A non-partisan group called Project Vote Smart prepares questionnaires for legislative candidates to answer.

Although State Rep. Jack Franks filled out he group’s questionnaire in 1998 before he was elected, he apparently has not done so since then.

This year he failed to provide any answers.

For that reason, Project Vote Smart said that Franks had “0% courage during the test.”

Here are Franks’ answers from 1998:

Abortion
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Please indicate which principles you support (if any) regarding abortion.
		a) Abortions should always be legally available.
		b) Abortions should be legal only within the first trimester of pregnancy.
		c) Abortions should be legal only when pregnancy resulted from incest, rape, or when the life of the woman is endangered.
		d) Abortions should be legal only when the life of the woman is endangered.
		e) Abortions should always be illegal.
		f) Abortions should be limited by waiting periods and parental notification requirements.
		g) Prohibit the late-term abortion procedure known as “partial-birth” abortion.
		h) Support “buffer zones” by requiring demonstrators to stay at least 15 feet away from abortion clinic doorways and driveways.
	X	i) Other
I believe that abortion laws as they currently stand in Illinois are correct.
	Undecided	j) Should Illinois government funding be provided to clinics and medical facilities that provide abortion services?

Affirmative Action
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Indicate the principles you support (if any) concerning affirmative action. State government agencies should take race and sex into account in the following sectors:
	No	a) College and university admissions
	No	b) Public employment
	No	c) State contracting
		d) Other

Crime
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Indicate which principles you support (if any) to address crime.
	X	a) Increase state funds for construction of state prisons and for hiring of additional prison staff.
	X	b) Support contracting with private sector firms to build and/or manage state prisons.
	X	c) End parole for repeat violent felons.
	X	d) Expand the use of the death penalty for additional circumstances relating to murder.
		e) Oppose the death penalty.
	X	f) Implement penalties other than incarceration for certain non-violent offenders.
	X	g) Inform communities when a convicted sex offender moves into the community.
	X	h) Increase state funds for programs which rehabilitate and educate inmates during and after their prison sentences.
		i) Decriminalize the use of marijuana for medicinal purposes.
	X	j) Strengthen penalties and sentences for drug-related crimes.
	X	k) Strengthen penalties and sentences for sex offenders.
	X	l) Prosecute juveniles who commit murder or other serious violent crimes as adults.
	X	m) Provide funding for military-style “boot camps” for first-time juvenile felons.
		n) Require “impact incarceration” (23 hours per day lockdown) for the first six months of each prisoner’s sentence.
	X	o) Support laws requiring restitution to crime victims at the personal expense of the criminal.
		p) Require HIV testing for all incoming prison inmates.
		q) Other

Economy and Employment
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Indicate which principles you support (if any) concerning the economy and employment.
	X	a) Provide low interest loans and tax credits for starting, expanding, or relocating businesses.
	X	b) Reduce state government regulations on the private sector in order to encourage investment and economic expansion.
		c) Support limits on cash damages in lawsuits against businesses and professionals for product liability or malpractice.
	X	d) Increase funding for state job-training programs that re-train displaced workers or teach skills needed in today’s job market.
		e) License additional riverboat casinos.
		f) Fund construction of a new major airport to serve the Chicago metropolitan area.
		g) Other

Education
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Indicate which principles you support (if any) regarding education.
	X	a) Increase state funds for professional development of public school teachers and administrators.
	X	b) Encourage private or corporate investment in public school programs.
		c) Provide parents with state-funded vouchers to send their children to any participating school (public, private, religious).
	X	d) Favor charter schools where independent groups receive state authorization and funding to establish new schools.
	X	e) Support sex education programs which stress abstinence.
		f) Support sex education programs which stress safe sexual practices.
	X	g) Increase state funds for school construction and facility maintenance.
	X	h) Increase state funds for hiring of additional teachers.
		i) Endorse teacher-led voluntary prayer in public schools.
		j) Fund public school education in Illinois by increasing certain state taxes and decreasing local property taxes.
		k) Support a constitutional amendment eliminating the Illinois State Board of Education and replacing it with a cabinet-level Department of Education led by the Governor.
		l) Provide state-funded tuition and fees to any Illinois student who attends a public college or university as long as they maintain a B average.
		m) Advocate bilingual education programs in public schools.
	X	n) Other
Reduce property taxes by having the state pay its fair share through the state income tax. We need not raise any further taxes. Rather, we should cut government waste, such as the Tollway Authority, and meld the Comptroller and Treasurer’s office into one office.

Environment & Energy
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Indicate which principles you support (if any) regarding the environment and energy.
	X	a) Require the use of cleaner burning fuels in order to prevent pollution.
	X	b) Support “self-audit” legislation which creates incentives for industries to audit themselves and clean up pollution.
		c) Require a cost/benefit analysis to determine the economic impact of proposed environmental regulations before they are implemented.
	X	d) Require the state to fully compensate citizens when environmental regulations limit uses on privately owned land.
	X	e) Provide funding for recycling programs in Illinois.
	X	f) Request added flexibility from the federal government in enforcing and funding federal environmental regulations.
	X	g) Suspend participation in unfunded, federally mandated environmental protection legislation.
	X	h) Restructure the electric utility industry to allow consumers to choose their power company.
	X	i) Support state funded efforts to decrease erosion and make other improvements along the Illinois River.
	X	j) Allow local authorities to block construction of large livestock facilities.
	X	k) Support “right to know” laws, making information available to communities exposed to hazardous substances.
		l) Other
	No	m) State environmental regulations should not be stricter than federal law.
	No	n) Do you support continuing Illinois’ status as a host for low-level radioactive waste disposal?

Government Reform
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Indicate which principles you support (if any) regarding government reform.
a) Do you support amending the Illinois Constitution to limit the number of terms of the following officials?
	Yes	1) State Senators and Representatives
	Yes	2) Governor
b) Do you support current limits on the following types of contributions to state legislative candidates?
	No	1) Individual
	No	2) PAC
	No	3) Corporate
	Yes	c) Do you support requiring full and timely disclosure of campaign finance information?
	Yes	d) Do you support imposing spending limits on state level political campaigns?
	No	e) Do you support partial funding from state taxes for state level political campaigns?
	No	f) Would you vote to ratify an amendment to the U.S. Constitution requiring an annual balanced federal budget?
g) Other
No Answer

Gun Issues
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Indicate which principles you support (if any) concerning gun issues.
		a) Ban the sale or transfer of all forms of semi-automatic weapons.
		b) Increase state restrictions on the purchase and possession of firearms.
	X	c) Maintain state restrictions on the purchase and possession of firearms.
		d) Ease state restrictions on the purchase and possession of firearms.
		e) Repeal state restrictions on the purchase and possession of firearms by law-abiding citizens.
		f) Favor allowing citizens to carry concealed firearms.
	X	g) Require manufacturers to provide child-safety locks with firearms.
		h) Other

Health Issues
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Indicate which principles you support (if any) regarding health issues.
	X	a) Provide tax incentives to small businesses who provide health care to their employees.
	X	b) Ensure that citizens have access to basic health care, through managed care, insurance reforms, or state funded care where necessary.
	X	c) Provide health care to uninsured children by expanding Medicaid.
	X	d) Transfer more existing Medicaid recipients into managed care programs.
	X	e) Use state funds to continue some Medicaid coverage for legal immigrants.
		f) Limit the amount of damages that can be awarded in medical malpractice lawsuits.
		g) Guaranteeing medical care to all citizens is not a responsibility of state government.
	X	h) Support a “bill of rights” for managed care patients, allowing them to choose a specialist as their primary care provider, file grievances without fear of penalty from their provider, and receive any emergency care they might need.
		i) Require the names of HIV positive people to be reported to local health departments.
		j) Other

Social Issues
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Indicate which principles you support (if any) regarding social issues.
	X	a) Increase state funding for programs to prevent teen pregnancy.
	X	b) Provide tax credits for businesses that provide child care for their employees.
	X	c) Increase state funds to provide child care to children in low-income working families.
	X	d) Deny or suspend state-issued permits and licenses to parents who are delinquent in paying court-ordered child support.
	X	e) Favor banning smoking in public places.
	X	f) Increase state funding for Head Start in order to serve additional children and/or increase services from a half to a full day.
	X	g) Increase state funding for community centers and other social agencies in areas with at-risk youth.
		h) Support state funding of programs for at-risk youth such as guaranteed college loans and job training and placement.
		i) Other
	No	j) Do you believe that the Illinois government should include sexual orientation in Illinois’ anti-discrimination laws?
	No	k) Do you believe that the Illinois government should recognize same-sex marriages?

State Budget
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Indicate the funding levels you will support for the following general categories. Select one level only.
	Maintain Status	a) Agriculture
	Greatly Increase	b) Education (K-12)
	Slightly Increase	c) Education (Higher)
	Maintain Status	d) Environment
	Slightly Increase	e) Health care
	Slightly Increase	f) Law enforcement
	Slightly Increase	g) Transportation infrastructure (highways, roads, bridges)
	Slightly Decrease	h) Welfare
i) Other
No Answer

State Taxes
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Indicate the tax levels you will support. Select one level only.
	Maintain Status	a) Alcohol taxes
	Eliminate	b) Capital gains taxes
	Maintain Status	c) Cigarette taxes
	Maintain Status	d) Corporate taxes
	Maintain Status	e) Gas taxes
	Maintain Status	f) Income taxes (incomes below $75,000)
	Maintain Status	g) Income taxes (incomes above $75,000)
	Greatly Decrease	h) Property taxes
	Maintain Status	i) Sales taxes
j) Other
No Answer
	Undecided	k) Do you support a flat tax structure for state income taxes?

Welfare
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Indicate which principles you support (if any) regarding welfare.
	X	a) Maintain the 2-year limit on cash assistance.
	X	b) Maintain the current work requirements for able-bodied recipients in order to receive benefits.
	X	c) Increase employment and job training programs for welfare recipients.
	X	d) Provide tax incentives to businesses who hire welfare recipients.
	X	e) Support state-funded loans for facilities seeking to provide child care for welfare recipients.
	X	f) Increase access to public transportation for welfare recipients who work.
		g) Allow welfare recipients to remain eligible for benefits while saving money for education, starting a business, or buying a home.
	X	h) Limit benefits given to recipients if they have additional children while on welfare.
		i) Eliminate government-funded welfare programs.
		j) Continue to extend state-funded welfare benefits for legal immigrants.
		k) Other

Legislative Priorities
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Please explain what your two main legislative priorities will be if elected. Please explain how you would obtain any additional government funding needed to implement these priorities.

My main priority is fundamentally changing the way we fund our schools away from the property tax base to a state income tax base. McHenry County residents pay the highest per capita property tax in the State of Illinois. Yet for every dollar we send down to Springfield for our state income tax, we only get pennies back. I want the state to pay its fair share for education in McHenry County and give property owners a break. I am especially concerned that senior citizens on a fixed income will lose their homes due to our increasing property taxes.