Card image cap

Dick Dearden'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.

Dick Dearden 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.

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.

Iowa State Legislative Election 1998 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) concerning abortion.

X a) Abortions should always be legally available.
b) Abortions should be legal only within the first trimester of pregnancy.
c) Abortions should be legal only when 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 waiting periods and parental notification requirements.
g) Prohibit the late-term abortion procedure known as "partial-birth" abortion.
h) Support "buffer zones" by requiring demonstrators to stay at least 15 feet away from abortion clinic doorways and driveways.
i) Other
Yes j) Should Iowa government funding be provided to clinics and medical facilities that provide abortion services?

Indicate the principles you support (if any) concerning affirmative action. State government agencies should take race and sex into account in the following sectors:

Yes a) College and university admissions
Yes b) Public employment
Yes c) State contracting
d) Other

Indicate which principles you support (if any) to address crime.

a) Increase state funds for construction of state prisons and for hiring of additional prison staff.
b) Support contracting with private sector firms to build and/or manage state prisons.
c) End parole for repeat violent felons.
d) Reinstate the death penalty in Iowa.
X e) Oppose the death penalty.
X f) Implement penalties other than incarceration for certain non-violent offenders.
X g) Inform communities when a convicted sex offender moves into the community.
X h) Increase state funds for programs which rehabilitate and educate inmates during and after their prison sentences.
i) Decriminalize the use of marijuana for medicinal purposes.
j) Strengthen penalties and sentences for drug-related crimes.
X k) Strengthen penalties and sentences for sex offenders.
l) Authorize mandatory temporary hormonal treatment of sex offenders.
m) Lower the limit defining drunk driving to .08 blood alcohol content.
n) Prosecute juveniles who commit murder or other serious violent crimes as adults.
o) Other

Indicate which principles you support (if any) concerning the economy and employment.

X a) Provide low interest loans and tax credits for starting, expanding, or relocating businesses.
b) Reduce state government regulations on the private sector in order to encourage investment and economic expansion.
c) Support limits on cash damages in lawsuits against businesses and professionals for product liability or malpractice.
X d) Increase funding for state job-training programs that retrain displaced workers or teach skills needed in today's job market.
X e) Support state funding to expand pension benefits to small business workers who do not have pension plans through their employer.
X f) Increase the Iowa minimum wage.
g) Support a 5-year moratorium on new gambling casinos or expansion of existing casinos.
X h) Support efforts to increase in-state value-added processing of Iowa agricultural products to increase their value.
i) Other
j) Do you support mandatory drug and alcohol testing on private-sector employees by employers?

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

X a) Increase state funds for professional development of public school teachers and administrators.
X b) Encourage private or corporate investment in public school programs.
c) Provide parents with state-funded vouchers to send their children to any participating school (public, private, religious).
d) Favor charter schools where independent groups receive state authorization and funding to establish new schools.
e) Support sex education programs which stress abstinence.
X f) Support sex education programs which stress safe sexual practices.
X g) Increase state funds for school construction and facility maintenance.
X h) Increase state funds for hiring of additional teachers.
i) Endorse teacher-led voluntary prayer in public schools.
j) Support internships for first-year teachers and pay experienced teachers to mentor them.
X k) Use state funds to help schools reduce class sizes in kindergarten through third grade.
l) Provide financial incentives for those teachers who attain the highest level of national certification.
X m) Fund programs that help local communities provide early education and day care services.
n) Support merit pay to reward the highest performing teachers.
o) Further increase beginning teacher salaries.
X p) Public school education should be funded by increases in state taxes rather than local property taxes.
q) Increase the Iowa Tuition Grant to provide a higher level of assistance for college students.
r) Other

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

X a) Require the use of cleaner burning fuels in order to prevent pollution.
b) Support "self-audit" legislation which creates incentives for industries to audit themselves and clean up pollution.
c) Require a cost/benefit analysis to determine the economic impact of proposed environmental regulations before they are implemented.
d) Require the state to fully compensate citizens when environmental regulations limit uses on privately owned land.
X e) Provide funding for recycling programs in Iowa.
f) Request added flexibility from the federal government in enforcing and funding federal environmental regulations.
g) Suspend participation in unfunded, federally mandated environmental protection legislation.
h) Restructure the electric utility industry to allow consumers to choose their power company.
X i) Allow the Department of Natural Resources to deny new permits and revoke existing permits of large livestock operations that repeatedly break environmental laws.
X j) Support greater local regulation and control over large livestock operations.
k) Other
No l) State environmental regulations should not be stricter than federal law.

Indicate which principles you support (if any) regarding government reform.a) Do you support amending the Iowa Constitution to limit the number of terms of the following officials?b) Do you support limiting the following types of contributions to state legislative candidates?

No 1) State Senators and Representatives
No 2) Governor
No 1) Individual
Yes 2) PAC
Yes c) Do you support current limits on corporate contributions to state legislative candidates?
Yes d) Do you support requiring full and timely disclosure of campaign finance information?
Yes e) Do you support imposing spending limits on state level political campaigns?
Yes f) Do you support partial funding from state taxes for state level political campaigns?
No g) Would you vote to ratify an amendment to the U.S. Constitution requiring an annual balanced federal budget?
h) Other

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

a) Ban the sale or transfer of all forms of semi-automatic weapons.
b) Increase state restrictions on the purchase and possession of firearms.
c) Maintain state restrictions on the purchase and possession of firearms.
d) Ease state restrictions on the purchase and possession of firearms.
e) Repeal state restrictions on the purchase and possession of firearms by law-abiding citizens.
X f) Favor allowing citizens to carry concealed firearms.
g) Require manufacturers to provide child-safety locks with firearms.
h) Other

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

a) Provide tax incentives to small businesses that provide health care to their employees.
X b) Ensure that citizens have access to basic health care, through managed care, insurance reforms, or state funded care where necessary.
X c) Support the Healthy and Well Kids in Iowa (HAWK-I) program, which provides health care for uninsured children.
d) Transfer more existing Medicaid recipients into managed care programs.
X e) Use state funds to continue some Medicaid coverage for legal immigrants.
f) Limit the amount of damages that can be awarded in medical malpractice lawsuits.
g) Guaranteeing medical care to all citizens is not a responsibility of state government.
h) Other

Indicate which principles you support (if any) regarding social issues.

X 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) Increase state funds to provide child care to children in low-income working families.
X d) Deny or suspend state-issued permits and licenses to parents who are delinquent in paying court-ordered child support.
X e) Favor banning smoking in public places.
X f) Increase state funding for Head Start in order to serve additional children and/or increase services from a half to a full day.
X g) Increase state funding for community centers and other social agencies in areas with at-risk youth.
X h) Support state funding of programs for at-risk youth such as guaranteed college loans and job training and placement.
i) Other
Yes j) Do you believe that the Iowa government should include sexual orientation in Iowa's anti-discrimination laws?
Undecided k) Do you believe that the Iowa government should recognize same-sex marriages?

Indicate the funding levels you will support for the following general categories. Select one level only.

Slightly Decrease a) Agriculture
Greatly Increase b) Education (K-12)
Slightly Decrease c) Education (Higher)
Greatly Increase d) Environment
Greatly Increase e) Health care
Slightly Increase f) Law enforcement
Greatly Increase g) Transportation infrastructure (highways, roads, bridges)
Maintain Status h) Welfare
i) Other
Undecided j) Would you support an amendment to the Iowa Constitution limiting state spending to 99 percent of revenues?

Indicate the tax levels you will support. Select one level only.

Slightly Increase a) Alcohol taxes
Slightly Increase b) Capital gains taxes
Greatly Increase c) Cigarette taxes
Slightly Increase d) Corporate taxes
Maintain Status e) Gas taxes
Slightly Decrease f) Income taxes (incomes below $75,000)
Slightly Increase g) Income taxes (incomes above $75,000)
Maintain Status h) Property taxes
Greatly Decrease i) Sales taxes
j) Other
Undecided k) Do you support a flat tax structure for state income taxes?
Undecided l) Would you support an amendment to the Iowa constitution requiring 60 percent approval of both legislative chambers in order to raise taxes?

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

a) Maintain the requirement that welfare recipients comply with a self-sufficiency contract in order to receive benefits.
X b) Increase employment and job training programs for welfare recipients.
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) Allow welfare recipients to remain eligible for benefits while saving money for education, starting a business, or buying a home.
g) Limit benefits given to recipients if they have additional children while on welfare.
h) Eliminate government-funded welfare programs.
i) Other
Please explain what your two main legislative priorities will be if elected. Please explain how you would obtain any additional government funding needed to implement these priorities.

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

arrow_upward