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Scott Morgan'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.
What is the Political Courage Test?

Kansas State Legislative Election 2008 Political Courage 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) 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) Abortions should be subject to a mandatory waiting period.
g) Require clinics to give parental notification before performing abortions on minors.
h) Allow relatives of a woman who is planning or has had a late-term abortion to file suit against the provider if they believe the abortion violates the law.
i) Require abortion providers to offer the woman an opportunity to view an ultrasound before the abortion is performed.
j) Allow Kansas prosecutors to investigate a suspected violation of late-term abortion laws in the county where the abortion was performed or in the county in which the woman resides.
I believe that abortions are always a tragedy. Yet I believe that this is a decision best left to the individuals involved. The government should have only a very limited role in such a painfully personal decision.

State Budget: Indicate what state funding levels (#1-6) you support for the following general categories. Select one level per category, you can use a number more than once.State Taxes: Indicate what state tax levels (#1-6) you support for the following general categories. Select one level per category, you can use a number more than once.

Greatly Increase a) Education (Higher)
Slightly Increase b) Education (K-12)
Maintain Status c) Emergency preparedness
Slightly Increase d) Environment
Maintain Status e) Health care
Maintain Status f) Law enforcement
Maintain Status g) Transportation and highway infrastructure
Slightly Decrease h) Welfare
i) Other or expanded categories
Slightly Increase a) Alcohol taxes
Slightly Increase b) Cigarette taxes
Slightly Decrease c) Corporate taxes
Maintain Status d) Gasoline taxes
Slightly Decrease e) Income taxes (incomes below $75,000)
Maintain Status f) Income taxes (incomes above $75,000)
Slightly Decrease g) Property taxes
Slightly Decrease h) Sales taxes
Maintain Status i) Vehicle taxes
j) Other or expanded categories
No 1) Should state sales taxes be extended to Internet sales?
No 2) Should accounts such as a "rainy day" fund be used to balance the state budget?
Yes 3) Should fee increases be used to balance the state budget?
My concern with the collection of sales tax on internet sales has to do with the complexity of businesses trying to collect for 50 different states and thousands of different local taxing authorities. Larger companies such as Amazon and Walmart can afford the required technology and are currently collecting sales taxes. If we want small businesses to collect this tax, the states need to get together and work out a common method and a simple way to comply. I know such efforts are underway.

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

No a) Do you support the current limit of terms for Kansas governors?
No b) Do you support limiting the number of terms for Kansas 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?
No e) Do you support imposing spending limits on state-level political campaigns?
No f) Should Kansas participate in the federal REAL ID program?
No g) Should voters be required to show photo identification before voting beginning in 2010?
h) 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) Support the death penalty in Kansas.
X c) Support programs to provide prison inmates with vocational and job-related skills and job-placement assistance when released.
X d) Implement penalties other than incarceration for certain non-violent offenders.
X e) Decriminalize the possession of small amounts of marijuana.
f) Minors accused of a violent crime should be prosecuted as adults.
X g) Support state and local law enforcement officials enforcing federal immigration laws.
X h) Support hate crime legislation.
I support the ability of prosecutors to ask that older minors to be tried as adults for violent crime when warranted by the circumstances. However, I cannot support the broad, open-ended statement made in item f above.

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

X a) Support state funding of universal pre-K programs.
b) Support federal education standards and testing requirements for K-12 students (No Child Left Behind).
X c) Support state education standards and testing requirements for K-12 students.
d) Support requiring public schools to administer high school exit exams.
e) Allow parents to use vouchers to send their children to any public school.
f) Allow parents to use vouchers to send their children to any private or religious school.
X g) Provide state funding to increase teacher salaries.
X h) Support using a merit pay system for teachers.
X i) Provide state funding for tax incentives and financial aid to help make college more affordable.
X j) Support allowing illegal immigrant high school graduates of Kansas to pay in-state tuition at public universities.
k) Other or expanded principles

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

X a) Increase funding for state job-training programs that re-train displaced workers and teach skills needed in today's job market.
X b) Reduce state government regulations on the private sector.
X c) Provide low interest loans and tax credits for starting, expanding, or relocating businesses.
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) Include sexual orientation in Kansas' anti-discrimination laws.
X g) Include gender identity in Kansas' anti-discrimination laws.
h) Increase the state minimum wage.
i) Support laws that prevent employers from dismissing employees at will.
X j) Support financial punishments for those who knowingly employ illegal immigrants.
X k) Support increased work requirements for able-bodied welfare recipients.
X l) Increase funding for employment and job training programs for welfare recipients.
m) Other or expanded principles

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

X a) Promote increased use of alternative fuel technology.
X b) Support increased production of traditional domestic energy sources (e.g. coal, natural gas, oil, etc).
c) Support providing financial incentives to farms that produce biofuel crops.
X d) Use state funds to clean up former industrial and commercial sites that are contaminated, unused, or abandoned.
X e) Support funding for improvements to Kansas' power generating and transmission facilities.
X f) Support funding for open space preservation.
X g) Limit carbon dioxide and other greenhouse gases linked to global warming.
X h) Enact environmental regulations even if they are stricter than federal law.
X i) Support the construction of two new coal-fired power plants in South West Kansas built and operated by Sunflower Electric Power Corp.
My support of any new coal plants is contingent on the adoption of a comprehensive energy policy. This policy must include goals, timelines and specifics on how to increase the development and use of alternative renewable energy sources such as wind, biofuel, nuclear and solar. A revenue-neutral carbon tax should be considered. The governor and many in the legislature wanted a compromise but were unable to reach it. We must recognize that we will be reliant on fossil fuels for a number of years but we must also have a firm plan in place to greatly reduce their use.

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

Yes a) Should background checks be required on gun sales between private citizens at gun shows?
No b) Should citizens be allowed to carry concealed guns?
No c) Should a license be required for gun possession?
Yes d) Do you support current levels of enforcement of existing state restrictions on the purchase and possession of guns?
Yes e) Do you support current state restrictions on the purchase and possession of guns?
I believe that there is a right to bear arms. Although I am not a gun owner, I know a number of responsible and safe owners and know the work that they do for conservation and safety. I also believe we have a responsibility to protect the public from the misuse of guns.

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.
X b) Guaranteed medical care to all citizens is not a responsibility of state government.
X c) Limit the amount of damages that can be awarded in medical malpractice lawsuits.
d) Allow patients to sue their HMOs.
e) Require hospitals and labs to release reports on infections that are a risk to public health, while not compromising patient confidentiality.
f) Legalize physician assisted suicide in Kansas.
X g) Support allowing doctors to prescribe marijuana to their patients for medicinal purposes.
h) Other or expanded principles

['Indicate which principles you support (if any) regarding social issues.', 'Legislative Priorities']

Yes a) Should Kansas recognize civil unions between same-sex couples?
b) Should same-sex couples be allowed to marry?
Yes c) Should Kansas provide state-level spousal rights to same-sex couples?
Yes d) Do you support a moment of silence in public schools?
Yes e) Do you support voluntary prayer in public schools?
Yes f) Do you support sexual education programs that include information on abstinence, contraceptives, and HIV/STD prevention methods?
No g) Do you support abstinence-only sexual education programs?
h) Should the state government consider race and gender in state government contracting and hiring decisions?
No i) Do you support affirmative action in public college admissions?
j) Should Kansas continue affirmative action programs?
Yes k) Do you support state funding of stem cell research?
Yes l) Do you support state funding of embryonic stem cell research?
No m) Do you support allowing pharmacists who conscientiously object to emergency contraception to refuse to dispense it?
My assumption with regard to "e" above is that it is referring to what is already allowed in schools for student groups.
My top priority is renewing Kansas' commitment to education, whether pre-K, K-12, vocational or higher education. The cost of college is becoming a huge burden on our most promising young people and their families. States such as Kansas must realize the moral and economic importance of preparing our children for a changing world. I also want to be part of an effort to develop a comprehensive energy policy for out state that fundamentally changes how we will be generating and using energy in the future. Most of all, I want Lawrence to be heard again in the state senate.

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