X 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) Support continuation of 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.
X h) Support sex education programs which stress abstinence.
X i) Support sex education programs which stress safe sexual practices.
X j) Support "school choice" which allows parents to choose which public school their child(ren) should attend.
X k) Allow local school boards to require public school students to wear uniforms.

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

X a) Enact tougher environmental standards to encourage the sale of cleaner burning fuels throughout Delaware.
X b) Support "self-audit" legislation which creates incentives for polluting industries to audit themselves and clean up pollution.
c) Require a cost/benefit analysis be completed on the economic impact of proposed environmental regulations before they are implemented.
d) Require the state to reimburse citizens when state-sponsored environmental regulations limit the use of privately owned land.
X e) Provide funding for recycling programs in Delaware.
X f) Request flexibility from the federal government in enforcing and funding federal environmental regulations.
g) Suspend Delaware's participation in unfunded, federally mandated environmental protection legislation.
h) Maintain minimum environmental quality as mandated by current federal regulations.

a) Would you support amending the Delaware Constitution to limit the terms of the following state officials?

1) State Senators
2) State Representatives
b) Do you support the current law which limits Delaware's Governor to a total of two, four-year terms?
c) Do you support amending the U.S. Constitution to require an annual balanced federal budget?
Yes d) Do you support requiring limits on individual contributions to state legislative candidates?
Yes e) Do you support requiring limits on PAC contributions to state legislative candidates?
Yes f) Do you support requiring limits on corporate contributions to state legislative candidates?
Yes g) Do you support requiring full and timely disclosure of campaign finance information?
Yes h) Do you support imposing spending limits on state level political campaigns?
i) Do you support partial funding from state taxes for state level political campaigns?

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

X 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.
e) Repeal all state bans and measures that restrict law-abiding citizens from obtaining firearms.
f) Allow law-abiding citizens to carry concealed firearms.

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

X 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.
X c) Ensure that Delaware 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.
e) Limit the amount of damages that can be awarded in medical malpractice lawsuits.
Undecided f) Should Delaware continue to provide Medicaid services through managed care programs?

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

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

Please indicate the changes you support (if any) concerning Delaware's tax levels. Select one option only.

Slightly Increase a) Alcohol Taxes
Slightly Decrease b) Business Taxes
Maintain Status c) Capital Gains Taxes
Slightly Decrease d) Income Taxes (incomes less than $75,000)
Maintain Status e) Income Taxes (incomes greater than $75,000)
Maintain Status f) Property Taxes
Slightly Decrease g) State Fees
No h) Do you support a flat tax structure for state income taxes?

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

X a) Provide child care services to welfare recipients who work or attend school.
X b) Allow welfare recipients to work and still receive state-funded health care and child care (if needed) until they become self-sufficient.
X c) Require that able-bodied welfare recipients receive job training, attend school, or work in order to receive welfare benefits.
X d) Require that unwed mothers under the age of 18 attend school and live with a parent or guardian (if possible) to receive welfare benefits.
e) Limit the welfare benefits given to recipients if they have additional children.
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.
X h) Support the current two-year limit on welfare benefits for recipients who are able to work.
i) Continue requiring welfare recipients to sign personal responsibility contracts.
Even as we work to reduce crime through aggressive enforcement, we must prevent our youth from starting a life of crime. Education and jobs are so intertwined with crime prevention that we must motivate more children to succeed in school. Then we must ensure that career positions await them.

Vote Smart does not permit the use of its name or programs in any campaign activity, including advertising, debates, and speeches.

arrow_upward