NARAL: Obama’s our candidate of choice; Update: Major endorsement tonight; Update: EMILY’s List rips NARAL

In 1997 Obama voted “present” on two bills aimed at banning so-called partial-birth abortion. In 2001 he voted “present” on three bills that fell under the rubric of “born-alive infant” legislation, and on a bill to require parental notification in cases when minors sought to have abortions.

Additionally, in 1997, Obama voted “present” on a proposal to drop the penalty for carrying a concealed gun from a felony to a misdemeanor.

On the narrower issue of “born alive” infants, Sutherland said, Planned Parenthood of Illinois worked last year with the anti-abortion group, the Illinois Federation of Right to Life, to pass legislation that protects infants that survive abortion procedures.

But Stanek said Obama was the only state senator to speak out on the legislation, and his actions there are “just one demonstration of how liberal he is.”

He had a 100 percent rating from the Illinois Planned Parenthood Council for his support of abortion rights, family planning services and health insurance coverage for female contraceptives.

Obama occasionally supported higher taxes, joining other Democrats in pushing to raise more than 300 taxes and fees on businesses in 2004 to help solve a budget deficit. The increases passed the Senate 30-28.

Obama’s state senate votes on some key issues:

BUDGET & TAXES=

# Voted to raise the minimum wage in Illinois from $5.15 an hour to $6.50 an hour over two years. (2003)
# Helped pass a 5 percent earned-income tax credit for low-income working families in 2000; made the credit permanent in 2003.
# Voted to end $300 million worth of tax breaks for businesses. (2004)
# Voted against making permanent the repeal of the state’s 5 percent sales tax on gasoline. (2000)

HEALTH CARE=

# Voted for having Illinois endorse embryonic stem cell research. (2004)
# Successfully sponsored the Health Care Justice Act, a study of ways to implement a universal health care system statewide. (2004)
# Voted against restrictions on public funding of abortion. (2000)
# Successfully co-sponsored a prescription drug discount buying club program for seniors and the disabled. (2003)

CRIME & GUN CONTROL

# Voted against letting people argue self-defense in court if charged with violating local weapons bans by using a gun in their home. (2004)
# Voted to let retired police and military police carry concealed weapons. (2004)
# Successfully sponsored requirement that law enforcement videotape interrogations of suspects in some serious crimes. (2003)
# Successfully sponsored law enforcement study of the race of people pulled over for traffic tickets. (2003)
# Helped pass an overhaul of the state’s troubled death penalty system. (2003)
# Unsuccessfully sponsored measure to expunge some criminal records and create an employment grant program for ex-criminals. (2002)
# Unsuccessfully sponsored limit of one handgun purchase per month. (2000)
# Voted against making gang members eligible for the death penalty if they kill someone to help their gang. (2001)

MISCELLANEOUS

# Unsuccessfully co-sponsored ban on discrimination based on sexual orientation. The measure became law after Obama was elected to the U.S. Senate. (2003)
# Successfully sponsored move to shield Illinois workers from federal rules that threatened overtime pay for some employees.
# Successfully co-sponsored major ethics reform called the Gift Ban Act. (1998)
# Voted against giving tax credits to parents who send their children to private school. (1999)

Dr.Cwac.Cwac on May 14, 2008 at 3:46 PM