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Debbie Peterson'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.

Debbie Peterson refused to tell citizens where she 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.

Washington 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.

X a) Abortions should always be illegal.
b) Abortions should always be legal.
c) Abortions should be legal only within the first trimester of pregnancy.
d) Abortions should be legal when the pregnancy resulted from incest or rape.
e) Abortions should be legal when the life of the woman is endangered.
f) Abortions should be subject to a mandatory waiting period.
X g) Require clinics to give parental notification before performing abortions on minors.
h) Other or expanded principles

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.

Slightly Increase a) Education (Higher)
Slightly Increase b) Education (K-12)
Maintain Status c) Emergency preparedness
Maintain Status d) Environment
Maintain Status e) Health care
Slightly Increase f) Law enforcement
Maintain Status g) Transportation and highway infrastructure
Maintain Status h) Welfare
i) Other or expanded categories
Maintain Status a) Alcohol taxes
Maintain Status b) Cigarette taxes
Slightly Decrease c) Corporate taxes
Slightly Decrease d) Gasoline taxes
Slightly Decrease e) Property taxes
Greatly Decrease f) Sales taxes
Maintain Status g) Vehicle taxes
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?
No 3) Should fee increases be used to balance the state budget?
With more responsible spending practices in the legislature, we will be able to return to the voters original intent of $30.00 licensing fee. We can balance this $2.7B state deficit. Dino Rossi and Gov. Gary Locke already proved that. I am opposed to an income tax.
I am concerned about our state's small business failure rate. It is one of the highest in the nation. The Forbes survey was skewed, because 3 parameters (income tax being one) were measured that are not applicable to Washington State. As a consequence, the conclusions were not accurate. Pulling out those three parameters, our state ranks close to the bottom, nationally, for a strong, business friendly climate.

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?

Undecided a) Do you support limiting the number of terms for Washington governors?
Undecided b) Do you support limiting the number of terms for Washington 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?
Yes f) Should Washington participate in the federal REAL ID program?
I am in favor of closing the loophole that allows individuals from out of state to contribute large sums of money at the end of the election cycle, with disclosure not being released until after the election. I will work to close that loophole, as it has already influenced outcomes in previous elections.

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

X a) Increase state funds for construction of state prisons and hiring of additional prison staff.
b) Support the death penalty in Washington.
X c) Support programs to provide prison inmates with vocational and job-related skills and job-placement assistance when released.
d) Implement penalties other than incarceration for certain non-violent offenders.
e) Decriminalize the possession of small amounts of marijuana.
X 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.
h) Support hate crime legislation.
The minor issue needs to be addressed on a case by case review. Hate crime legislation concerns me. Every crime is done with hate and malice with intent to do harm. To isolate out one group, other than children and the elderly, who are the most vulnerable in our society, is not appropriate. I am still researching the death penalty. There are valid arguments on both sides of this issue.

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

a) Support state funding of universal pre-K programs.
X 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.
X d) Support requiring public schools to administer high school exit exams.
X e) Allow parents to use vouchers to send their children to any public school.
X 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.
i) Provide state funding for tax incentives and financial aid to help make college more affordable.
j) Support allowing illegal immigrant high school graduates of Washington to pay in-state tuition at public universities.
I am checking "F", but with reservations, as I am still researching this. Several states are using this system effectively, and it has been a win-win for students, families, and teachers. I am in favor or raising beginning teacher salaries. One reason why we are losing great, new teachers (75% within the first 5 years) is due to salary. It is costing our children and the state money because of this high attrition rate. We can do better! Merit Pay: I know the union is not in favor of this, but it is a proven system in other professions.

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

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.
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.
f) Increase the state minimum wage.
g) Support laws that prevent employers from dismissing employees at will.
X h) Support financial punishments for those who knowingly employ illegal immigrants.
X i) Support increased work requirements for able-bodied welfare recipients.
X j) Increase funding for employment and job training programs for welfare recipients.
X k) Support allowing day care workers to unionize.
E. Often the child care expense is the largest contributing factor that inhibits parents from returning to the work place. If we get parents out of welfare, the state will save money in the long run. J. This is ther other side fo the answer to letter E. It is in the state's best interests (both on a humane, financial, and practical aspect )to help educate welfare recipients. Education is empowering, and lifestyle changing. K. I am not please with the union's manipulaton of the system in the most recent events regarding Adult Home Residents/Caregiving. This needs to be addressed.

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.
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 Washington's power generating and transmission facilities.
X f) Support funding for open space preservation.
g) Limit carbon dioxide and other greenhouse gases linked to global warming.
h) Enact environmental regulations even if they are stricter than federal law.
i) Other or expanded principles

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

a) Should background checks be required on gun sales between private citizens at gun shows?
Yes b) Should citizens be allowed to carry concealed guns?
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?
f) Other or expanded principles

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

a) Ensure that citizens have access to basic health care through managed care, insurance reforms, or state-funded care where necessary.
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.
X d) Allow patients to sue their HMOs.
X 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 Washington.
g) Support allowing doctors to prescribe marijuana to their patients for medicinal purposes.
X h) Support prohibiting the use or sale of prescription data for marketing purposes.
i) Other or expanded principles

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

No a) Should Washington recognize civil unions between same-sex couples?
No b) Should same-sex couples be allowed to marry?
No c) Should Washington 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?
No 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?
No 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?
No j) Should Washington continue affirmative action programs?
No k) Do you support state funding of stem cell research?
No l) Do you support state funding of embryonic stem cell research?
Yes m) Do you support allowing pharmacists who conscientiously object to emergency contraception to refuse to dispense it?
n) Other or expanded principles
Budget: Balance the budget without raising taxes by using the Gary Locke/Dino Rossi method. As evidenced several years ago, this can be done, while still protecting the vulnerable. Education: We have had 30% dropout rate for far too many years in Washington. Train our existing H.S. counselors in dropout retention skills to retain those at risk students. Transportation: Currently, congestion is not on the WADOT list of priorities, and it shows. As a former secretary of transportation said, "Congeston is a result of poor planning." This state is losing money because of traffic congestion. We need better planning.

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