Ryan Zinke in 2008 Political Courage Test

On Abortion: Pro-life, but decision should not be made by government

Zinke supports the following principles regarding abortion.
• Abortions should be legal only within the first trimester.
• Abortions should be legal when the pregnancy resulted from incest or rape, or when the life of the woman is endangered.
• Zinke adds, "I am pro-life, but believe that the difficult decision to abort a child is the providence of God and family, not government. I support streamlining the adoption process. I further support parental notification."

On Abortion: No embryonic stem cell research; no emergency contraception

A: Yes.

Q: Do you support state funding of embryonic stem cell research?

A: No.

Q: Do you support allowing pharmacists who conscientiously object to emergency contraception to refuse to dispense it?

A: No.

On Budget & Economy: Our government should spend within its means; no new fees

A: No. Our government should spend within its means. Montana should always be vigilant to examine ways to increase government efficiency and reduce waste. Providing incentives for clean, small business opportunities promotes a needed long term revenue stream. I believe in a fair and progressive tax system that does not penalize incentive and innovation.

Q: Should fee increases be used to balance the state budget?

A: No. I strongly support meaningful property tax reform to ensure that Montanans do not get taxed out of their homes and/or farms.

On Civil Rights: No affirmative action in college nor state contracts

A: No.

Q: Do you support affirmative action in public college admissions?

A: No.

Q: Should Montana continue affirmative action programs?

A: No.

On Civil Rights: No same-sex marriage, nor civil unions, not adoption

A: No.

Q: Should Montana provide state-level spousal rights to same-sex couples?

A: No.

Zinke adds, "I do not support same sex marriages or the adoption of children by same-sex couples. I am undecided on the issue of same-sex civil union."

On Crime: Supports death penalty but also hate crime legislation

Zinke indicates support of the following principles regarding crime.
• Support the death penalty in Montana.
• Support programs to provide prison inmates with vocational and job-related skills and job-placement assistance when released.
• Implement penalties other than incarceration for certain non-violent offenders.
• Support hate crime legislation.
• Zinke adds, "I support work programs for minor offenses and streamlining our judicial system. "

On Education: Supports vouchers for public schools

Zinke indicates support of the following principles regarding education.
• Support state education standards and testing requirements for K-12 students.
• Support requiring public schools to administer high school exit exams.
• Allow parents to use vouchers to send their children to any public school.
• Provide state funding to increase teacher salaries.
• Support using a merit pay system for teachers.
• Provide state funding for tax incentives and financial aid to help make college more affordable.
• Zinke adds, "I strongly support recruiting and maintaining quality classroom teachers. I strongly support providing incentives for Montana kids to stay in Montana after graduation. I strongly support vocation schools that provide needed skills in the Montana marketplace."

On Education: Voluntary prayer provided there's no undue influence

A: Yes.

Q: Do you support voluntary prayer in public schools?

A: Yes.

Q: Do you support sexual education programs that include information on abstinence, contraceptives, and HIV/STD prevention methods?

A: Yes.

Q: Do you support abstinence-only sexual education programs?

A: No.

Zinke adds, "I support allowing voluntary prayer on public property provided there is no undue influence to do so."

On Energy & Oil: Increased coal production with environmental safeguards

Zinke indicates support of the following principles regarding energy.
• Promote increased use of alternative fuel technology.
• Support increased production of traditional domestic energy sources (e.g. coal, natural gas, oil, etc).
• Zinke adds, "I support increased coal production for electrical generation and believe it can and should be done with adequate environmental safeguards. I believe the use of alternate energy sources and clean coal is preferred over petroleum based fuels."

On Environment: Cleanup industrial sites; preserve open space

Zinke indicates support of the following principles regarding the environment.
• Use state funds to clean up former industrial & commercial sites that are contaminated or abandoned.
• Support funding for improvements to Montana's power generating & transmission facilities.
• Support funding for open space preservation.
• Zinke adds, "I support a sustainable yield policy in the harvest of forest products and strongly support timber harvest in areas that require thinning for fire prevention."

On Government Reform: Limit PAC, corporate, and individual campaign donations

A: Yes.

Q: Do you support the current limit of terms for Montana state senators and representatives?

A: No.

Q: Do you support limiting the following types of contributions to state legislative candidates? Individual?

A: Yes.

Q: PAC?

A: Yes.

Q: Corporate?

A: Yes.

Q: Political Parties?

A: Yes.

Q: Do you support requiring full and timely disclosure of campaign finance information?

A: Yes.

Q: Do you support imposing spending limits on state-level political campaigns?

A: No.

Q: Should Montana participate in the federal REAL ID program?

A: I support the requirement for a valid Montana ID for all elections.

On Gun Control: Background checks are prudent; military weapons aren't

A: Yes.

Q: Should a license be required for gun possession?

A: No. I strongly support the right to bear arms for hunting and personal protection. I believe that background checks are prudent & necessary. I also believe that the sale of specialized military weapons should be banned for public use. I believe that in areas of high security, such as courtrooms, airports, and military bases, that concealed weapons should not be allowed."

On Health Care: Caps on medical malpractice; no government health insurance

Zinke indicates support of the following principles regarding health.
• Ensure that citizens have access to basic health care through managed care, insurance reforms, or state-funded care where necessary.
• Limit the amount of damages that can be awarded in medical malpractice lawsuits.
• Allow patients to sue their HMOs.
• Require hospitals and labs to release reports on infections that are a risk to public health, while not compromising patient confidentiality.
• Legalize physician assisted suicide in Montana.
• Zinke adds, "I support providing financial incentives to maintain affordable private health insurance through caps on medical malpractice and through group rates. I do not believe the government can provide health insurance better than the market."

On Immigration: Punish those who knowingly employ illegal immigrants

Zinke indicates support of the following principles regarding immigration.
• Support financial punishments for those who knowingly employ illegal immigrants.
• Support state and local law enforcement officials enforcing federal immigration laws.