VoteMatch Responses (Click here for VoteMatch quiz)
VoteMatch Question & Answer (Click on question for explanation and background)	Based on these stances: (Click on topic for excerpt & citation)
Strongly Favors topic 1: Abortion is a woman's unrestricted right (+5 points on Social scale)	Allow nurses to perform non-surgical abortions: Strongly Favors topic 1 Uncompromising champion of a woman's right to choose: Strongly Favors topic 1 Supports federal abortion funding: Favors topic 1
Favors topic 2: Legally require hiring women & minorities (-3 points on Economic scale)	Vetoed considering demographics in college admissions: Opposes topic 2 1/3 of young black men in jail means absolute oppression: Strongly Favors topic 2
Strongly Favors topic 3: Comfortable with same-sex marriage (+5 points on Social scale)	Eliminate "gay panic" tactic for criminal defendants: Strongly Favors topic 3 Allow student sports choice based on gender identity: Strongly Favors topic 3 Prohibit sexual orientation conversion therapy: Strongly Favors topic 3 The right to marry is sacred for gay and straight people: Strongly Favors topic 3 Opposes Amendment to prevent same sex marriage: Strongly Favors topic 3
Favors topic 4: Keep God in the public sphere (-3 points on Social scale)	Proclaim May 2 as California "Day of Prayer": Favors topic 4
Strongly Favors topic 5: Expand ObamaCare (-5 points on Economic scale)	ACA wholeheartedly embraced in CA: Strongly Favors topic 5 Expand Medi-Cal eligibility for ObamaCare: Strongly Favors topic 5 Get started on ObamaCare, then expand Medi-Cal: Favors topic 5 Insurance companies must cover maternity leave & services: Strongly Favors topic 5 Supports government-run healthcare: Strongly Favors topic 5
No opinion on topic 6: Privatize Social Security (0 points on Economic scale)	Moral obligation to fund pension obligations: Opposes topic 6 Cap benefits & increase retirement age: Favors topic 6
Favors topic 7: Vouchers for school choice (+2 points on Economic scale)	Local Control Funding Formula: breakthrough in subsidiarity: Favors topic 7 No government-imposed standards for public schools: Favors topic 7 Replace school achievement testing with progress testing: Opposes topic 7 Consider subsidiarity: central authority only if local fails: Favors topic 7 Let people vote to avoid cutting schools & colleges: Favors topic 7 Give school districts more flexibility and hold accountable: Favors topic 7
Strongly Opposes topic 8: Fight EPA regulatory over-reach (+5 points on Social scale)	Deal with pollution at local level: Opposes topic 8 California Waterfix: Modernized state water system: Opposes topic 8 Establish new regional groundwater sustainability agency: Strongly Opposes topic 8 32-year quest to build nation's first high-speed rail line: Strongly Opposes topic 8 $48M for funding hybrid and zero-emission vehicles: Strongly Opposes topic 8 $14B to build tunnels and restore San Joaquin Delta habitat: Opposes topic 8 Supports high speed rail in CA to create jobs, ease traffic: Opposes topic 8 Banned shark fin harvesting to protect sharks and ocean: Strongly Opposes topic 8 Sustainability ideology obscures need for attitudinal change: Strongly Opposes topic 8 Fight to save the Headwaters ancient redwood groves: Strongly Opposes topic 8 EPA cost analysis ignores value of standing forests: Strongly Opposes topic 8 Animals are public trust; why do trees belong to landowner?: Strongly Opposes topic 8 Capitalism needs to evolve to avoid ecological destruction: Strongly Opposes topic 8
Strongly Opposes topic 9: Stricter punishment reduces crime (+5 points on Social scale)	Instead of new laws, consider the overall system: Strongly Opposes topic 9 Major reductions in our prison population: Strongly Opposes topic 9 Curb prison spending through an historic realignment: Opposes topic 9 Cracked down on violent gangs: Favors topic 9 CA fired 8,000 college teachers & hired 25,000 prison guards: Opposes topic 9 War on crime is fabricated to frighten people: Strongly Opposes topic 9 Death penalty is a test of our humanity: Strongly Opposes topic 9
Favors topic 10: Absolute right to gun ownership (+2 points on Economic scale)	Include semiautomatic pistols in unsafe handgun law: Strongly Favors topic 10 Pushed back against liberals on gun control: Favors topic 10 Ban hunting with lead bullets; but detachable magazines OK: Opposes topic 10 Ban large-capacity kits, but veto other gun restrictions: Opposes topic 10
Favors topic 11: Higher taxes on the wealthy (-3 points on Economic scale)	Only choice is raise taxes to deal with extreme difficulty: Favors topic 11
Strongly Favors topic 12: Pathway to citizenship for illegal aliens (+5 points on Social scale)	National Guard for crime on border, not immigration: Favors topic 12 Allow bilingual education in public schools: Favors topic 12 Allow driver's license for undocumented immigrants: Favors topic 12 Supports state aid to illegals' children and DREAM Act: Strongly Favors topic 12 Signed AB131: undocumented students college financial aid: Strongly Favors topic 12
Opposes topic 13: Support & expand free trade (-3 points on Economic scale)	Opposed the Northern American Free Trade Agreement: Strongly Opposes topic 13 Open CA trade and investment office in Shanghai: Strongly Favors topic 13 CA entrepreneurialism reaps benefit from Pacific Rim trade: Favors topic 13 GATT pushes short-term consumption; ignores over-consumption: Strongly Opposes topic 13 Maquiladoras liberated rural women to new servitude: Opposes topic 13 Global development system expands gap between rich and poor: Strongly Opposes topic 13 NAFTA and GATT send jobs to Chinese & Mexican workers: Opposes topic 13 Reauthorize the Ex-Im Bank: Favors topic 13 Support long-term reauthorization of the Export-Import Bank: Strongly Favors topic 13
Opposes topic 14: Support American Exceptionalism (-3 points on Economic scale)	Syrian refugees should be fully vetted, then given asylum: Opposes topic 14
Opposes topic 15: Expand the military (+2 points on Social scale)	Governor's Military Council: avoid DOD budget cuts: Favors topic 15 Media colludes with politicians to glorify military killing: Strongly Opposes topic 15
Strongly Favors topic 16: Make voter registration easier (+5 points on Social scale)	Pilot program for all-mail-in ballots: Strongly Favors topic 16 Forced legislators to comply with campaign disclosure laws: Favors topic 16
Opposes topic 17: Avoid foreign entanglements (-3 points on Social scale)	World assured of America's resolve in combating terrorism: Opposes topic 17 Kuwait War: missile flashes didn't feel like we were killing: Opposes topic 17
Strongly Favors topic 18: Prioritize green energy (-5 points on Economic scale)	No climate deniers: the science is clear; the danger is real: Strongly Favors topic 18 CA out front in addressing climate change: Strongly Favors topic 18 Charge Ahead: 1,000,000 zero-emission vehicles by 2023: Strongly Favors topic 18 Pay for high-speed rail project with cap-and-trade revenue: Strongly Favors topic 18 Slow down fracking until scientific study is completed: Strongly Favors topic 18 CO2 emissions could warm planet by 7 degrees: Strongly Favors topic 18 Clean energy investment produces jobs for CA: Favors topic 18 Clean Energy Jobs Plan: invest to replace fossil fuel: Strongly Favors topic 18 Letter to Congress supporting renewable energy tax credit: Strongly Favors topic 18
Favors topic 19: Marijuana is a gateway drug (-3 points on Social scale)	How many people can get stoned and still have a great state?: Favors topic 19 Vetoed prosecutor discretion on drugs; keep it a felony: Favors topic 19 Vetoed reducing drug possession from felony to misdemeanor: Favors topic 19 Rated C by NORML, indicating a mixed record on drug reform: Neutral on topic 19
Favors topic 20: Stimulus better than market-led recovery (-3 points on Economic scale)	California needs a larger Rainy Day Fund: Favors topic 20 $27B budget gap then; multibillion-dollar surplus now: Favors topic 20 Proposes balanced budget and $12.5 billion in cuts: Opposes topic 20