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Candidate Questionnaire
Herb McMillan is currently a state delegate from district 30 -- Click here to see how he voted on the Maryland Chamber's key issues
Name: Herb McMillan
Office Sought: Senator
District: 30
Party Affiliation: Republican
Have you previously held public office?
Annapolis City Council 1997-2001
Maryland House of Delegates 2002-present
What is your Occupation?
Pilot, American Airlines
Navy Reserve Commander
Member, House of Delegates
What are the three key issues of your campaign, and why are they important to the business community?
1. Fiscal Responsibility-we need to cut spending & reduce taxes so businesses can grow and provide their employees with better wages & benefits promote a better business climate.
2. Free enterprise-cut mandates (insurance) and regulations that perpetuate failure & hold back reform & growth (prevailing wage laws another example) let the market work. Don’t cap prices.
3. Individual Empowerment-government should not do for people what they can do for themselves. They know how to spend their hard earned money better than government. Why are you the best person to represent the people of your district?
Because I’m looking out for their long term interests, and base my votes on principle, not on party loyalty. I’ve demonstrated consistent, independent, fiscally responsible leadership, both as a councilman and as a delegate. I don’t cut and run on the tough votes. My opponent does.
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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Other: Constitutional amendment that limits spending to no more than the rate of inflation and population growth, without a vote by the people of Maryland.
| 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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Other: Maryland has the highest total tax burnen per person in the U.S. It's time to cut. You can't spend your way out of a deficit and you can't tax yourself into prosperity. Our problem isn't that we don't tax enough; it's that we spend too much.
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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Miscellaneous Do you support indexing Maryland’s minimum wage to inflation?
No. I oppose a state minimum wage period.
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. I've co-sponsored legislation to do it.
Should the Governor be authorized to impose price controls when products are in short supply?
No. They don't work.
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