Southeastern Pennsylvania Recovery Voices Count A Guide to Voting in November This guide is a coalition effort between PRO-ACT Public Policy, The Mental Health Association of Southeast Pennsylvania and the Pennsylvania Health Access Network to educate the recovery community on important issues, policy and candidate platforms 1 The Recovery Community needs to develop and sustain a constituency of consequence—an organized voice of people in recovery who are educated on key issues, vote on Election Day and hold elected officials accountable long after the polls close. This year, for the first time, Mental Health and Substance Use Disorder advocates along with Healthcare advocates built a coalition to form Recovery Voices Count in Southeastern Pennsylvania. We sent a five question candidate questionnaire to over 140 candidates and incumbents on issues key to our community. Ten responded. Although the response is low, we recognize this is our first year. Responses are thoughtful, respectful and well worth reading. This guide publishes their responses, includes information on all Pennsylvania ballot positions, as well as, information on voter registration and voting rights. Vote on November 8, 2016. We Recover and We Vote! The Recovery Voices Count Team 2 Table of Contents General Election Candidate Ballot 2016 4-5 Voter Registration & Rights Information 6 Criminal Justice & Voting Rights in PA 7 Top Reasons to Vote 8 Candidate Survey Questions on Mental Health & Substance Use Disorders Policy 9 Candidate Responses: Stigma 10-11 Candidate Responses: War On Drugs 12-13 Candidate Responses: Parity 14-15 Candidate Responses: Treatment & Incarceration 16-17 Candidate Responses: Criminal Justice Reform 18-19 3 PA General Election Ballot 2016 Important positions are open in the US Congress and in Pennsylvania along with the Presidential election. These are called “Down Ballot Positions.” The full ballot positions for the 2016 Pennsylvania General Election are: President of the United States (POTUS) is the head of the United States government. Article II of the U.S. Constitution laid out the requirements and roles of the president. Hillary Clinton/Tim Kaine (D) Donald Trump/Mike Pence (R) Darrell Castle/Scott Bradley (Constitution) Jill Stein/Ajama Baraka (Green) Gary Johnson/Bill Weld (Libertarian) One of PA’s two seats for United States Senator Established by the Constitution as one chamber of the federal government’s legislative branch, the United States Senate is comprised of one hundred members—two senators from each of the 50 states—who serve six-year, overlapping terms. Senators, along with members of the House of Representatives, propose, author, and vote on federal legislation that touches upon all aspects of U.S. domestic and foreign policy. Senators provide advice and consent on executive nominations and treaties and conduct oversight of all branches of the federal government. Katie McGinty (D) Edward Clifford (Libertarian) Everett Stern (Independent) Pat Toomey (R) All 18 PA seats for Representative in Congress The U.S. House of Representatives shares equal responsibility for lawmaking with the U.S. Senate but is organized differently and has different rules and procedures. The allocation of seats is based on the population within the states, and membership is reapportioned every 10 years, following the decennial. Pennsylvania has 18 seats. House members are elected for two-year terms from single-member districts of approximately equal population (roughly 710,000). There are no term limits, and the salary is $174,000. Determined by District; go to www.legis.state.pa.us/cfdocs/legis/home/findyourlegislator/ The entire PA House of Representatives (203 seats); Members of the lower chamber of state's legislature, the House of Representatives each serve a local constituency of approximately 62,500 residents. Members are elected for two-year terms in even-numbered years. There are no term limits and the salary is $85,338.65. Determined by District; go to www.legis.state.pa.us/cfdocs/legis/home/findyourlegislator/ • Half of the 50 seats in the PA Senate (Districts 1, 3, 5 and 7 in Philadelphia); PA’s 50 state senators are elected to four-year terms from districts with approximately 254,000 residents apiece. Although state senatorial districts are much larger than state representative districts, the legislative functions of the two bodies are similar to each other. In order for proposed legislation to become law, both the House and Senate must approve it. There are no term limits and the salary is $85,338.65. Senators representing even-numbered districts (districts 2, 4, 6, etc.) are elected in the gubernatorial-election years (2010, 2014, 2018, etc.). Senators from odd- numbered districts (districts 1, 3, 5, etc.) are elected in presidential-election years (2008, 2012, 2016, etc.). Currently, the Republicans have a 31-19 majority in the Pennsylvania Senate. Determined by District; go to www.legis.state.pa.us/cfdocs/legis/home/findyourlegislator/ 4 PA General Election Ballot 2016 The state’s three row offices: Attorney General, Auditor General and Treasurer. Attorney General Pennsylvania’s chief law enforcement officer, the Attorney General is responsible for prosecuting criminal charges brought by the Commonwealth, as well as civil litigation on behalf of some, but not all, state agencies. The office also provides civil enforcement of some Commonwealth laws, including those involving consumer protection and charities. The Attorney General represents the state government in actions brought by or against it, and reviews all proposed rules and regulations by state agencies. The attorney general is elected to a four-year term in presidential election years and may not serve more than two consecutive terms. The salary is $158,764. John Rafferty (R) Josh Shapiro (D) Auditor General The PA Auditor General is the Commonwealth’s chief fiscal watchdog, responsible for conducting audits to ensure that state money is spent legally and properly. Pennsylvania has had an auditor general since 1809, when the department was created by the General Assembly. Governors appointed auditor generals until 1850, when the office became elec- tive. The auditor general can serve a maximum of two four-year terms. The salary is $158,764. Age, citizenship and resi- dency requirements are not specified in the PA Constitution. John Brown (R) Roy Minet (Libertarian) Eugene DePasquale (D) John J. Sweeney (Green ) State Treasurer The Pennsylvania Treasury is an independent department led by the State Treasurer, who is elected every four years. The department's primary duty is to safeguard and manage state funds. It invests state money to generate income on behalf of citizens, reviews and processes payments for state government agencies and administers several programs related to state finances, including the Unclaimed Property Program and the PA 529 College Savings Program. The treasurer can serve a maximum of two successive four-year terms, and cannot serve as auditor general for four years after leaving the office of treasurer. The salary is $158,764. Age, citizenship and residency requirements are not specified in the state Constitution. Kristin Combs (Green ) Joe Torsella (D) Otto Voit (R) A proposed amendment to the PA Constitution that would raise the retirement age for Pennsylvania judg- es from 70 to 75. “Shall the Pennsylvania Constitution be amended to require that justices of the Supreme Court, judges, and magis- terial district judges be retired on the last day of the calendar year in which they attain the age of 75 years? “ Sources: Committee of Seventy, www.seventy.org and BALLOTPEDIA, https://ballotpedia.org/Pennsylvania_elections,_2016 5 We All Need to Register in Order to Vote Registration Deadline: Tuesday, October 11, 2016 Election Day: Tuesday, November 8 To vote in Pennsylvania, you must be: A citizen of the United States for at least one month before the election A resident of Pennsylvania for at least 30 days before the election At least 18 years of age on or before election day To Register to vote or to change your registration in Pennsylvania go to: www.pavoterservices.state.pa.us/pages/VoterRegistrationApplication.aspx where you can register online, print a mail-in application or register if you are on active military duty or a hospitalized /bedridden veteran. Not certain if you are registered to vote? Check your registration status. Go to: www.pavoterservices.state.pa.us/Pages/voterregistrationstatus.aspx where you can check your registration status and find your polling location Not going to be home or able to got to the polls on Tuesday, November 8? Vote Absentee Go to: http://www.votespa.com/en-us/Documents/Absentee_Ballot_Application.pdf First Time Voter in an election district must show either photo or non-photo ID. Allowable forms PA Drivers license or Penn Dot ID inc. non-photo Employee ID ID issued by PA inc. non-photo Firearm permit ID issued by US Government inc. non-photo Current Utility bill US passport Current bank statement US Armed Forces ID Paycheck Student ID Government check Voter Registration TOP 5 THINGS EVERY PENNSYLVANIA VOTER SHOULD KNOW FOR THE 2016 ELECTIONS 1 YOU CAN NOW 2 FIRST TIME VOTERS IN REGISTER TO 3 A VOTER WHOSE NAME PRECINCTS MUST SHOW VOTE ONLINE! IS NOT IN THE POLLBOOK IDENTIFICATION (ID) CAN STILL VOTE 4 WHEN 50% OR MORE OF THE VOTING MACHINES ARE NOT WORKING IN YOUR 5 VOTERS HAVE A POLLING PLACE, YOU HAVE THE RIGHT TO RIGHT TO ASSISTANCE VOTE BY EMERGENCY PAPER BALLOT WHEN VOTING. Want to know more? www.dos.pa.gov/VotingElections/OtherServicesEvents/Documents/16430%20DOS%20Everyone%20votes%20booklet%20V9.pdf 6 The Chains Have Been Broken Free Your Voice, Free Your Vote Voting and Criminal Justice in PA In Pennsylvania you can vote… When released from jail or prison, or freed by election day If you were registered to vote before you went If on probation or parole to jail, check on the If convicted of a felony in another state status of your registration online at If being held while awaiting trial (must vote absentee) pavoterservices.state.pa.us While serving time for a misdemeanor (must vote or you can reregister.