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Peter Schweyer's Issue Positions (Political Courage Test)

Office:

On The Ballot: Running, Democratic for State House (PA) - District 134

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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.

Peter Schweyer is currently being tested through the 2024 Political Courage Test.

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.

Pennsylvania State Legislative Election 2002 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) concerning abortion.

a) Abortions should always be illegal.
X b) Abortions should always be legally available.
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) Eliminate public funding for abortions and public funding of organizations that advocate or perform abortions.
g) Other or expanded principles

State Budget: Indicate the funding levels you will support for the following general categories.State Taxes: Indicate the tax levels you will support.

Slightly Increase Funding a) Education (Higher)
Greatly Increase Funding b) Education (K-12)
Slightly Increase Funding c) Environment
Slightly Increase Funding d) Health care
Slightly Increase Funding e) Law enforcement
Maintain Funding Status f) Transportation and Highway infrastructure
Maintain Funding Status g) Welfare
Eliminate Funding h) Other or expanded categories
Maintain Status a) Alcohol taxes
Maintain Status b) Capital gains taxes
Slightly Increase c) Cigarette taxes
Slightly Increase d) Corporate taxes
Maintain Status e) Franchise taxes
Maintain Status f) Gasoline taxes
Maintain Status g) Income taxes (incomes below $75,000)
Maintain Status h) Income taxes (incomes above $75,000)
Maintain Status i) Inheritance taxes
Greatly Decrease j) Property taxes
Maintain Status k) Sales taxes
Maintain Status l) Vehicle taxes
m) Other or expanded categories
Undecided n) Should Internet sales be taxed?
Yes o) Do you support spending a portion of the "rainy day" fund to help alleviate budget shortfalls?
p) Other or expanded principles
Government Waste

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 the current two term, eight year limit for Pennsylvania governors?
No b) Do you support limiting the number of terms for Pennsylvania state senators and representatives?
No 1) Individual
Undecided 2) PAC
Yes 3) Corporate
No 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?
Undecided f) Do you support partial funding from state taxes for state level political campaigns?
Undecided g) Do you support voting on-line?
Yes h) Do you support adopting statewide standards for counting, verifying, and ensuring accuracy of votes?
No i) Do you support prohibiting media exit polling of voters until all polling locations in Pennsylvania are closed?
Undecided j) Should Pennsylvania recognize civil unions between same-sex couples?
Undecided k) Should Pennsylvania restrict marriage to a union only between a man and a woman?
l) Other or expanded principles

Indicate which principles you support (if any) to address crime.

X a) Increase state funds for construction of state prisons and for hiring of additional prison staff.
b) Support contracting with private sector firms to build and/or manage state prisons.
c) Oppose the use of the death penalty in Pennsylvania.
X d) Support programs to provide prison inmates with vocational and job-related skills and job-placement assistance when released.
X e) End parole for repeat violent offenders.
X f) Implement penalties other than incarceration for certain non-violent offenders.
g) Decriminalize the use of marijuana for medicinal purposes.
X h) Strengthen penalties and sentences for drug-related crimes.
i) Lower the .10 blood-alcohol-content limit defining drunk driving.
j) Minors accused of a felony should be prosecuted as adults.
X k) Require that crimes based on gender, sexual orientation, or disability be prosecuted as hate crimes.
X l) Ban the use of racial profiling by law enforcement officers.
X m) Increase state funding for community centers and other social agencies in areas with at-risk youth.
X n) Other or expanded principles
Begin funding for local Block Watch Groups

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 participating school (public, private, religious).
c) Support state funding to online charter schools.
X d) Increase state funds for school capital improvements (e.g. buildings and infrastructure).
X e) Increase state funds for hiring additional teachers.
f) Support teacher testing and reward teachers with merit pay.
g) Support posting the Ten Commandments in public schools.
h) Endorse teacher-led voluntary prayer in public schools.
i) Require public schools to administer high school exit exams.
j) Provide state funding to increase teacher salaries.
X k) Increase state funding for Head Start in order to serve additional children and/or increase services from a half to a full day.
X l) Provide state funding for tax incentives and financial aid to help make college more affordable.
X m) Support age-appropriate sexual education programs that teach about abstinence, contraceptives, and HIV/STD prevention methods.
n) Support abstinence-only sexual education programs.
X o) Other or expanded principles
Recommit state funding for Public Education; lower class-size; and press for full-day kindergarten

Employment: Indicate which principles you support (if any) concerning employment.Affirmative Action: Should the following state agencies take race and sex into account when making employment decisions?

X a) Increase funding for state job-training programs that re-train displaced workers or teach skills needed in today's job market.
X b) Reduce state government regulations on the private sector 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 their employees.
X e) Increase state funds to provide child care for children of low-income working families.
X f) Include sexual orientation in Pennsylvania's anti-discrimination laws.
g) Other or expanded principles
Undecided a) College and university admissions
Undecided b) Public employment
Undecided 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) Use state funds to clean up former industrial and commercial sites that are contaminated, unused, or abandoned.
Yes c) Do you support funding open space preservation?
Yes d) Should state environmental regulations be stricter than federal law?
X e) Other or expanded principles
Support for clean air and clean water inititives.

Indicate which principles you support (if any) concerning gun issues.

a) Ban the sale or transfer of semi-automatic guns, except those used for hunting.
X b) Maintain and strengthen the enforcement of existing state restrictions on the purchase and possession of guns.
c) Ease state restrictions on the purchase and possession of guns.
d) Repeal state restrictions on the purchase and possession of guns.
X e) Allow citizens to carry concealed guns.
X f) Require manufacturers to provide child-safety locks on guns.
X g) Require background checks on gun sales between private citizens at gun shows.
h) Require a license for gun possession.
i) Other or expanded principles

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

X a) Ensure that citizens have access to basic health care through managed care, insurance reforms, or state funded care where necessary.
b) Transfer more existing Medicaid recipients into managed care programs.
X c) Limit the amount of damages that can be awarded in medical malpractice lawsuits.
X d) Support patients' right to sue their HMOs.
X e) Support patients' right to appeal to an administrative board of specialists when services are denied.
X f) Guaranteed medical care to all citizens is not a responsibility of state government.
g) Legalize physician assisted suicide in Pennsylvania?
X h) Other or expanded principles
INCREASE the available funds for PACE (prescription drug program for seniors)

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

X a) Support current time limits on welfare benefits.
X b) Increase employment and job training programs for welfare recipients.
X c) Provide tax incentives to businesses that hire welfare recipients.
X d) Provide child care for welfare recipients who work.
X e) Increase access to public transportation for welfare recipients who work.
f) Eliminate government-funded welfare programs.
g) Redirect welfare funding to faith-based and community-based private organizations.
h) Use federal TANF (Temporary Assistance to Needy Families) funds to expand state services to include the working poor.
i) Other or expanded principles
In a total of seventy-five (75) words or less, please explain what your two main legislative priorities will be if elected. Please explain how you would obtain any additional government funding needed to implement these priorities.

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