Constituent survey now available online
“I want to thank Senator Cooper for his hard work on this survey, and I am excited to be a part of it,” said Curtiss.
Matheny added, “Like the senator, I am eager to find new ways of being more accessible to my constituents, and this is another avenue to achieve that.”
This is the 20th time Sen. Cooper has asked voters to respond to a Constituent Survey, and he is enthusiastic to have Rep. Charlie Curtiss and Rep. Judd Matheny join him in this annual endeavor.
“It is an honor for me to serve as your state senator, and I will continue to seek the views of my constituents during each legislative session,” said Cooper. “From my experience over the past few years, these surveys have been extremely important because they supply vital information from a great number of voters and local residents. The past 19 surveys have been very successful, and I appreciate all the folks who take time to fill out this questionnaire.”
There is an addition to this year’s survey. For the first time, the constituent survey will be on the Tennessee General Assembly Web site.
For those who would like to participate in the survey via the Internet, go to www.legislature.state.tn.us. Then, click on “Senate” on the left-hand side of the home page. Click on “Members.” Scroll down to “Cooper, Jerry W.” and click on name. Then scroll down to “2004 Online Survey.”
Responses to the survey should be mailed to state Sen. Jerry Cooper’s Legislative Office Address at: 309 War Memorial Building, Nashville, Tennessee, 37243. Surveys should be mailed to Sen. Cooper no later than Feb. 28.
Constituent survey
DISCLAIMER: The questions below are general in nature and do not necessarily indicate subjects endorsed by state Sen. Jerry Cooper, or state Reps. Charlie Curtiss and Judd Matheny.
TennCare has been a major issue during the past few years. The following are options being looked at to reform TennCare. Please 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. Medically Uninsurables – The category of “uninsurable” are those individuals who have been turned down for private health insurance because of health reasons.
C. Uninsured – Those individuals without health insurance. TennCare has been closed to “uninsured” for years.
1. Which of the following TennCare reform measures would you support:
A. Placing limits on benefits
YES _______ NO _______
UNDECIDED _______
B. Eliminating “uninsured” persons off the rolls of TennCare
YES _______ NO _______
UNDECIDED_______
C. Eliminating “medically uninsurable” persons off the rolls of TennCare (but replacing TennCare with a separate program for the medically uninsurable)
YES _______ NO _______
UNDECIDED _______
D. Limiting the number of prescriptions per person
YES _______ NO _______
UNDECIDED _______
E. Reverting to the previous Medicaid system, whereby TennCare would only insure those who qualify for Medicaid.
YES _______ NO _______
UNDECIDED _______
2. Should the state pass a law banning cell phone use by a driver, while a vehicle is in operation?
YES_______ NO_______
UNDECIDED_______
3. Are you in favor of eliminating any new specialty (i.e. “vanity”) plates and only keeping the plates that are currently available?
YES _______ NO_______
UNDECIDED_______
4. Would you support legislation allowing law enforcement to use photo radar to issue traffic violation tickets at stoplights and at railroad crossings? (Photo-radar consists of high-tech cameras placed at intersections, railroad crossings, etc. that can film cars coming and going. The actual ticket is then sent to your home.)
YES_______ NO_______
UNDECIDED_______
5. Should Tennessee ban open containers of alcohol by both drivers and passengers in vehicles? (current law prohibits drivers only)
YES _______ NO _______
UNDECIDED _______
6. Should local school boards be given taxing authority for education purposes only, or should this remain under the jurisdiction of the local County Commission members?
LET SCHOOL BOARDS TAX _____
DON’T LET THEM TAX _____
7. Should home school students and private school students be held to the same lottery education qualifications, as public school and GED graduates, in order to qualify for lottery HOPE scholarships? Or, should home schoolers and private school students be held to a higher qualifying standard, which is the current state law?
SAME QUALIFICATIONS _______
DIFFERENT QUALIFICATIONS______
8. Do you think each county should be given the option of deciding whether to elect or appoint their school superintendents?
YES_______ NO_______
UNDECIDED_______
9. Do you support limits on the amount of money a plaintiff can recover in a medical malpractice case against a doctor and/or hospital for “non-economic” damages (i.e. pain, suffering)?
YES_______ NO_______
UNDECIDED_______
10. Do you support allowing doctors and/or hospitals to pay off lawsuit damages over $150,000, to victims of medical malpractice over an extended period of time, instead of one lump sum?
EXTENDED TIME_______
LUMP SUM ONLY_______
11. Would you favor increasing the penalty for a first-time conviction of aggravated cruelty to animals, from a Class A misdemeanor to a Class E felony? (The penalty for a Class A misdemeanor is not more than 11 months/29 days, or a fine not to exceed $2,500 or both. The penalty for a Class E felony is 1-6 years, with possible fines up to $3,000).
YES _______ NO_______
UNDECIDED_______
12. Would you favor creating a Class D felony offense of possessing ephedrine or pseudoephedrine with intent to manufacture amphetamine or methamphetamine? (A Class D felony carries a penalty of 2-12 years, and a possible fine up to $5,000).
YES_______ NO_______
UNDECIDED_______
13. Do you support legislation requiring retail stores to limit the amount of sinus and cold medicine containing the ingredient pseudoephedrine that can be sold to a customer, since “pseudoephedrine” is the main ingredient in the manufacture of meth?
YES_______ NO_______
UNDECIDED_______
14. Tennessee is the only state which does not currently elect attorney general. Do you favor the popular election of the attorney general, instead of our present system of appointment by the state Supreme Court?
YES_______ NO_______
UNDECIDED_______
15. Would you favor the election of Tennessee Supreme Court Justices and Appellate Court Judges by popular vote, instead of the present “YES/NO” retention system?
YES_______ NO_______
UNDECIDED_______
16. Tennessee currently has a handgun carry permit law which requires individuals to pass FBI criminal background checks, as well as take a gun safety class. Should a law be passed which would allow a duly licensed individual, who is not consuming alcohol, to take their concealed weapons in restaurants that serve alcohol?
YES______ NO_______
UNDECIDED_______
17. Should a duly licensed handgun carry permit holder be allowed to enter school property or a public park with a weapon in their car, if they do not remove or use the weapon or permit another person to remove or use the weapon?
YES _______ NO______
UNDECIDED_______
18. Would you support legislation to ban smoking in all public areas such as restaurants, office buildings, etc.?
YES _______ NO _______
UNDECIDED _______
19. Would you support legislation to ban smoking in all state office buildings across the state?
YES _______ NO_______
UNDECIDED _______
20. Many insurance companies in Tennessee use an individual’s credit report to determine insurability and rates. Federal law allows them to use these credit reports. Would you support state legislation which would put limits on how insurance companies could use these credit reports to determine an individual’s insurability and/or rates?
YES _______ NO _______
UNDECIDED _______
21. Would you favor legislation that would require businesses to dispose of identifying information such as credit/debit card receipts through shredding or burning?
YES _______ NO _______
UNDECIDED _______
22. Do you favor including a “bittering agent” (to prevent pets from accidentally consuming) in all anti-freeze or engine coolant sold in Tennessee?
YES _______ NO_______
UNDECIDED _______
23. Do you support a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization holding an annual event that allows gaming such as bingo, raffle or the like?
YES_______ NO_______
UNDECIDED_______
24. Should automobile emissions testing be implemented statewide?
YES _______ NO _______
UNDECIDED _______
25. Should there be statewide standards implemented regarding the location of landfills and solid waste disposals or should this issue be left with local county governments?
STATEWIDE STANDARDS _______
LOCAL GOVERNMENT _______
UNDECIDED _______
26. Should certain portions of state forestry land be declared off-limits and preserved from timber harvesting and clear cutting?
YES _______ NO_______
UNDECIDED _______
27. Do you favor allowing the operation of All Terrain Vehicles (ATVs) on certain designated paths in state wildlife management areas?
YES _______ NO_______
UNDECIDED _______
NAME & ADDRESS
_________________________________
_________________________________
Responses to the survey should be mailed to state Sen. Jerry Cooper’s Legislative Office at:
309 War Memorial Building,
Nashville, Tennessee, 37243.
Surveys should be mailed by Feb. 28.
On the Web
Access to the survey can be gained by visiting www.legislature.state.tn.us.