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Robert Stivers II's Issue Positions (Political Courage Test)

Office:

On The Ballot: Running, Republican for State Senate (KY) - District 25

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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.
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Other or Expanded Principles & Legislative Priorities are entered exactly as candidates submit them. Vote Smart does not edit for misspelled words, punctuation or grammar.

Candidates who qualify will be invited to take 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.

Kentucky 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.
f) Abortions should be limited by waiting periods and parental notification requirements.
g) Support legislation which would require abortion clinics to meet the same size and equipment standards as ambulatory surgical centers.
No h) Should the Kentucky government prevent Medicaid funding from being provided to clinics providing non-emergency abortion services?

Indicate which principles you support (if any) regarding affirmative action and civil rights laws in Kentucky.

a) Kentucky government should prosecute cases of discrimination in the public and private sectors.
b) Kentucky government should provide no affirmative action programs.
X c) Award specific, adjustable percentages of contracts for state work to minority or woman-owned businesses.
No d) Do you believe that the Kentucky government should recognize same-sex marriages?
No e) Do you believe sexual orientation should be added to Kentucky's anti-discrimination laws?

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

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 Kentucky.

X a) Increase state funds for construction of state prisons and for hiring of additional prison staff.
X b) Provide state funding for expanding and promoting "community policing" programs in Kentucky.
X c) Support "truth in sentencing" with no chance of parole for violent repeat offenders.
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.
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.
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) Fund programs for victims of sexual abuse and domestic violence (e.g. shelters, medical care and police protection).

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

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.
X d) Support state government funding of programs for at-risk youth such as guaranteed college loans and job training and placement.
X e) Increase state funding for prosecution of juvenile offenders and enforcement of tougher laws against juvenile crime.
f) Allow cities to impose mandatory curfews for minors in high crime areas.

Please indicate which principles you support (if any) concerning Kentucky'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) Allow casinos to be located at racetracks.
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 an amendment to the Kentucky Constitution which would limit 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.
h) Initiate cost-benefit analysis of all state laws and regulations to determine their economic impact.
i) Limit Kentucky's workers' compensation system to more narrowly define "injury".
Undecided j) Do you support the recently passed prevailing wage law which requires local governments to pay a state-mandated wage on construction projects?

Please indicate which principles you support (if any) regarding Kentucky's education system.m) Which of the following aspects of the 1990 Kentucky Education Reform Act (KERA) do you support for implementation in public schools?

X 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.
d) Provide parents with state-funded vouchers to send their children to any participating school (public, private, religious, technical).
e) Implement charter schools where teachers and other professionals receive state authorization and funding to establish new 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) Provide funding to assist parents of private school students with student transportation costs.
k) Increase funding for Kentucky's state universities and community colleges.
X l) Increase funding for adult GED-equivalent and vocational education.
No 1) Grouping of students in kindergarten through third grade.
No 2) The KIRIS (Kentucky Instructional Results Information System) test which assesses both individual student and school performance.
Undecided 3) Providing fiscal rewards to schools with the most improvement in student test scores.

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

a) Enact tougher environmental standards to encourage the sale of cleaner burning fuels throughout Kentucky.
b) Support "self-audit" legislation which creates incentives for polluting industries to audit themselves and clean up pollution.
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.
X e) Provide funding for recycling programs in Kentucky.
f) Request flexibility from the federal government in enforcing and funding federal environmental regulations.
g) Suspend Kentucky's participation in unfunded, federally mandated environmental protection legislation.
X h) Maintain minimum environmental quality as mandated by current federal regulations.
No i) Do you believe the state government should require timber harvesters to have training and education in timber regulations and harvesting techniques?
Undecided j) Do you support Kentucky's current agreement with Illinois to share in the disposal of both states' commercial low-level radioactive waste?

e) In dollars per election, please note the limit you support (if any ) on the amount an individual may contribute to a state legislative candidate:g) In percent of total campaign budget, please note the limit you support (if any) on PAC contributions to state legislative candidates:

Yes a) Would you support amending the Kentucky Constitution to limit the terms of State Senators and Representatives?
Yes b) Do you support the current law which limits to two terms the maximum number of consecutive terms that can be served by Kentucky's governor?
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?
1) $100 or less
2) $101 to $500
X 3) $501 to $1000
4) More than $1000
5) No limit
Yes f) Do you support requiring limits on PAC contributions to state legislative candidates?
1) 10 % or less
X 2) 11% to 35%
3) 36% to 50%
4) More than 50%
5) No limit
No h) Do you support amending the Kentucky Constitution to remove limits on corporate contributions to state legislative candidates?
Yes i) Do you support requiring full and timely disclosure of campaign finance information?
Yes j) Do you support imposing spending limits on state level political campaigns?
No k) Do you support partial funding from state taxes for state legislative political campaigns?
No l) Should the salary and expense allowances of legislators be adjusted annually to the cost of inflation?

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) Allow local governments to enact and enforce gun-control ordinances.
X d) Continue the present Kentucky policy of no state-specific restrictions on gun purchase and registration.
Yes e) Do you support continuing to allow law-abiding citizens to carry concealed firearms?

Please indicate which principles you support (if any) concerning Kentucky'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.
X c) Ensure that Kentucky's 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.
e) Limit the amount of damages that can be awarded in medical malpractice lawsuits.
f) Encourage tax-free medical savings accounts, to be taxed if used for any purpose other than medical costs.
g) Support the current law which requires health insurers of Kentucky residents to accept any applicant, regardless of pre-existing conditions.
h) Support turning Kentucky's Medicaid funding over to private managed care organizations (HMOs).
X i) Support state-funded incentives that increase the supply and retention of health professionals in rural areas.
j) Support continuing the "provider tax" on health care professionals which helps fund health care for low-income Kentuckians.
k) Support a broad tax on all state residents to fund health care for low-income Kentuckians, to replace the current "provider tax" on health care professionals.

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

Eliminate a) Abortion
Maintain Status b) Affirmative Action
Slightly Increase 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
Slightly Decrease i) Welfare

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

Slightly Increase a) Alcohol Taxes
Greatly Decrease b) Business Taxes
Slightly Increase c) Capital Gains Taxes
Slightly Decrease d) Gasoline Taxes
Slightly Decrease e) Income Taxes (incomes less than $75,000)
Slightly Decrease f) Income Taxes (incomes greater than $75,000)
Slightly Decrease g) Property Taxes
Maintain Status h) Sales Taxes
Slightly Increase i) State Fees
Undecided j) Do you support a flat tax structure for state income taxes?
Undecided k) Do you support reducing the number of tax brackets in Kentucky's state income tax structure (5 brackets for incomes under $8000, one for incomes over $8000)?

Please indicate which principles you support (if any) regarding Kentucky'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.
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 the recent increase in benefits paid to welfare recipients.
1. Economic development in rural Eastern Kentucky would be my top priority. We have been neglected because of population and politics for many years. 2. Education; We must succeed in developing a better educational system for K-12. We must emphasize on Vo-Tech training. Facilitating my priorities would not mean increasing taxes, just re-prioritizing values and cutting governmental waste.

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