Constituent survey

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 – 57% NO – 23%
UNDECIDED – 20%
B. Eliminating “uninsured” persons off the rolls of TennCare
YES – 39% NO – 35%
UNDECIDED – 26%
C. Eliminating “medically uninsurable” persons off the rolls of TennCare (but replacing TennCare with a separate program for the medically uninsurable)
YES – 39% NO – 33%
UNDECIDED – 28%
D. Limiting the number of prescriptions per person
YES – 45% NO – 36%
UNDECIDED – 19%
E. Reverting to the previous Medicaid system, whereby TennCare would only insure those who qualify for Medicaid.
YES – 34% NO – 40%
UNDECIDED – 25%

2. Should the state pass a law banning cell phone use by a driver, while a vehicle is in operation?
YES – 59% NO – 33%
UNDECIDED – 8%
3. Are you in favor of eliminating any new specialty (i.e. “vanity”) plates and only keeping the plates that are currently available?
YES – 47% NO – 40%
UNDECIDED – 13%

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 – 34% NO – 56%
UNDECIDED – 10%

5. Should Tennessee ban open containers of alcohol by both drivers and passengers in vehicles? (current law prohibits drivers only)
YES – 64% NO – 31%
UNDECIDED – 5%

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 – 19%
DON’T LET THEM TAX -?67%
UNDECIDED – 14%

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 – 73%
DIFFERENT QUALIFICATIONS – 20%
UNDECIDED – 7%

8. Do you think each county should be given the option of deciding whether to elect or appoint their school superintendents?
YES – 67% NO – 24%
UNDECIDED – 9%
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 – 72% NO – 20%
UNDECIDED – 8%

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 – 49%
LUMP SUM ONLY – 35%
UNDECIDED – 16%

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 -?40% NO -?49%
UNDECIDED – 11%

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 -?83% NO – 9%
UNDECIDED – 8%

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 – 76% NO – 16%
UNDECIDED – 8%

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 – 75% NO – 15%
UNDECIDED – 10%

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 – 71% NO – 13%
UNDECIDED – 16%

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 – 37% NO – 53%
UNDECIDED – 10%

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 – 47% NO – 44%
UNDECIDED – 9%

18. Would you support legislation to ban smoking in all public areas such as restaurants, office buildings, etc.?
YES – 61% NO – 32%
UNDECIDED – 7%

19. Would you support legislation to ban smoking in all state office buildings across the state?
YES – 73% NO – 21%
UNDECIDED – 6%

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 -?72% NO – 15%
UNDECIDED – 13%

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 – 80% NO – 12%
UNDECIDED – 8%

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 – 55% NO -?29%
UNDECIDED – 16%

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 – 74% NO – 17%
UNDECIDED – 9%

24. Should automobile emissions testing be implemented statewide?
YES -?33% NO – 54%
UNDECIDED – 13%

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 – 57%
LOCAL GOVERNMENT – 33%
UNDECIDED – 10%

26. Should certain portions of state forestry land be declared off-limits and preserved from timber harvesting and clear cutting?
YES – 70% NO – 17%
UNDECIDED – 13%

27. Do you favor allowing the operation of All Terrain Vehicles (ATVs) on certain designated paths in state wildlife management areas?
YES – 39% NO – 50%
UNDECIDED – 11%