1. Do you support changes that would make it easier for new alternative energy projects, such as wind farms and hydroelectric plants, to be constructed in the state?

Yes 

No 

No Opinion 

2. Do you support investing additional dollars to investigate the potential for establishing hydroelectric plants along Missouri's rivers even if it may require a tax increase to do so?

Yes

No 

Only if it is without a tax increase 

No Opinion 

AmerenUE proposes building a new nuclear reactor next to its existing nuclear power plant in Callaway County in mid-Missouri. In order for the project to be financially feasible, the company says the legislature must repeal a law 63.1 percent of Missouri voters approved in 1976 that prohibits utilities from increasing customer rates to fund construction of a new power plant until after the plant is completed and operational.

3. Do you support construction of a new nuclear reactor in the state?

Yes

No

Only if it can be done without a significant rate increase to consumers. 

No Opinion

4. Do you support repealing the 1976 law so that utilities may increase customer rates to pay for new power plants while they are under construction?

Yes

No

No Opinion

Campaign contribution limits

In 1994, 73.9 percent of Missouri voters approved a ballot measure imposing limits on the amount of money individual donors may give to candidates for public office per election. On the last day of the 2008 legislative session, the legislature repealed those limits, which had been $1,350 for a candidate for statewide office, $675 for a senate candidate, and $350 for a House candidate.

As a result, during the 2008 general election donors were free to donate unlimited amounts to candidates. Many donors gave individual candidates in excess of $100,000, with at least one donation topping the $1 million mark.

5. Should the legislature reinstate campaign contribution limits?

Yes         No          No Opinion

Political Patronage

Contracts to operate the state's fee offices, where Missourians must go to obtain or renew their driver's license or vehicle license plate, can be very lucrative. Traditionally, the governor awards the contracts to political supporters. In recent years legislation has been proposed to end that patronage system. Contracts instead would be awarded either by competitive bid or to a local non-profit foundation benefiting public schools.

6. Should the legislature eliminate political patronage in the awarding of license fee office contracts?

Yes         No          No Opinion

health care

In 2005, the state made it harder for low-income Missourians to qualify for health care services. Efforts have been ongoing by some lawmakers to restore the precut eligibility levels, thus enabling more than 100,000 Missourians to qualify. Had the eligibility levels been restored for the current budget year, it would have cost the state an additional $201.2 million in general revenue, according to the Missouri Department of Social Services. However, since the federal government pays about 63 percent of the total cost, the state would have received an additional $341.6 million in federal funds.

7. Should the legislature reverse the 2005 health care cuts?

Yes         No          No Opinion

transportation infrastructure

In 2005, an analysis of Missouri's major highways found only 46 percent to be in good condition. The Missouri Department of Transportation has since completed improvements so that 78 percent of those roads are now in good condition. Amendment 3, which voters approved in 2004, provided much of the funding for the improvements. The amendment redirected some state general revenue to transportation and required MoDOT to issue billions of dollars in bonds to immediately fund construction projects. As of July 2009, however, MoDOT will be forced to shift a significant portion of its budget from construction to repaying $2.62 billion in bond debt. As a result, MoDOT says it will "be barely able to maintain our highways."

8. Which of the following methods would you support to generate revenue needed to fund highway improvement projects?

An increase in the state sales tax

An increase in the state fuel tax

The creation of toll roads on some major roadways

A combination of all three

No Opinion

Mandatory helmet law

Last legislative session, a bill was proposed to exempt motorcyclists age 21 and older from wearing a helmet while riding a motorcycle. Advocates say the decision whether to wear a helmet should be left to individuals, not government. Opponents argue the helmet law is a necessary safeguard and its repeal would unnecessarily endanger Missouri bikers.

 9. Should Missouri repeal its mandatory helmet law?

Yes         No          No Opinion

primary seat belt law

The federal government is offering an incentive of almost $20 million in state highway funds if the state will make the change from secondary enforcement to mandatory seat belt law. This is the last year for the federal government to offer the financial incentive. Supporters believe such a change would increase seatbelt usage, reduce injuries, save lives and significantly lower costs stemming from traffic accidents. Opponents argue the measure would be an unwarranted and massive expansion of police power and impose on personal liberty.

10. Should law enforcement officers have primary enforcement power, allowing them to pull over a driver solely for failure to wear a seat belt?

Yes         No          No Opinion

four-day school week

One way to make education dollars go further is to shorten the school week from five to four days. With a four-day schedule, school days would be longer, but students would still receive the same number of instructional hours per week. Throughout the country, several school districts have successfully implemented four-day school weeks.

Benefits of a four-day school week include a decline in drop-out rates and disciplinary referrals, improvements in student and teacher attendance, less interrupted class time, increased student morale, more time for extracurricular activities and personal business and significant savings on utility bills, substitute teacher pay and transportation costs. Some concerns include arranging for child care, the response of younger children to a longer academic day, possible retention difficulties for at-risk or special-needs students and teacher fatigue.

11. Should local school districts have the ability to implement a four-day school week so long as the district has the same minimum number of instruction hours?

Yes         No          No Opinion

SCHOOL CHOICE

In both the 2007 and 2008 legislative sessions, the House defeated efforts to authorize tax credits for private donations for K-12 scholarships. Under such proposals, the scholarships would only be available to students in schools that have been labeled unaccredited by the Missouri Department of Elementary and Secondary Education. In addition, students receiving the scholarships must have an at risk socio-economic status. It is estimated this program would affect approximately 2,000 students in the St. Louis City school system. The scholarships could be used to attend private schools.

12. Do you believe such a scholarship program would unfairly redistribute public dollars?

Yes         No          No Opinion

13. Do you feel the state should design a program that would provide the parents of children in failing school districts an opportunity to place their children in other non-failing schools?

Yes , I do think the state should try to address the problem and create a state funded program

Yes, I do think the state should try to address the problem, but it should only be funded through private dollars

 No, I think it is more important the state only fund public schools and stay committed to those schools

No, allowing parents to voluntarily pull their students out of failing public schools sends the wrong message to public education

No opinion

14. Do you believe that the state should allow parents the opportunity to send their children to ANY public school in the school district in which they live?

Yes         No          No Opinion

BALLOT INITIATIVES

The initiative petition process allows citizens to directly place proposed constitutional amendments or state laws on the statewide ballot, bypassing the legislature. Initiative petition drives increasingly are being financed and directed by special interest groups. Measures placed on the ballot by initiative aren't subject to legislative review, allowing supporters to write proposals as they see fit without the give and take or oversight of the legislative process. Placing a measure on the ballot via initiative requires supporters to gather a minimum number of signatures of registered voters equal to 5 percent of the ballots cast in the last gubernatorial election in six of Missouri's nine congressional districts. The minimum threshold is 8 percent for proposed constitutional amendments.

15. Do you believe the minimum number of signatures required to place a proposed law or constitutional amendment on the ballot via initiative petition should be increased?

Yes     No      No Opinion

CORPORATE FARMS

Many Missouri counties have local health ordinances that control large concentrated animal feeding operations. Advocates of local control say individual communities should decide whether to allow CAFOs, which often yield massive amounts of animal waste and foul odors. Corporate farming interests say Missouri should have a single statewide standard governing CAFOs instead of the current patchwork of local ordinances.

16. Should Missouri establish statewide regulations that bring consistency to rules governing farming operations, superseding local ordinances?

Yes         No          No Opinion

Concentrated Animal Feeding Operations

Many Missouri counties have local health ordinances that prohibit large concentrated animal feeding operations. Advocates of local control say individual communities should decide whether to allow CAFOs, which often yield massive amounts of animal waste and foul odors. Corporate farming interests say Missouri should have a single statewide standard governing CAFOs instead of the current patchwork of local ordinances.

16. Should Missouri establish statewide regulations to rules on concentrated animal feeding operations, superseding local ordinances?  

Yes         No          No Opinion

17. I would support a 5 percent cut across the board in every state government department except education.

Agree Somewhat Agree Somewhat Disagree

Disagree 

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