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Bob Latta's Issue Positions (Political Courage Test)

Office:

On The Ballot: Running, Republican for U.S. House (OH) - District 5

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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.
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.

Ohio 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 the pregnancy.
X c) Abortions should be legal only when the pregnancy resulted from incest, rape, or if the life of the woman is endangered.
d) Abortions should always be illegal.
e) Abortions should be limited by waiting periods and parental notification requirements.
X f) Ohio government funding should not be provided to clinics and medical facilities that provide abortion services.

Please indicate which principles you support (if any) regarding affirmative action in Ohio

a) Ohio government should prosecute cases of discrimination in the public and private sector.
b) Ohio government should provide no affirmative action programs.
c) Ohio government should add sexual orientation to Ohio's anti-discrimination laws.
d) Ohio government should not add sexual orientation to Ohio's anti-discrimination laws.

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

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

Please indicate which principles you support (if any) to address child and family-related issues in Ohio.

X 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.

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

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" legislation for violent criminals so they serve their full sentences with no chance of parole.
X 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 sentence.
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.

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

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 first-time juvenile felons.
X c) Increase state funding for community centers and other social agencies in areas with at-risk youth.
X d) Support state government funding of programs for at-risk youth such as guaranteed college loans and job training and placement.
X e) Support mandatory curfews for minors in high crime areas.

Please indicate which principles you support (if any) concerning Ohio'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 casinos).
X d) Reduce state government regulations on the private sector.
e) Remove state governmental controls or caps from wages, prices, rents, profits, production, and interest rates.
X f) Support limits on cash damages in lawsuits against businesses and professionals for product liability or malpractice.
X g) Increase state funding for programs to re-train unemployed workers.
X h) Require a cost/benefit analysis of all state laws and regulations to determine their economic impact.
i) Create state-funded incentives for housing development in rural and urban areas.
j) Support the use of state funding for the construction of sports stadiums and arenas in Ohio.
X k) Oppose the use of state funding for the construction of sports stadiums and arenas in Ohio.

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

a) Increase state funds for professional development and salaries of public school faculty.
X b) Endorse teacher-led voluntary school prayer in public schools.
X c) Encourage private or corporate investment in certain public school programs.
X d) Provide parents with state-funded vouchers to send their children to any participating school (public, private, religious, technical).
X e) Implement charter schools where teachers and other professionals get state authorization and funding to establish schools.
X 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) Fund public school education in Ohio by increases in state taxes rather than by using local property taxes.
X k) Provide state funding for programs which increase student access to the Internet and other telecommunications networks.
l) Increase state funding for school building improvement and maintenance.
m) Support allocating more state education funding to Ohio's lowest-wealth districts and less to the highest-wealth districts.
X n) Restrict driving privileges and/or sports participation of students with poor academic performance.
o) Support Ohio schools' participation in "Goals 2000", the federal program which establishes academic standards.

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

a) Enact tougher environmental standards to encourage the sale of cleaner burning fuels throughout Ohio.
X b) Support "self-audit" legislation which creates incentives for polluting industries to clean up pollution.
X c) Require a cost/benefit analysis be completed to determine 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 use of privately owned land.
X e) Provide funding for recycling programs in Ohio.
X f) Request flexibility from the federal government in enforcing and funding environmental regulations.
X g) Suspend Ohio's participation in unfunded, federally mandated environmental protection legislation.
X h) Maintain minimum environmental quality as mandated by current federal regulations.
X i) Support "right to know" laws for workers exposed to hazardous substances.
X j) Support legislation which would require polluting industries to pay for environmental cleanup.
k) Support construction of a facility in Ohio to house low-level radioactive waste from Ohio and five other states.
l) Support and enforce fuel price cap legislation.
X m) Provide state funding for programs that reward farmers for conserving soil and using minimal fertilizers and pesticides.

a) Do you support the current law which limits the terms of the following Ohio officials?

Yes 1) State Senators and Representatives (8 years)
Yes 2) Governors (two 4 year terms)
Yes 3) Certain elected statewide officials (e.g. Attorney General, Secretary of State) (two 4 year terms)
Yes b) Do you support amending the U.S. Constitution to require an annual balanced federal budget?
Yes c) Do you support requiring limits on individual contributions to state legislative candidates?
Yes d) Do you support requiring limits on PAC contributions to state legislative candidates?
e) Do you support requiring limits on corporate contributions to state legislative candidates?
Yes f) Do you support requiring full and timely disclosure of campaign finance information?
Yes g) Do you support imposing spending limits on political campaigns?
No h) Do you support partial funding from state taxes for state level political campaigns?
Yes i) Do you support decentralizing some state agencies to outside Columbus?

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

a) Support expanding the nationwide 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.
X 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) Allow law-abiding citizens to carry concealed firearms.
X g) Support legislation which would ban guns in school zones.

Please indicate which principles you support (if any) concerning Ohio'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 Ohio citizens have access to basic health care through managed care, insurance reforms, or state funded care where necessary.
X d) Guaranteeing medical care to all citizens is not a responsibility of state government.
X e) Limit the amount of damages that can be awarded in medical malpractice lawsuits.
X f) Request a waiver from the federal government to provide Medicaid services through privately operated insurance systems.
X g) Provide state financial assistance to seniors who wish to remain at home as an alternative to a nursing home.
X h) Allow citizens to open tax-free medical savings accounts to be taxed if used for other than medical purposes.
X i) Continue trend toward removing most medical services (except long term/nursing home care) from state regulation.
j) Encourage local health departments to distribute condoms as a preventive measure against AIDS.
X k) Create incentives that increase the supply and retention of health professionals in rural areas and inner cities.

Please indicate the changes you will support (if any) concerning Ohio's tax levels for the following categories.

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

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

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 until they become self-sufficient.
X c) Require that able-bodied 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.
e) Limit the welfare benefits given to recipients if they have additional children.
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 two-year limit on welfare benefits for recipients who are able to work.
i) Support "Communities of Opportunity" program in which the state of Ohio would subsidize employers who hire welfare recipients.
When I am elected to the Ohio Senate, two of my goals will be further reform of the Bureau of Workers Compensation and tort reform. Both areas are critical to retaining and attracting businesses to Ohio.

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