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Abortion Issues
(Back to top) Related: Key Votes Ratings
| 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. | | | 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. | | | g) Require clinics to give parental notification before performing abortions on minors. | | | h) Other or expanded principles | | I support the Roe v. Wade U.S. Supreme Court decision |
Budget and Tax Issues
(Back to top) Related: Key Votes Ratings
| 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. | | Greatly Increase | a) Education (Higher) | | Greatly Increase | b) Education (K-12) | | Slightly Increase | c) Emergency preparedness | | Greatly Increase | d) Environment | | Greatly Increase | e) Health care | | Slightly Increase | f) Law enforcement | | Slightly Increase | g) Transportation and highway infrastructure | | Greatly Increase | h) Welfare | | Greatly Increase | i) Other or expanded categories | | Quality, low-cost, affordable housing | | 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) Alcohol taxes | | Maintain Status | b) Cigarette taxes | | Slightly Increase | c) Corporate taxes | | Slightly Increase | d) Gasoline taxes | | Slightly Increase | e) Margin taxes | | Maintain Status | f) Sales taxes | | Maintain Status | g) Vehicle taxes | | Maintain Status | h) Other or expanded categories | | Property taxes | | Yes | 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? | | | 4) Other or expanded principles | | Texas does not have a state income tax. We should institute a fair, progressive state income tax linked to restructuring the tax system so the current sales tax and property tax are substantially reduced. |
Campaign Finance and Government Reform Issues
(Back to top) Related: Key Votes Ratings
| Indicate which principles you support (if any) regarding campaign finance and government reform. | | Undecided | a) Do you support limiting the number of terms for Texas governors? | | No | b) Do you support limiting the number of terms for Texas state senators and representatives? | | c) Do you support limiting the following types of contributions to state legislative candidates? | | 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? | | Yes | e) Do you support imposing spending limits on state-level political campaigns? | | No | f) Should Texas participate in the federal REAL ID program? | | No | g) Should the Texas Lottery be sold to a privately owned business? | | h) Other or expanded principles | | The amount of money spent in state legislative campaigns is unconscionable, especially in relation to protecting incumbents. The playing field must be leveled and the influence of big money substantially reduced. |
Crime Issues
(Back to top) Related: Key Votes Ratings
| 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 Texas. | | 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. | | | g) Support state and local law enforcement officials enforcing federal immigration laws. | | X | h) Support hate crime legislation. | | | i) Other or expanded principles | I have sponsored legislation to give the governor of Texas the authority to declare a moratorium on the death penalty.
I have sponsored legislation to creative an affirmative defense for people with bona fide medical conditions who, following a recommendation from a physician, use marijuana to ameliorate the symptoms of the condition or illness. |
Education Issues
(Back to top) Related: Key Votes Ratings
| 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. | | 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. | | | 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. | | | 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 Texas to pay in-state tuition at public universities. | | | k) Other or expanded principles |
Employment Issues
(Back to top) Related: Key Votes Ratings
| 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 todays job market. | | | b) Reduce state government regulations on the private sector. | | 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. | | X | e) Increase state funds to provide child care for children in low-income working families. | | X | f) Include sexual orientation in Texas anti-discrimination laws. | | X | g) Include gender identity in Texas anti-discrimination laws. | | X | h) Increase the state minimum wage. | | X | i) Support laws that prevent employers from dismissing employees at will. | | | j) Support financial punishments for those who knowingly employ illegal immigrants. | | | 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 | Meaningfully, fairly and comprehensively address the problem of illegal immigration.
Work requirements for able-bodied TANF/welfare recipients are already quite stringent. |
Environment and Energy Issues
(Back to top) Related: Key Votes Ratings
| Indicate which principles you support (if any) regarding the environment and energy. | | X | a) Promote increased use of alternative fuel technology. | | | b) Support increased production of traditional domestic energy sources (e.g. coal, natural gas, oil, etc). | | X | 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 Texas 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. | | | i) Other or expanded principles | | Promote clean, safe and efficient disposal of all types of electronic waste (e-waste). |
Gun Issues
(Back to top) Related: Key Votes Ratings
| 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? | | Yes | c) Should a license be required for gun possession? | | No | d) Do you support current levels of enforcement of existing state restrictions on the purchase and possession of guns? | | No | e) Do you support current state restrictions on the purchase and possession of guns? | | | f) Other or expanded principles | Texas has a concealed-carry handgun law. I voted against it.
Current levels of enforcement of existing state restrictions--as well as current state restrictions--on the purchase and possession of guns should be enhanced.
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Health Issues
(Back to top) Related: Key Votes Ratings
| 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) Guaranteed medical care to all citizens is not a responsibility of state government. | | | 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. | | X | f) Legalize physician assisted suicide in Texas. | | X | g) Allow doctors to prescribe marijuana to their patients for medicinal purposes. | | | h) Other or expanded principles | Support enhanced mental health parity laws.
Support simpler prescription drug benefit in the Medicare program.
Support reauthorization and expansion of Children's Health Insurance Program (CHIP).
Support facilitating and simplifying enrollment in public assistance programs, e.g., Food Stamps, Medicaid, CHIP, and Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF). |
Social Issues
(Back to top) Related: Key Votes Ratings
| Indicate which principles you support (if any) regarding social issues. | | Yes | a) Should Texas recognize civil unions between same-sex couples? | | Yes | b) Should same-sex couples be allowed to marry? | | Yes | c) Should Texas provide state-level spousal rights to same-sex couples? | | Yes | d) Do you support a moment of silence in public schools? | | No | 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? | | Yes | h) Should the state government consider race and gender in state government contracting and hiring decisions? | | Yes | i) Do you support affirmative action in public college admissions? | | Yes | j) Should Texas 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? | | n) Other or expanded principles | | No Answer | | Legislative Priorities | | Please explain in a total of 100 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. | My top three priorities are to: 1) improve the TANF, CHIP and Medicaid programs to ensure that intended program beneficiaries receive the services and supports necessary to meet their needs; 2) improve access to services for elderly and disabled people who choose to live in community-based settings instead of institutions; and 3) institute meaningful campaign finance and ethics reforms.
I would obtain funding by either increasing appropriate taxes or instituting a fair, progressive state income tax linked to restructuring the tax system so that sales taxes and property taxes are significantly reduced.
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