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Candidate Questionnaire
Sandra Schrader is an incumbent -- Click here to see how she voted on the Maryland Chamber's key issues
Name: Sandra B. Schrader
Office Sought: State Senate
District: 13
Party Affiliation: Republican
Have you previously held public office?
Yes
State Senator (2002-present)
What is your Occupation?
Teacher
What are the three key issues of your campaign, and why are they important to the business community?
1. Education-There is no substitute for a well-educated workforce.
2. Taxes-hold the line on taxing businesses in order to sustain a competitive and expanding business environment. I pledge again, as I did in 2002, to oppose ant attempt to raise state income taxes or to raise (or burden) the state sales tax.
3. Moderately Priced Housing-so that people can afford to live near to where they work. Why are you the best person to represent the people of your district?
20 year resident of District 31, wife, mother, teacher, volunteer, legislative aide and state senator-these are the roles that fill every day. These roles have provided the experiences I need to continue to serve in the Maryland Senate. As the first woman represent Howard County in the State Senate, I a bring needed perspective to Annapolis. I have a reputation as a hard worker, adept at building consensus and working with colleagues from both political parties. My roles have been many but my goal has been simple-to serve my community and provide the best representation possible to my constituents in Legislative District 13.
Fiscal Responsibility
Despite the temporary surplus resulting from robust economic expansion, funding of current state services and new accounting requirements impacting state retiree health insurance costs will consume all available state revenues. The State continues to have a long-term structural deficit.
| Which of the following actions would you support to balance the state’s budget? |
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Support |
Oppose |
Undecided |
| Contain state spending |
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| Cut state spending |
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| Avoid new unfunded or under-funded state spending mandates |
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| Authorize slot machines |
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| Increase taxes |
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| Do you support any of the following measures to increase state revenue? |
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Support |
Oppose |
Undecided |
| Income tax increase |
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| Income tax increase on high wage earners |
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| Corporate income tax increase |
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| Sales tax increase |
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| Broadening the sales tax base to include professional services |
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| Regional sales tax increase for mass transit |
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| Dedicating one cent of the existing sales tax to transportation and/or transit needs |
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| Gas tax increase |
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| No new spending mandates |
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Health Care Affordability
Health insurance costs are rising at levels nearly three times the overall rate of inflation. Employers and employees are increasingly unable or unwilling to purchase health insurance coverage as it is currently offered.
| Which of the following steps do you support to make health care insurance more affordable and available? |
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Support |
Oppose |
Undecided |
| Enact meaningful medical liability reform |
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| Enact association health plan legislation |
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| Reform the small group health plan |
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| Enact a single-payer, government-run health care system |
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| Review and repeal unnecessary health care mandates |
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| Employers should contribute to HSAs and leave the health care decision to the individual |
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| Tax employers who don’t offer health insurance, or whose plans don’t meet state requirements |
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Do you support expanding the “Wal-Mart bill” payroll tax to more employers in the future?
No.
Civil Liability Reform
Maryland’s fair and predictable laws governing tort liability are an essential part of Maryland’s business climate, and are important in business retention and attraction.
| Which of the following do you support? |
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Support |
Oppose |
Undecided |
| Support reforms to civil liability law that will help moderate medical liability insurance rates |
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| Restore the cap on non-economic damage awards in latent disease and latent injury cases |
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| Enact legislation to provide reasonable limits for appeal bonds |
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| Make it easier for a person filing suit to receive punitive damages |
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| Lower caps on non-economic damages. |
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I supported tort reform, but before supporting or opposing the above more specific issues, I would seek more information from the business community and other sources. Miscellaneous Do you support indexing Maryland’s minimum wage to inflation?
No.
In 2004, Maryland de-coupled its state estate tax from the federal estate tax. Should this change be repealed to bring Maryland law back in line with the federal law?
Yes.
Should the Governor be authorized to impose price controls when products are in short supply?
No.
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