Russ Wise's Issue Positions (Political Courage Test)
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Russ Wise is currently being tested through the 2023 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.
Louisiana State Legislative Election 2011 Political Courage Test
| Pro-choice | a) Do you support pro-choice or pro-life legislation? | ||
| Yes | b) Should abortion be legal after the first trimester of pregnancy? | ||
| Yes | c) Should abortion be legal when the pregnancy resulted from incest or rape? | ||
| Yes | d) Should abortion be legal when the life of the woman is endangered? | ||
| e) Should parental notification be required before an abortion is performed on a minor? | |||
| f) Should parental consent be required before an abortion is performed on a minor? | |||
| Yes | g) Do you support sexual education programs that include information on abstinence, contraceptives, and HIV/STD prevention methods? | ||
| No | h) Do you support abstinence-only sexual education programs? | ||
| I believe generally in personal responsibility. Sections e) and f) are unanswerable because they require a nuanced response. | |||
1) State SpendingIndicate what state funding levels (#1-6) you support for the following general categories. Select one level per category; you may use a number more than once.2) State TaxesIndicate 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.3) Budget StabilizationIndicate which proposals you support (if any) for balancing Louisiana's budget.
| Greatly Increase | a) Education (higher) | ||
| Greatly Increase | b) Education (K-12) | ||
| Maintain Status | c) Environment | ||
| Slightly Decrease | d) Health care | ||
| Maintain Status | e) Law enforcement | ||
| Slightly Increase | f) Transportation and highway infrastructure | ||
| Slightly Decrease | g) Welfare | ||
| Greatly Increase | a) Alcohol taxes | ||
| Greatly Increase | b) Cigarette taxes | ||
| Slightly Decrease | c) Corporate taxes | ||
| Greatly Increase | d) Gasoline taxes | ||
| Slightly Increase | e) Property taxes | ||
| Maintain Status | f) Sales taxes | ||
| Maintain Status | g) Income taxes (low-income families) | ||
| Slightly Increase | h) Income taxes (middle-income families) | ||
| Slightly Increase | i) Income taxes (high-income families) | ||
| Yes | a) Tapping into Louisiana's "rainy day" fund | ||
| Yes | b) Issuing the early release of certain non-violent offenders | ||
| Yes | c) Increasing tuition rates at public universities | ||
| d) Instituting mandatory furloughs and layoffs for state employees | |||
| Yes | e) Reducing benefits for Medicaid recipients | ||
| f) Privatizing certain government services | |||
| g) Reducing public pension benefits | |||
| Properly funding education at all levels, while simultaniously raising standards, greatly effects negative social conditions such as crime, poverty, drug use, and health care issues. | |||
| Louisiana's entire tax structure including the methodologies used to raise or lower taxes, must be impartially examined and reformed. | |||
| The unanswered selections need more nuanced answers than a simple "yes" or "no" | |||
c) Do you support limits on the following types of contributions to candidates for state government?
| Yes | a) Do you support limits on the number of terms for Louisiana governors? | ||
| No | b) Do you support limits on the number of terms for Louisiana state legislators? | ||
| Yes | 1) Individual | ||
| Yes | 2) Political Action Committee | ||
| Yes | 3) Corporate | ||
| Yes | 4) Political Party | ||
| d) Should candidates for state office be encouraged to meet voluntary spending limits? | |||
| e) Do you support requiring full and timely disclosure of campaign finance information? | |||
| The unanswered sections require more nuanced answers than "yes" or "no". | |||
| Yes | a) Do you support capital punishment for certain crimes? | ||
| Yes | b) Do you support alternatives to incarceration for certain non-violent offenders, such as mandatory counseling or substance abuse treatment? | ||
| Yes | c) Do you support decriminalizing the possession of small amounts of marijuana? | ||
| d) Should a minor accused of a violent crime be prosecuted as an adult? | |||
| e) Should a minor who sends sexually-explicit or nude photos by cell phone face criminal charges? | |||
| Yes | f) Do you support the enforcement of federal immigration laws by state and local police? | ||
| The unanswered question require more nuanced answers. | |||
| a) Do you support reducing government regulations on the private sector? | |||
| No | b) Do you support state funding for job-training programs that re-train displaced workers? | ||
| c) Do you support expanding access to unemployment benefits? | |||
| No | d) Do you support providing tax incentives to businesses for the purpose of job creation? | ||
| Yes | e) Do you support spending on infrastructure projects for the purpose of job creation? | ||
| No | f) Do you support providing direct financial assistance to homeowners facing foreclosure? | ||
| Yes | g) Do you support comprehensive public pension reform that incorporates a defined contribution plan, similar to a 401(k)? | ||
| Unanswered questions + more nuanced answers | |||
| a) Do you support the national Common Core State Standards initiative? | |||
| Yes | b) Do you support requiring public schools to administer high school exit exams? | ||
| c) Do you support using a merit pay system for teachers? | |||
| d) Do you support state funding for charter schools? | |||
| Yes | e) Do you support the state government providing college students with financial aid? | ||
| No | f) Should illegal immigrants who graduate from Louisiana high schools be eligible for in-state tuition at public universities? | ||
| Unanswered questions, etc., etc., etc. | |||
| No | a) Do you support state regulation of greenhouse gas emissions? | ||
| Yes | b) Do you believe that human activity is contributing to climate change? | ||
| c) Do you support state funding for the development of alternative energy? | |||
| d) Do you support state funding for the development of traditional domestic energy sources (e.g. coal, natural gas, oil)? | |||
| e) Do you support providing financial incentives to farms that produce biofuel crops? | |||
| f) Do you support state funding for improvements to Louisiana's energy infrastructure? | |||
| Yes | g) Do you support state funding for open space preservation? | ||
| Nuanced answers needed | |||
| Yes | a) Do you support restrictions on the purchase and possession of guns? | ||
| Yes | b) Do you support requiring background checks on all firearms sales at gun shows, including sales by unlicensed dealers? | ||
| No | c) Do you support allowing individuals to carry concealed guns? | ||
| Yes | d) Do you support requiring a license for gun possession? | ||
| e) Other or expanded principles | |||
| a) Do you support a universally-accessible, publicly-administered health insurance option? | |||
| No | b) Do you support expanding access to health care through commercial health insurance reform? | ||
| c) Do you support interstate health insurance compacts? | |||
| No | d) Do you support requiring individuals to purchase health care insurance? | ||
| Yes | e) Do you support monetary limits on damages that can be collected in malpractice lawsuits? | ||
| Yes | f) Do you support legalizing physician-assisted suicide in Louisiana? | ||
| Yes | g) Do you support allowing doctors to prescribe marijuana to their patients for medicinal purposes? | ||
| h) Other or expanded principles | |||
| No | a) Do you support same-sex marriage? | ||
| Yes | b) Should Louisiana allow same-sex couples to form civil unions/domestic partnerships? | ||
| Yes | c) Do you support state funding for stem cell research? | ||
| Yes | d) Do you support state funding for embryonic stem cell research? | ||
| e) Do you support affirmative action? | |||
| f) Do you support the inclusion of sexual orientation in Louisiana's anti-discrimination laws? | |||
| g) Do you support the inclusion of gender identity in Louisiana's anti-discrimination laws? | |||
| Some require nuanced answers. | |||
| Restore and increase funding for education at all levels; Alter and raise accountability standards in education; invest in regional infrastructure improvements; Reduce or eliminate tax loopholes; reduce incarceration costs through alternative methods for nonviolent offenders; reform indigent health care to cut costs and improve efficiency. |
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