Criteria for Maryland State-Office Candidates
Prepared by Luis Zapata and Emily Koechlin -- Final Draft c

1. Healthcare

1A. Do you support the Maryland Health Insurance Plan (MHIP) and Maryland Children's Health Program (MCHP), and have you taken any actions to promote a State single-payer healthcare solution; and, given the new National Legislation that will go into effect, what changes in the law do you advocate to strengthen the Maryland universal health care coverage?

2. Environment

2A. Do you support increased funding for mass transit, as well as the Purple Line, and do you oppose the Inter County Connector (ICC) in particular?

2B. Do you support limiting the Maryland pollutant runoffs reaching the Bay?

2C. Do you support legislation that places stricter State-limits on gasoline consumption to force auto makers to create more efficient vehicles?

3. Taxation

3A. Do you support a full, graduated income taxation solution for Maryland residents, including the “Millionaires’ Tax; and eliminating tax breaks for wealthy individuals?

3B. Do you support combined reporting for corporations, and imposing higher corporate tax rates in line with neighboring states?

3C. Do you support an increase in the alcohol tax?

4. Courts & Imprisonment

4A. Do you support the repeal of the death penalty in Maryland?

4B. Do you support policies/legislation to strengthen gang prevention in Maryland without punishing young victims of gang violence and intimidation, and further eroding communities where gangs dominate?

5. Immigrant Rights

5A. Do you support granting of Maryland drivers' licenses without any restrictions dependent on immigration status?

5B. Do you have a history of support for legislation to make Maryland a “sanctuary state” and/or are you willing to support it in the future?(In a sanctuary state, no agent, officer or employee of the state, mayassist the U.S. Bureau of Immigration and Customs Enforcement in the investigation or arrest of any persons for violation of the U.S. immigration and nationality laws.)

6. Women's Rights

6A. Do you support enacting state laws that require equal pay for equal work irrespective of gender?

6B. Do you support women's access to government-funded abortion under MHIP, or have you opposed restrictions on those rights?

7. LGBT Rights

7A. Do you have a history of advocating for legalizing same-sex marriages in Maryland, and for opposing restrictions on recognizing same-sex marriages performed in other jurisdictions?

7B. Do you support Montgomery County's Gender Identity Law, and have you taken any actions to defend it when it was under attack, and if so, what actions; in addition, do you support a similar State-wide law?

8. Labor Rights

8A. Do you support the rights of Maryland's private and public-sector workers to have collective bargaining and union representation?

9. Education

9A. Do you support full funding of the Thornton Commission on Education Finance, Equity, and Excellence, and for opposing public funds being used for private schools (including the use of vouchers or the BOAST Bill)?

9B. Do you oppose the current level of reliance on standardized test scores as the measure of student success and evaluating schools, or would you make changes, and if so, what changes would you make?

9C. Do you support the right for undocumented residents and their children to have equal access to the public school systems at all levels as apply to other State residents; for applying the same in-state college tuition, and for using the same formula for scholarships as applied to other State residents?

10. Elections

10A. Do you support enacting State campaign finance reform and laws that curtail corporate influence on elections, and laws that enable voluntary public financing of campaigns for state offices in a way that would allow candidates to receive funding after demonstrating significant community support?

10B. Do you support the right enfranchisement for all residents of Maryland, regardless of legal status.

11. Peace and Anti-War

11A. Do you have a history of opposing the use of the Maryland National Guard in non-humanitarian military assignments in other countries?

12. Good Government

12A. Do you support enacting open government and transparency legislation that would include the public web-posting of the entire record and votes of all meetings/hearings of General Assembly official bodies at every level, including subcommittees; and the posting and sign-up sheets for all General Assembly hearings?