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Deval Patrick'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.

Deval Patrick has failed to provide voters with positions on key issues covered by the 2020 Political Courage Test, despite repeated requests from Vote Smart and voters like you.

What is the Political Courage Test?

Issue Positions

For Presidential and Congressional candidates who refuse to provide voters with their positions, Vote Smart has researched their public records to determine their likely responses. These issue positions are from 2020.

  • "I am incredibly proud to sign legislation that continues Massachusetts leadership in ensuring that women seeking to access reproductive health facilities can do so safely and without harassment, and that the employees of those facilities can arrive at work each day without fear of harm," (votesmart.org)
  • Despite exhaustive research, Vote Smart was unable to find information about this candidate's position.
  • "Funding to support implementation of the first full fiscal year of the Affordable Care Act (ACA). The FY15 budget enables more low- income adults to access subsidized coverage through an expanded Medicaid program, and keeps Health Connector coverage for other low-and-moderate income families as affordable as it is today." (votesmart.org)
  • "No, I'm not. I will say that I would like to see any contributions to such a PAC fully disclosed. I think dark money -- first of all, I think there's too much money in the system. And I'm going to have something to say about that, from a policy point of view, as we get a little further along. But if there is going to be Super PAC money that supports me, it should all be -- the sources of that should be fully disclosed." (votesmart.org)
  • "The explosion of dark money into elections. The influence of paid lobbyists. We must root these out and return power to where it belongs: with the people." (devalpatrick2020.com)
  • "Our military bases offer incredible assets, help fuel our economy and are an important contributor to our country's national security," said Governor Patrick, Co-Chair of the Military Asset and Security Strategy Task Force. "This authorization will send a clear message to the Pentagon that we are serious about promoting and protecting our defense communities and our one of a kind intellectual resources." (votesmart.org)
  • "Central #MA receives millions in fed grants - We invest in infrastructure for a better MA for the next generation." (votesmart.org)
  • "Growth requires 3 things: a good school, an innovative environment & good infrastructure - a @MassGovernor interview." (votesmart.org)
  • "This Commonwealth has been a friend to business as well. You have advocated for what you need to flourish and, in the spirit of partnership, we have responded time and again. We have eliminated or simplified over 210 outdated regulations; reduced the permitting time for state approvals from two years to less than 60 days; cut business taxes three times; slowed the growth in health care premiums; reduced auto insurance premiums; realigned our workforce training programs; frozen unemployment insurance rates; expanded science, math and technology education; and much more. By any reasonable measure, Massachusetts is a more competitive place for business today than it was seven years ago. And I am proud of that." (votesmart.org)
  • Despite exhaustive research, Vote Smart was unable to find information about this candidate's position.
  • Despite exhaustive research, Vote Smart was unable to find information about this candidate's position.
  • Despite exhaustive research, Vote Smart was unable to find information about this candidate's position.
  • "Governor Deval Patrick today signed H. 4376, "An Act Relative to the Reduction of Gun Violence," long-awaited gun safety legislation that seeks to curb the gun violence that impacts families and neighborhoods across the Commonwealth. "Our communities and our families are safer when irresponsible gun sales and use are reduced," said Governor Patrick. "This Legislation moves us in that direction." (votesmart.org)
  • "Funding to support implementation of the first full fiscal year of the Affordable Care Act (ACA). The FY15 budget enables more low- income adults to access subsidized coverage through an expanded Medicaid program, and keeps Health Connector coverage for other low-and-moderate income families as affordable as it is today." (votesmart.org)
  • "The Affordable Care Act builds on our nation-leading health reform law and gives even more of our residents access to quality health care," said Governor Patrick. "Our residents deserve a functional, easy-to-use system to access the health care they need and deserve." (votesmart.org)
  • Despite exhaustive research, Vote Smart was unable to find information about this candidate's position.
  • Despite exhaustive research, Vote Smart was unable to find information about this candidate's position.
  • Despite exhaustive research, Vote Smart was unable to find information about this candidate's position.
  • Despite exhaustive research, Vote Smart was unable to find information about this candidate's position.
  • Despite exhaustive research, Vote Smart was unable to find information about this candidate's position.
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.
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.

a) Abortions should always be illegal.
X b) Abortions should always be legal.
c) Abortions should be legal only within the first trimester of pregnancy.
X 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.
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.
Enable reasonable means for parental bypass for minors in apporpriate settings.

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.

Greatly Increase a) Education (Higher)
Greatly Increase b) Education (K-12, Chapter 70)
Maintain Status c) Emergency preparedness
Slightly Increase d) Environment
Slightly Increase e) Health care
Slightly Increase f) Law enforcement
Greatly Increase g) Transportation and highway infrastructure
Maintain Status h) Welfare
i) Other or expanded categories
Maintain Status a) Alcohol taxes
Maintain Status b) Capital gains taxes
Maintain Status c) Cigarette taxes
Maintain Status d) Corporate taxes
Maintain Status e) Gasoline taxes
Maintain Status f) Income taxes
Greatly Decrease g) Property taxes
Maintain Status h) Sales taxes
Maintain Status i) Vehicle taxes
j) Other or expanded categories
No k) Should the state sales taxes be extended to Internet sales?
Yes l) Should accounts such as a “rainy day” fund be used to balance the state budget?
No m) Should fee increases be used to balance the state budget?
No n) Should Massachusetts lower the income tax from 5.3 to 5 percent only if the state meets 2002 education funding levels?
No o) Do you support allowing slot machines at Massachusetts racing tracks?
We cannot afford to roll back the income tax at this time. There are too many unmet needs to which the state is morally committed. Some of these include public education, health care and restoring local aid.

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

No a) Do you support limiting the number of terms for Massachusetts governors?
No b) Do you support limiting the number of terms for Massachusetts state senators and representatives?
Yes 1) Individual
Yes 2) PAC
Yes 3) Corporate
Yes 4) Political Parties
Yes d) Do you support requiring full and timely disclosure of campaign finance information?
e) Do you support imposing spending limits on state level political campaigns?
Yes f) Do you support adopting statewide standards for counting, verifying and ensuring accuracy of votes?
Yes g) Do you support prohibiting media exit polling of voters until all polling locations in Massachusetts are closed?
Yes h) Should Massachusetts continue to recognize marriages between same-sex couples?
i) Other or expanded principles

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) Implement the death penalty in Massachusetts.
X c) Support programs to provide prison inmates with vocational and job-related skills and job-placement assistance when released.
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.
g) Strengthen penalties and sentences for drug-related crimes.
h) Minors accused of a violent crime should be prosecuted as adults.
X i) Require that crimes based on race, ethnic background, religious belief, sex, age, disability, or sexual orientation be prosecuted as hate crimes.
X 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 restriction of the sale of products used to make methamphetamine (e.g. tablets containing pseudophedrine, ephedrine and phenylpropanolamine).
X m) Allow police to ticket motorists for not wearing their safety belts, even if they have committed no other traffic violation.
n) Other or expanded principles

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

a) Support national standards and testing of public school students.
b) Provide parents with state-funded vouchers to send their children to any public school.
c) Provide parents with state-funded vouchers to send their children to any private or religious school.
X d) Increase state funds for school capital improvements (e.g. buildings and infrastructure).
X e) Increase funds for hiring additional teachers.
f) Support teacher testing and reward with merit pay.
g) Endorse voluntary prayer in public schools.
X h) Support requiring public schools to administer high school exit exams.
X i) Provide state funding to increase teacher salaries.
X j) Increase funding for Head Start programs.
X k) Provide state funding for tax incentives and financial aid to help make college more affordable.
X l) Support sexual education programs that include information on abstinence, contraceptives, and HIV/STD prevention methods.
m) Support abstinence-only sexual education programs.
X n) Allow undocumented immigrant high school graduates to pay in-state tuition at Massachusetts public universities.
o) Other or expanded principles

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.
X e) Increase state funds to provide child care for children in low-income working families.
X f) Support the inclusion of sexual orientation in Massachusetts’ anti-discrimination laws.
X g) Increase the minimum wage automatically every year according to the rate of inflation.
h) Require businesses to offer employees up to 12 weeks paid family leave annually, funded by an account into which employees must pay.
Yes a) Public employment
Yes b) State college and university admissions
Yes c) State contracting
d) Other or expanded principles
No one factor among many in our efforts to expand opportunity.

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

X a) Promote increased use of alternative fuel technology.
b) Support increased production of traditional domestic energy sources (e.g. coal, natural gas, and oil).
X c) Use state funds to clean up former industrial and commercial sites that are contaminated, unused, or abandoned.
d) Increase funding for improvements to Massachusetts' power generating and transmission facilities.
X e) Support funding for open space preservation.
f) Enact environmental regulations even if they are stricter than federal law.
I would strongly support the Commonwealth's becoming a part of RGGI.

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

X 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.
d) Allow citizens to carry concealed guns.
X e) Require background checks on gun sales between private citizens at gun shows.
X f) Require a license for gun possession.
g) Other or expanded principles

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.
c) Limit the amount of punitive damages that can be awarded in medical malpractice lawsuits.
X 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 Massachusetts.
g) Allow doctors to prescribe marijuana to their patients for medicinal purposes.
I will lead Massachusetts back to having one of the strongest public health departments in the nation.

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

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.
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.
f) Support marriage promotion programs for welfare recipients.
g) Eliminate government-funded welfare programs.
h) Other or expanded principles
Please explain in a total of 75 words or less, your top two or three priorities if elected. If they require additional funding for implementation, please explain how you would obtain this funding.

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