Pat Wilson Pheanious' Issue Positions (Political Courage Test)
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Pat Wilson Pheanious has provided voters with clear stances on key issues by responding to the 2020 Political Courage Test.
Connecticut State Legislative Election 2020 Political Courage Test
| Pro-choice | a) Do you generally support pro-choice or pro-life legislation? | ||
| Yes | b) Do you support legalizing abortion when the pregnancy resulted from incest or rape? | ||
| No | c) Do you support the prohibition of public funds for organizations that perform abortions? | ||
| d) Other or expanded principles: | |||
| No | a) In order to balance the budget, do you support reducing state employee salaries AND/OR pensions? | ||
| Yes | b) In order to balance the budget, do you support an income tax increase on any tax bracket? | ||
| I would support an income tax on the top 3-5% of income earners. I do not believe that would be excessive, given the recent federal tax cuts for this income level, that the burden of supporting state services to vulnerable populations and avoiding tax increases on the middle class and small businesses. | |||
| Yes | a) Do you support a limit on campaign contributions to state candidates? | ||
| Yes | b) Do you support the regulation of indirect campaign contributions from corporations and unions? | ||
| Yes | c) Do you support the use of an independent AND/OR bipartisan commission for redistricting? | ||
| No | d) Do you support requiring a government-issued photo identification in order to vote at the polls? | ||
| Yes | e) Do you support automatic voter registration? | ||
| Yes | f) Do you support expanding the right to vote to those on parole? | ||
| I believe that a photo for the purpose of identifying the voter and connecting him/her to a specific address for the purpose of knowing who is casting the vote is necessary. Limiting the photo ID to a "government issued"precludes legitimate forms of ID (student ID; work ID) from being used. Any form of ID must be verifiable and carry the requisite information. Citizens must vote. Being on parole does not remove citizenship. A man or woman who has been to jail is more likely to stay out of jail if they reinvest in the community. Voting creates that re-investment. | |||
| Yes | a) Do you support capital punishment for certain crimes? | ||
| No | b) Should an individual under 18 accused of a violent crime be prosecuted as an adult? | ||
| Yes | c) Do you support the enforcement of federal immigration laws by state and local police? | ||
| No | d) Do you support the use of private prisons in Connecticut? | ||
| No | e) Do you support mandatory minimum sentences for non-violent drug offenders? | ||
| Yes | f) Do you support the legalization of recreational marijuana? | ||
| I could support the humane enforcement of appropriate federal immigration laws by state and local police at the option of a state. How and under what circumstances these laws might be enforced within a state should be at the option and under the control of that state. At this time, Connecticut's legislature has not adopted such a policy. I support legalization of marijuana at age 25, if we have a viable test to determine intoxication levels that can be administered during a traffic stop, and if we establish data baselines to ensure we can understand long-term impact. | |||
| Yes | a) Do you support state government spending as a means of promoting economic growth? | ||
| Yes | b) Do you support lowering state income taxes as a means of promoting economic growth? | ||
| Yes | c) Do you support reducing government regulations on the private sector? | ||
| No | d) Do you support requiring welfare applicants to pass a drug test in order to receive benefits? | ||
| Yes | e) Do you support an increase of the minimum wage of Connecticut? | ||
| Yes | f) Do you support requiring employers to provide paid family leave? | ||
| Yes | g) Do you support providing financial relief to businesses AND/OR corporations negatively impacted by the state of national emergency for COVID-19? | ||
| No | h) Should state highway bridges be tolled? | ||
| Yes | i) Should federally recognized tribes be given exclusive rights to sports betting in the state? | ||
| Cutting excessive red tape can assist business but appropriate regulation is necessary to insure the community good. People with drug problems should be treated and assisted to recovery not punished or have benefits they need for recovery cut because they can't control their disorder. I do not favor tolling but could support tolling bridges only until they are individually paid for and in a manner that garners favorable federal funding and reimbursement for affected municipalities. FMLA should be provided in accordance with Connecticut law which requires funding by employees. I want to incentivize rather than discouraged employers who offer FMLA. | |||
| No | a) Do you support adopting federal education standards in Connecticut? | ||
| No | b) Do you support state funding for charter schools? | ||
| Yes | c) Do you support increasing teacher salaries AND/OR benefits in Connecticut? | ||
| Yes | d) Should immigrants unlawfully present in the United States who graduate from Connecticut high schools be eligible for in-state tuition at public universities? | ||
| I am concerned that federal education standards would restrict creativity--all states aren't facing equal issues and education problems. Charter schools, if they receive any public funding must adhere to state regulations, requirements and standards. Undocumented immigrants who have or whose families are contributing to Connecticut's tax base should be allowed to take advantage of in-state tuition upon graduation from high school. I believe that people who have made America their home should be allowed to contribute to it, to develop themselves and make this land of immigrants stronger. | |||
| Yes | a) Do you support state funding for the development of renewable energy (e.g. solar, wind, geo-thermal)? | ||
| Yes | b) Do you support government regulations of greenhouse gas emissions? | ||
| Yes | c) Do you support increasing state funding for clean drinking water initiatives? | ||
| d) Other or expanded principles: | |||
| Yes | a) Do you generally support gun-control legislation? | ||
| Yes | b) Should background checks be required on gun sales between private citizens at gun shows? | ||
| No | c) Should teachers be allowed to bring guns into the classroom after passing gun safety training? | ||
| Yes | d) Should a license be required for gun ownership? | ||
| I don't think teachers should be armed. I fear accidents, thefts or problematic access by children. | |||
| Yes | a) Should the state government increase funding for treatment facilities to combat opioid abuse? | ||
| Yes | b) Do you support Medicaid expansion through Connecticut's health care programs? | ||
| Yes | c) Do you support requiring individuals to purchase health care insurance? | ||
| Yes | d) Do you support legislation that grants citizens the right to choose to die through euthanasia? | ||
| e) Do you support eliminating religious exemptions for vaccinations? | |||
| Yes | f) Do you support requiring businesses to provide paid medical leave during public health crises, such as COVID-19? | ||
| I support a system of public health insurance so long as it is affordable and provides adequate access and coverage for all users. Maybe everyone must contribute to preventive health measurers that will lower the cost for all. I can't yet answer re religious exemption--depends final wording of bill. Perhaps "religion" should be replaced with a "preference" exemption. The issue is fear of vaccine injury rather than religious prohibition. Billions paid by the government for injuries caused by vaccines suggest every parent shouldn't be forced to vaccinate, but then their children may not be able to attend public school. | |||
| Yes | a) Do you support the inclusion of sexual orientation in Connecticut's anti-discrimination laws? | ||
| Yes | b) Do you support the inclusion of gender identity in Connecticut's anti-discrimination laws? | ||
| Yes | c) Do you support greater efforts by Connecticut state government in closing the pay gap between men and women? | ||
| d) Other or expanded principles: | |||
| I am invested in improving legislation relating to the crumbling foundations phenomena in the North East. I am also committed to achieving equity in the distribution of health and mental health services across Connecticut. Rural areas like my District do not have access to a full array of services matching the acuity level of patients. ZA ip code shouldn't determine the adequacy of healthcare funding. I will also continue to pursue changes to the regulation of electricity in Connecticut so as to benefit consumers rather than company shareholders, requiring performance based benchmarks before rate increases are considered. | |||
| My top legislative priority is to work across parties and through government, insurance and banking industries to fund the $ 100 Million necessary to address the crumbling foundation affected homes that will be identified in Connecticut over the next 10 years. I believe the funding can be achieved through recognition of mutual interests and effective collaboration of stakeholders. |
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