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David Ralston's Issue Positions (Political Courage Test)

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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.

David Ralston did not provide voters with positions on key issues covered by the 2022 Political Courage Test, despite repeated requests from Vote Smart and voters like you.

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.

Georgia State Legislative Election 1996 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.

Please indicate which principles you support (if any) concerning abortion.

a) Abortions should always be legally available.
b) Abortions should be legally available when the procedure is completed within the first trimester of pregnancy.
X c) Abortions should be legal only when the pregnancy resulted from incest, rape, or when the life of the woman is endangered.
d) Abortions should be legal only when the life of the woman is endangered.
e) Abortions should always be illegal.
X f) Abortions should be limited by waiting periods and parental notification requirements.
No g) Should Georgia government funding be provided to clinics and medical facilities that provide abortion services?

Please indicate which principles you support (if any) regarding affirmative action and civil rights in Georgia.

a) Georgia government should prosecute cases of discrimination in the public and private sectors.
X b) Georgia government should provide no affirmative action programs.
No c) Do you believe that the Georgia government should recognize same-sex marriages?
No d) Do you believe that sexual orientation should be added to Georgia's anti-discrimination laws?

Please indicate which principles you support (if any) regarding children & family issues in Georgia.

a) Increase state funding for programs to prevent teen pregnancy.
X b) Provide tax credits for businesses that provide child care for their employees.
X c) Deny or suspend state-issued permits and licenses to parents who are delinquent in paying court-ordered child support.
X d) Require courts to presume joint parental legal or physical custody of children in divorce proceedings.

Please indicate which principles you support (if any) to address crime in Georgia.

X a) Increase state funds for construction of state prisons and for hiring of additional prison staff.
X b) Expand and promote "community policing" programs.
X c) Support "truth in sentencing" for violent criminals so they serve their full sentences with no chance of parole.
d) Expand the use of the death penalty for additional circumstances relating to murder.
e) Oppose the death penalty.
X f) Implement penalties other than incarceration for certain non-violent offenders.
X g) Require mandatory life sentences for third-time, violent felons.
X h) Inform communities when a convicted sex offender moves into the community.
i) Increase state funds for programs which rehabilitate and educate inmates during and after their prison sentences.
j) Decriminalize the possession and private use of certain illegal drugs such as marijuana.
X k) Strengthen penalties and sentences associated with drug-related crimes.
l) Implement chain gangs in which prison inmates work together in chained work groups.
X m) Support contracting with private sector firms to manage state prisons.
X n) Require inmates to pay part or all of court filing fees to discourage "meritless lawsuits."

Please indicate which principles you support (if any) to address juvenile crime in Georgia.

X a) Prosecute juveniles who commit murder or other serious violent crimes as adults.
X b) Provide state funding for military-style "boot camps" for juvenile first-time felons.
c) Increase state funding for community centers and other social agencies in areas with at-risk youth.
d) Support state government funding of programs for at-risk youth such as guaranteed college loans and job training and placement.
X e) Make the juvenile criminal records of adult offenders available to judges when considering sentencing or probation.

Please indicate which principles you support (if any) concerning Georgia's economic development.

X a) Increase state funds for improving the state's transportation system, including major roadways, railways and airports.
X b) Provide low interest loans and tax credits for expanding, start-up, or relocating businesses.
c) Expand legalized gambling (e.g. riverboat gambling, slot machines).
X d) Reduce state government regulations on the private sector.
e) Remove state government controls or caps from wages, prices, rents, profits, production and interest rates.
f) Support limits on cash damages in lawsuits against businesses and professionals for product liability or malpractice.
g) Increase state funding for programs to re-train unemployed workers.
X h) Allow neighborhoods to organize as "community improvement districts" and levy special taxes for revitalization projects.

Please indicate which principles you support (if any) regarding Georgia's education system.

a) Increase state funds for professional development and salaries of public school faculty.
b) Endorse teacher-led voluntary school prayer in public schools.
X c) Encourage private or corporate investment in certain public school programs.
d) Provide parents with state-funded vouchers to send their children to any participating school (public, private, religious, technical).
X e) Support continuation of charter schools where teachers and other professionals receive state authorization and funding to establish new schools.
f) Require the use of state-wide achievement standards for all state public schools.
X g) Emphasize local control of education as long as the school district meets state health and safety standards.
X h) Support sex education programs which stress abstinence.
i) Support sex education programs which stress safe sexual practices.
j) Require public schools to use science textbooks that evaluate creationism as well as evolution.

Please indicate which principles you support (if any) concerning Georgia's environment and natural resources.

a) Enact tougher environmental standards to encourage the sale of cleaner burning fuels throughout Georgia.
b) Support "self-audit" legislation which creates incentives for polluting industries to audit themselves and clean up pollution.
X c) Require a cost/benefit analysis be completed on the economic impact of proposed environmental regulations before they are implemented.
X d) Require the state to reimburse citizens when state-sponsored environmental regulations limit the use of privately owned land.
e) Provide funding for recycling programs in Georgia.
X f) Request flexibility from the federal government in enforcing and funding federal environmental regulations.
g) Suspend Georgia's participation in unfunded, federally mandated environmental protection legislation.
X h) Maintain minimum environmental quality as mandated by current federal regulations.
i) Require state agencies to review pending projects and implement them in an environmentally sound manner, if financially feasible.
Yes a) Do you support amending the Georgia Constitution to limit the terms of State Senators and Representatives?
Yes b) Do you support the current status of term limits for Georgia's Governor (maximum of two consecutive, four-year terms in office every twelve years)?
Yes c) Do you support amending the U.S. Constitution to require an annual balanced federal budget?
Yes d) Do you support requiring limits on individual contributions to state legislative candidates?
Yes e) Do you support requiring limits on PAC contributions to state legislative candidates?
Yes f) Do you support requiring limits on corporate contributions to state legislative candidates?
Yes g) Do you support requiring full and timely disclosure of campaign finance information?
No h) Do you support imposing spending limits on state level political campaigns?
No i) Do you support partial funding from state taxes for state level political campaigns?
Yes j) Do you support allowing state agencies to hire employees from outside the Merit System?
Yes k) Do you support implementing English as the official language of Georgia (i.e., all public documents, such as wills and deeds, to be available in English?)

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

a) Support expanding the nationwide federal ban on the public sale of assault weapons to include all forms of semi-automatic weapons.
b) Increase state restrictions on the purchase and possession of firearms.
c) Maintain all state registration procedures and state restrictions on possessing firearms.
d) Ease state procedures and restrictions on the purchase and registration of firearms.
X e) Repeal all state bans and measures that restrict law-abiding citizens from obtaining firearms.
X f) Continue to allow law-abiding citizens to carry concealed firearms.

Please indicate which principles you support (if any) concerning Georgia's health care system.

X a) Expand state funding for pre-natal and infant care programs available in the state, including immunizations.
X b) Provide tax incentives to assist small businesses in providing health care to their employees.
c) Ensure that Georgia citizens have access to basic health care, through managed care, insurance reforms, or state-funded care where necessary.
d) Guaranteeing medical care to all citizens is not a responsibility of state government.
e) Limit the amount of damages that can be awarded in medical malpractice lawsuits.
X f) Allow citizens to establish tax-free medical savings accounts which would be taxed if used for non-medical purposes.
Yes g) Do you support the current Georgia law which mandates 48-hour insured hospital stays for women giving birth?

Indicate what changes you support (if any) concerning levels of funding for the following categories. Select one option only.

Eliminate a) Abortion
Eliminate b) Affirmative Action
Maintain Status c) Agriculture
Maintain Status d) AIDS Programs
Slightly Increase e) Education
Maintain Status f) Environment
Slightly Increase g) Health Care
Slightly Increase h) Law Enforcement
Greatly Decrease i) Welfare

Please indicate the changes you support (if any) concerning Georgia's tax levels. Select one option only.

Maintain Status a) Alcohol Taxes
Greatly Decrease b) Business Taxes
Greatly Decrease c) Capital Gains Taxes
Greatly Decrease d) Income Taxes (incomes less than $75,000)
Greatly Decrease e) Income Taxes (incomes greater than $75,000)
Greatly Decrease f) Property Taxes
Slightly Decrease g) Sales Taxes
Greatly Decrease h) State Fees
Yes i) Do you support a flat tax structure for state income taxes?

Please indicate which principles you support (if any) regarding Georgia's welfare system.

X a) Provide child care services to welfare recipients who work or attend school.
X b) Allow welfare recipients to work and still receive state-funded health care and child care (if needed) until they become self-sufficient.
X c) Require that able-bodied welfare recipients receive job training, attend school, or work in order to receive welfare benefits.
X d) Require that unwed mothers under the age of 18 attend school and live with a parent or guardian (if possible) to receive welfare benefits.
X e) Limit the welfare benefits given to recipients if they have additional children.
X f) Provide two-parent families living in poverty the same welfare benefits as one-parent families.
g) Eliminate government-funded welfare and advocate privately-funded assistance to people in need.
X h) Impose a time limit on welfare benefits for recipients who are able to work.
My goal is to continue working to reduce the size and cost of Georgia's government through reforms and policies such as privatization and budget reform. Redefining the mission of state government will allow Georgia to put even greater focus on educational improvements, public safety, and growth.

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