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Tom Sawyer'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.

Tom Sawyer did not provide voters with positions on key issues covered by the 2022 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.

Kansas Gubernatorial 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.

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) Allow late-term abortions in cases of severe or life-threatening fetal abnormalities.
h) Allow late-term abortions in cases where the life of the mother is endangered.
i) Prohibit the late-term abortion procedure known as "partial-birth" abortion.
j) Support "buffer zones" by requiring demonstrators to stay at least 15 feet away from abortion clinic doorways and driveways.
X k) Other
l) Should Kansas government funding be provided to clinics and medical facilities that provide abortion services?
Families should make these tough decisions, not the government.

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

a) College and university admissions
b) Public employment
c) State contracting
I believe that everybody should be treated fairly.

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) Support the use of the death penalty.
e) Oppose the death penalty.
f) Implement penalties other than incarceration for certain non-violent offenders.
g) Inform communities when a convicted sex offender moves into the community.
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.
k) Strengthen penalties and sentences for sex offenders.
l) Support the blood-alcohol-content limit defining drunk driving.
m) Prosecute juveniles who commit murder or other serious violent crimes as adults.
n) Support construction of a maximum-security prison for juveniles.
o) Suspend the driving privileges of students who bring weapons or illegal drugs to school.
X p) Other
Increase pay for state troopers and correctional officers; hire more community correctional officers; speed reform of juvenile justice system

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

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.
d) Increase funding for state job-training programs that retrain displaced workers or teach skills needed in today's job market.
e) Expand legalized gambling in Kansas to allow slot machines at racetracks.
X f) Other
Start scholarship program - use lottery proceeds to award B-average Kansas students with full tuition scholarships to Kansas institutes of higher learning.

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

a) Increase state funds for professional development of public school teachers and administrators.
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.
f) Support sex education programs which stress safe sexual practices.
g) Increase state funds for school construction and facility maintenance.
h) Increase state funds for hiring of additional teachers.
i) Endorse teacher-led voluntary prayer in public schools.
X j) Other
Undecided k) Do you support replacing the Board of Regents with a Council on Higher Education, which would govern universities in the state system and also coordinate the activities of vocational-technical schools and community colleges?
Reduce class sizes in grades K-3; adult mentoring programs.

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

a) Require the use of cleaner burning fuels in order to prevent pollution.
X 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 Kansas.
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.
i) Support a study of possible effects of proposed electricity deregulation on state and local taxes.
j) Place a high priority on farmers' and ranchers' property rights when considering environmental protection legislation.
X k) Support a moratorium on construction of new large-scale hog farms.
X l) Other
m) State environmental regulations should not be stricter than federal law.
Give voters and local communities more power to reject or regulate corporate hogs.

Indicate the level of government that should have primary responsibility for the following services. Select one level only.

Federal a) Civil rights enforcement
Local b) Education
Federal c) Environmental cleanup
State d) Job training
Local e) Law enforcement
Federal f) Low-income housing
Federal g) Medicaid
Federal h) Medicare
State i) Transportation infrastructure (highways, roads, bridges)
State j) Welfare
k) Other

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

Yes 1) State Senators and Representatives
Yes 2) Governor
Yes 1) Individual
Yes 2) PAC
Yes 3) Corporate
Yes c) Do you support requiring full and timely disclosure of campaign finance information?
Yes d) Do you support imposing spending limits on state level political campaigns?
Undecided e) Do you support partial funding from state taxes for state level political campaigns?
f) Would you support an amendment to the U.S. Constitution requiring an annual balanced federal budget?
No g) Do you support requiring union officials to obtain annual written permission from their members before using dues to finance political activities?
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.
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.
b) Ensure that citizens have access to basic health care, through managed care, insurance reforms, or state funded care where necessary.
c) Provide health care to uninsured children by contracting with private companies or non-profit organizations.
d) Transfer more existing Medicaid recipients into managed care programs.
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) Provide state-funded incentives that increase the supply and retention of health professionals in rural areas.
X i) Other
A patient's biil if rights so that doctors and patients make health care decisions, not insurance companies.

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

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.
X c) Increase state funds to provide child care to children in low-income working families.
d) Deny or suspend state-issued permits and licenses to parents who are delinquent in paying court-ordered child support.
e) Favor banning smoking in public places.
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.
X i) Other
j) Do you believe that the Kansas government should include sexual orientation in Kansas' anti-discrimination laws?
k) Do you believe that the Kansas government should recognize same-sex marriages?
Anti-discrimination laws so that everybody is treated fairly.

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

a) Agriculture
b) Education (K-12)
c) Education (Higher)
d) Environment
e) Health care
f) Law enforcement
g) Transportation infrastructure (highways, roads, bridges)
h) Welfare
The state should pay its debts now while we have a large budget surplus.

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

a) Alcohol taxes
b) Capital gains taxes
c) Cigarette taxes
d) Corporate taxes
e) Gas taxes
f) Income taxes (incomes below $75,000)
g) Income taxes (incomes above $75,000)
h) Property taxes
Greatly Decrease i) Property taxes on vehicles
j) Sales taxes
l) Do you support a flat tax structure for state income taxes?
Eliminate the sales tax on food and simplify the income tax system.

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

X a) Maintain the current time limit on welfare benefits.
X b) Maintain the requirement that able-bodied recipients participate in work activities in order to receive benefits.
X c) Increase employment and job training programs for welfare recipients.
X d) Provide tax incentives to businesses that hire welfare recipients.
X e) Provide child care for welfare recipients who work.
X f) Increase access to public transportation for welfare recipients who work.
g) Allow welfare recipients to remain eligible for benefits while saving money for education, starting a business, or buying a home.
h) Limit benefits given to recipients if they have additional children while on welfare.
i) Eliminate government-funded welfare programs.
j) Other
My top priorities would be improving education and providing fair tax cuts. My STARS scholarship program would use lottery dollars to award Kansas high school students who earn a B-average or better with full tuition scholarships to any Kansas college or vocational school. I would also reduce class sizes so that every child leaves the third grade able to read write and do basic math. Finally, I would eliminate the sales tax on food.

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