State Senator’s Survey
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“This year I am pleased to report 357 individuals took time to voice their opinions by answering the 31 questions,” said Cooper. The questions asked ranged from the timely issue of taxes and government spending to charter schools and gasoline tax monies. Also covered were car safety, handgun carry permit laws, teacher issues and tobacco settlement monies.
Here are the survey results:
1. Gov. Don Sundquist has said Tennessee faces a multi-million dollar deficit for the 2002-2003 budget year. The following are options being discussed to address the budget issue. Please review these options and circle YES, NO or UNDECIDED by each statement to indicate whether you agree with that statement.
a. Transfer money from the highway fund to offset the state budget deficit, even if it would affect road construction and maintenance
YES – 30% NO – 61% UNDECIDED – 9%
b. Broaden the state sales tax base by taxing currently exempted items and services (such as barbers, architects, legal services, etc.) while lowering the overall state sales tax from 6% to 4.25%
YES – 45% NO- 35% UNDECIDED – 20%
c. Reduce government services, rather than raise taxes, in order to balance the budget.
YES – 54% NO – 31% UNDECIDED – 15%
d. Increase the excise/franchise tax on businesses
YES – 29% NO – 54% UNDECIDED – 17%
e. A state income tax with a repeal or reduction of the sales tax
YES – 34% NO – 58% UNDECIDED – 8%
f. Impose a state property tax
YES – 3% NO – 50% UNDECIDED – 47%
g. Increase the state sales tax
YES – 16% NO – 77% UNDECIDED – 7%
h. Increase state taxes on cigarettes
YES – 70% NO – 24% UNDECIDED – 6%
i. Increase state taxes on liquor
YES – 67% NO – 26% UNDECIDED – 7%
j. Impose a state-wide wheel tax on automobiles
YES – 10% NO – 83% UNDECIDED – 7%
2. If Tennessee adopts a state lottery, should funds be earmarked for education and/or college scholarship purposes or put into the “general fund” for government services?
EARMARKED FOR EDUCATION 55% PUT IN GENERAL FUND 25% UNDECIDED 20%
3. TennCare has been a major issue during the past few months. The following are options being looked at to reform the TennCare program. Keep in mind, there are three categories of TennCare: A. Medicaid TennCare – This is mandated by federal law for all Medicaid-eligible individuals. Tennessee must provide health care to this group under federal law; B. Uninsurables – Those individuals who have ben turned down for private health insurance for health reasons; C. Uninsured – Those individuals who have access to private insurance, but may or may not be able to afford insurance.
a. Should TennCare limit its enrollment to Medicaid-eligible citizens only and stop providing insurance to the “uninsured” and “uninsurables”?
YES – 24% NO – 66% UNDECIDED – 10%
b. Should the state stop providing insurance to individuals who are now on TennCare under the category of “uninsured” with the condition temporary assistance be given for 18 months to cover them while they find private health insurance?
YES – 52% NO – 40% UNDECIDED – 8%
c. Should the state continue to provide insurance to “uninsured” TennCare individuals if there is an increase in premiums to help cover the cost?
YES – 47% NO – 35% UNDECIDED – 18%
d. Should the state stop providing insurance to individuals who are now on TennCare under the category of “uninsurable” and revert to a comprehensive insurance pool funded with federal monies in cooperation with private insurance companies?
YES – 43% NO – 32% UNDECIDED – 25%
e. Should the state continue to provide insurance to “uninsurable” TennCare individuals if there is an increase in premiums to help cover the cost?
YES – 62% NO – 21% UNDECIDED – 17%
f. The state should try to continue covering all three groups (Medicaid-eligible, uninsured and uninsurable) who are presently on TennCare.
YES – 38% NO – 53% UNDECIDED – 9%
4. The national Master Tobacco Settlement agreement will provide Tennessee with billions of dollars through the year 2025. The following are options for use of these funds. Please write YES, NO or UNDECIDED by each blank.
a. Do not spend the money – keep in special account to accrue interest until fund is self-sustaining.
YES – 24% NO – 61% UNDECIDED – 15%
b. Use to help balance Tennessee’s budget.
YES – 30% NO – 55% UNDECIDED – 15%
c. Support tobacco prevention and education programs.
YES – 72% NO – 21% UNDECIDED – 7%
d. Use to treat tobacco addiction
YES – 47% NO – 46% UNDECIDED – 7%
e. Use to pay for long-term care for the elderly.
YES – 53% NO – 37% UNDECIDED – 10%
f. Use for treatment of chronic tobacco-related illnesses.
YES – 56% NO – 40% UNDECIDED – 4%
g. Use for research programs related to tobacco.
YES – 40% NO – 54% UNDECIDED – 6%
h. Use to reimburse hospitals for charity care.
YES – 18% NO – 72% UNDECIDED – 10%
i. Use to subsidize tobacco farmers for losses in quota reductions mandated by the government.
YES – 23% NO – 72% UNDECIDED -5%
5. Would you favor legislation that allows a patient to sue his or her Health Maintenance Organization (HMO) for medical malpractice, even if (as some believe) such legislation might drive up the costs of health care insurance? ABLE TO SUE 44% SET UP SPECIAL ARBITRATION BOARD 56%
6. Would you favor a moratorium on the imposition of the death penalty while a study is being conducted on all aspects of capital punishment trials here in Tennessee?
YES – 22% NO – 70% UNDECIDED – 8%
7. Should trigger locks be required on all firearms sold in Tennessee?
YES – 33% NO – 60% UNDECIDED – 7%
8. Tennessee currently has a “handgun carry permit law” which requires individuals to pass criminal/DUI background checks, as well as take a gun safety class. Should a law be passed which would allow these individuals to take their concealed weapons in restaurants that serve alcohol?
YES – 33% NO – 58% UNDECIDED – 9%
9. Should honorably discharged veterans be allowed to obtain a handgun carry permit without taking the mandated gun safety class, if the veteran passes a criminal/DUI background check?
YES – 53% NO – 41% UNDECIDED – 6%
10. Should businesses that sell alcohol require EVERY individual to show ID when buying alcohol?
YES – 61% NO – 37% UNDECIDED – 2%
11. Would you support tightening driver’s license laws by requiring driver applicants to be U.S. citizens and/or conducting criminal background checks?
YES – 90% NO – 7% UNDECIDED – 3%
12. Under present law, part of the punishment for a first-time DUI is 48 hours of incarceration. Would you favor changing the law so a first-time offender be required to pick up trash from our roads for 48 hours, in lieu of serving 48 hours in jail?
YES – 81% NO – 16% UNDECIDED – 3%
13. Should the state pass a law to make it illegal for drivers under-18 to drive and talk on a cell phone at the same time?
YES – 82% NO – 12% UNDECIDED – 6%
14. Should the state pass a law to prohibit all cell phone use in automobiles, unless an individual uses a hands free device?
YES – 67% NO – 25% UNDECIDED – 8%
15. Do you favor a state law lowering the blood alcohol level for drunk driving from .10% to .08%?
YES – 72% NO – 23% UNDECIDED – 5%
16. Would you support legislation that would allow a police officer to immediately revoke a driver’s license at the time of a DUI arrest?
YES – 71% NO – 18% UNDECIDED – 11%
17. Would you favor doing away with all special automobile license plates and going back to one Tennessee state license plate?
YES – 47% NO – 38% UNDECIDED – 15%
18. If the state continues to sell special automobile license plates, should non-profit or state-funded organizations be allowed to receive the funds generated by a special license plate?
YES – 34% NO – 55% UNDECIDED – 11%
19. Would you support legislation that would protect a law enforcement officer from being held liable for an injury to a third party caused during the pursuit of a suspect?
YES – 38% NO – 47% UNDECIDED – 15%
20. Do you support the idea of “school choice vouchers” under which a family would be granted a yearly allowance for their child’s education, allowing them to choose either a public or private school?
YES – 43% NO – 55% UNDECIDED – 2%
21. The idea of public (anyone can attend) Charter Schools is being put forth by several groups. These Charter Schools would allow parents, teachers, and/or employers to set up a school (under School Board approval) that can try different approaches to education. These schools would be given more flexibility with fewer regulations than standard public schools. Would you support the idea of public Charter Schools here in Tennessee?
YES – 52% NO – 34% UNDECIDED – 14%
22. Do you support allowing a person to teach in an elementary or middle school if they have a college degree but not a teacher license?
YES – 52% NO – 43% UNDECIDED – 5%
23. Do you support allowing a person to teach in a high school if they have a college degree but not a teacher license?
YES – 42% NO – 52% UNDECIDED – 6%
24. Do you favor Charter Schools for special needs students and/or those who need accelerated instruction?
YES – 67% NO – 22% UNDECIDED – 11%
25. Current school attendance laws require children to be 5 years old by Sept. 30 to start kindergarten. Should the school attendance law be changed to mandate children must be 5 by July 1 before they can start kindergarten?
YES – 39% NO – 37% UNDECIDED – 24%
26. Should the state require each school system to provide pre-kindergarten programs for all 4-year-olds?
YES – 14% NO – 81% UNDECIDED – 5%
27. Should the state mandate there be only one school district in each county?
YES – 37% NO – 43% UNDECIDED – 20%
28. Should the three controlling boards for higher education (TN Higher Education Commission, TN Board of Regents, and University of TN Board) be dissolved and merged into one board that oversees all of higher education in the state?
YES – 70% NO – 17% UNDECIDED – 13%
29. Would you support the idea of transferring 1 cent of future gasoline tax collections from the highway program to the state parks budget to assist in keeping parks open?
YES – 70% NO – 24% UNDECIDED – 6%
30. Should the General Assembly support legislation that would privatize some operations at state parks (such as the management of restaurants, inns, golf courses, etc.)?
YES – 72% NO – 20% UNDECIDED – 8%
31. What do you consider the first and second most important issues facing Tennesseans today?
• No. 1 issue – the state budget
• No. 2 issue – threat of losing TennCare