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James Nussle's Issue Positions (Political Courage Test)

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Official Position: Candidate addressed this issue directly by taking the Political Courage Test.
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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.
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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?

Iowa Gubernatorial Election 2006 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) regarding abortion.

a) Abortions should always be illegal.
b) Abortions should always be legal.
X 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.
X 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.
As Govenor, I will work with the legislature to continue to protect the rights of the unborn, encourage adoptoin, help women in crisis pregnancies and ensure parents have a voice in their children's choices about abortion. In fact, I have promoted a bill which will provide parental consent for a minor.

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.

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
Eliminate b) Capital gains taxes
Maintain Status c) Cigarette taxes
Eliminate d) Corporate taxes
Maintain Status e) Gasoline taxes
Slightly Decrease f) Income taxes (incomes below $75,000)
Slightly Decrease g) Income taxes (incomes above $75,000)
Maintain Status h) Sales taxes
Maintain Status i) Vehicle taxes
k) Should the state sales taxes be extended to Internet sales?
No 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?
n) Other or expanded principles
Slighty Decrease: I have proposed reforming the current property tax system as part of my Tax Reform Plan and support HF 847. Iowa's tax system is muzzling entrepreneurial success, stifling individual investment and forcing Iowans to leave the state in hopes of better opportunities. In the most recent study by the Tax Foundation- Iowa is ranked 42nd in the country for economic growth because Iowa's tax structure amd regulatory structure are anti-competitive. It's time to reform a tax system which is forcing innovative entrepreneurs to move to other states and stifling our homegrown businesses from growing and creating jobs. Our current property taxes are so high they are hampering economic development. We must create a pro-growth economic environment if we want to make Iowa a place that attracts young entreprenuers, offers exciting job opportunities and allows our homegrown businesses to thrive.

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 Iowa governors?
No b) Do you support limiting the number of terms for Iowa state senators and representatives?
1) Individual
2) PAC
Yes 3) Corporate
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) 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 Iowa are closed?
No h) Should Iowa recognize civil unions between same-sex couples?
i) Other or expanded principles

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.
X b) Implement the death penalty in Iowa.
X c) Support programs to provide prison inmates with vocational and job-related skills and job-placement assistance when released.
X d) End parole for repeat violent offenders.
e) Implement penalties other than incarceration for certain non-violent offenders.
f) Decriminalize the possession of small amounts of marijuana.
X g) Strengthen penalties and sentences for drug-related crimes.
h) Minors accused of a violent crime should be prosecuted as adults.
i) Require that crimes based on race, ethnic background, religious belief, sex, age, disability, or sexual orientation be prosecuted as hate crimes.
j) Increase state funding for community centers and other social agencies in areas with at-risk youth.
k) Increase state funding for state and local emergency agencies to prevent or respond to terrorism.
X l) Prohibit sex offenders from living within a certain distance of schools and day-care centers.
X m) Support the restriction of the sale of products used to make methamphetamine (e.g. tablets containing pseudophedrine, ephedrine and phenylpropanolamine).
I want to improve Iowa's strong quality of life- our state should be the safest, cleanest and healthiest place so all families will choose Iowa. Iowa's people is our trademark.

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.
d) Increase state funds for school capital improvements (e.g. buildings and infrastructure).
X e) Increase funds for hiring additional teachers.
X f) Increase all teachers' salaries to raise Iowa's average pay above the national average.
g) Increase only the salaries of teachers that improve student performance.
X h) Provide access to preschool for every 4 year-old child in Iowa.
X i) Endorse voluntary prayer in public schools.
j) Require public schools to administer high school exit exams.
X k) Provide state funding to increase teacher salaries.
l) Increase funding for Head Start programs.
X m) Provide state funding for tax incentives and financial aid to help make college more affordable.
n) Support sexual education programs that include information on abstinence, contraceptives, and HIV/STD prevention methods.
o) Support abstinence-only sexual education programs.
I want our Iowa schools to set the standard for world-class education. To compete in the global economy, we must improve Iowa schools by demanding high standards and accountability. I will raise expectations by creating safer, more disciplined classrooms, directing resources to teachers and classrooms, and empowering parents to be more involved in their children's education.

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.
e) Increase state funds to provide child care for children in low-income working families.
f) Include sexual orientation in Iowa's anti-discrimination laws.
X g) Increase the state minimum wage.
h) Other or expanded principles
Yes a) Public employment
Yes b) State college and university admissions
Yes c) State contracting
d) 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) Require that 25 percent of motor fuel used in Iowa comes from renewable sources by 2020.
c) Provide tax credits to only those gas stations that sell E85, a fuel blend with 15 percent gasoline and 85 percent ethanol.
X d) Support increased production of traditional domestic energy sources (e.g. coal, natural gas, and oil).
X e) Use state funds to clean up former industrial and commercial sites that are contaminated, unused, or abandoned.
X f) Increase funding for improvements to Iowa's power generating and transmission facilities.
X g) Support funding for open space preservation.
h) Enact environmental regulations even if they are stricter than federal law.
I will work to make Iowa the Renewable Energy Capital of the World and use homegrown resources and research to deliver results. I have put forward a comprehensive energy strategy that utilizes safe, clean, environmentally friendly sources of energy to reduce out-of-control gas prices, ease reliance on foreign sources of oil, and encourage Iowa's economic growth. The plan includes a $2,000 consumer tax credit that would allow Iowans greater ability to purchase Flex Fuel Vehicles.

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

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.
e) Require background checks on gun sales between private citizens at gun shows.
f) Require a license for gun possession.
I believe that law abiding citizens should be able to own firearms for protection and sportmanship. When it comes to the Seond Amendment, I have a solid "A" rating from the National Rifle Association.

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.
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 Iowa.
g) Allow doctors to prescribe marijuana to their patients for medicinal purposes.
I want to improve access to affordable health care and wellness. Iowa is facing a crisis when basic health services, such as delivering a baby, are not being provided to patients in 40 of our counties. We must keep doctors, nurses and specialists practicing in Iowa, ensure small businesses are able to pool their risk through Association Health Plans and allow Iowans to have personal and portable coverage through tax-free Health Savings Accounts.

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

X a) Support increased work requirements for able-bodied welfare recipients.
b) Increase funding for employment and job training programs for welfare recipients.
c) Increase access to public transportation for welfare recipients who work.
d) Redirect welfare funding to faith-based and community-based private organizations.
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.
X h) Other or expanded principles
I successfully helped secure enactment of critical welfare reform which has resulted in dramatic reductions in welfare dependence. Welfare caseloads are down by 64%, the child poverty rate has dropped 13% and 1.4 million fewer children live in poverty. As a result of this important reform, the number of adults on welfare who work has more than doubled, helping to encourage economic opportunity.
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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