Associate Press Survey for the North Dakota 2009 Legislature

Hello everyone,



My name is Dale Wetzel, I’m a reporter for The Associated Press in Bismarck. The AP is doing an issues survey in advance of the 2009 North Dakota Legislature. We’ve been doing these for more than 20 years.



I would be grateful if you could complete the survey and return it to me. There are 12 questions. I have attached identical versions in Microsoft Word and pdf format. I have also cut and pasted the plain text below, in the body of this e-mail.



My e-mail address is dwetzel@ap.org.



If you prefer to fill out a paper copy of the survey, I have mailed one to you, with a postage-paid return envelope. You should be getting the paper copy of the survey within the next few days.


If you want to print the survey from your computer, fill it out and return it, you have these options for sending it back:



You may fax it to 701-224-9252.
You may mail it to Dale Wetzel, The Associated Press, Box 1018, Bismarck, ND, 58502-1018.


I have attached the Word and PDF copies of the survey, and a cover letter in Microsoft Word that gives the background and ground rules for the survey.



If you have any questions, please call me at 701-223-8557 (land line) or 701-400-8557 (cell).



Thank you for your time. Dale Wetzel, AP, Bismarck, ND.



The survey text is below.



North Dakota Associated Press

2009 Legislative Survey







Name:___________________________________ Date of birth: ______________



1. The North Dakota Supreme Court recently ruled that the Legislature has never given cities and counties authority to charge higher traffic fines than the state charges for the same offense. Before the ruling, a number of cities had higher fines for some offenses, including speeding, running a stop sign and driving without a seat belt.



Should the Legislature give cities and counties authority to establish their own fines for traffic violations?



____Strongly agree

____Mildly agree

____Mildly disagree

____Strongly disagree

____Undecided



2. If the Legislature gives local governments the authority to establish their own fines for traffic violations, should the Legislature establish limits on what those fines may be?



____Strongly agree

____Mildly agree

____Mildly disagree

____Strongly disagree

____Undecided



3. North Dakota law prohibits smoking in most workplaces that are accessible to the public. Bars are exempted, and may allow smoking.



Should North Dakota law be changed to make it illegal to smoke in bars?



____Strongly agree

____Mildly agree

____Mildly disagree

____Strongly disagree

____Undecided





4. North Dakota’s seat-belt law says a law enforcement officer cannot pull over a motorist only for driving without a seat belt. The officer must observe another traffic offense before the driver may be stopped.



Should North Dakota law be changed to allow law officers to stop drivers if they see the driver is not wearing a seat belt, even if they did not observe another traffic offense first?



_____Strongly agree

_____Mildly agree

_____Mildly disagree

_____Strongly disagree

_____Undecided



5. Gov. John Hoeven’s budget plan includes a proposal to reduce state income taxes by $100 million. It would cut tax rates in each of the state’s five income tax brackets by 0.42 percent. The top rate would drop from 5.54 percent to 5.12 percent. The bottom rate would decline from 2.1 percent to 1.68 percent.



Which statement best reflects your opinion of this proposal?



____Strongly agree

____Mildly agree

____Mildly disagree

____Strongly disagree

____Undecided



6. In the November election, North Dakota voters defeated Measure 2, which sought to reduce the state’s individual income tax rates by 50 percent. Does the defeat of Measure 2 make it more likely, or less likely, that you will support an income tax cut in the Legislature?



____More likely

____Less likely

____No effect

____Undecided



7. North Dakota law allows children to drive when they turn 14. Insurance Commissioner Adam Hamm is introducing legislation to impose new restrictions on drivers who are 14 and 15 years of age.


What should be the minimum driving age in North Dakota?



____14 years old

____15 years old

____16 years old

____Other (please specify)



8. Hamm’s proposal would bar 14- and 15-year-olds from driving between 11 p.m. and 5 a.m, and prohibit them from using cell phones while they are driving. Which statement best reflects your opinion of this idea?



____Strongly agree

____Mildly agree

____Mildly disagree

____Strongly disagree

____Undecided



9. Gov. Hoeven’s budget recommendations include $300 million in payments to school districts for them to use to reduce their property tax rates. Which statement best reflects your opinion of this proposal?



____Strongly agree

____Mildly agree

____Mildly disagree

____Strongly disagree

____Undecided



10. If the state continues property tax reduction payments to schools, should the Legislature also restrict schools’ ability to subsequently raise their property tax rates?



____Strongly agree

____Mildly agree

____Mildly disagree

____Strongly disagree

____Undecided



11. During the interim, the Legislature’s Industry, Business and Labor Committee discussed whether to repeal North Dakota’s law that requires pharmacies to have majority ownership by a pharmacist or pharmacists. A group that supports repeal has bought advertising to promote repeal of the law.



Which statement best reflects your opinion of whether the “pharmacist majority ownership law” should be retained or abolished?



____It should be retained.

____It should be abolished.

____It should be kept, with additional exemptions.

____I am undecided.



12. During the interim, the Legislature’s Industry, Business and Labor Committee discussed whether to transform the Workforce Safety and Insurance agency into a private mutual insurance company, owned by the businesses that buy its insurance coverage.



Which statement best reflects your opinion of this idea?



____Strongly agree

____Mildly agree

____Mildly disagree

____Strongly disagree

____Undecided





That’s all. Thank you for your time, and Merry Christmas.





Dale Wetzel



State Capitol, Room G-5

Bismarck, ND 58505

Work Phone: 701-223-8557

Cell Phone: 701-400-8557

Home Phone: 701-255-1603

E-Mail: dwetzel@ap.org

E-Mail (Large Files): dwetzel@gmail.com






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