Reference Sheet: Where The Senate Candidates Stand on Four Issues

Democrats Katherine Clark and Michael Day are vying for the state Senate seat representing Melrose Wards 1-5 and being vacated by Sen. Richard Tisei, who's running for lieutenant governor. The winner of next Tuesday's Democratic primary will face Republican Craig Spadafora in the general election in November. Here's quick hits on where the candidates stand on some of the issues facing the state.

Do you support the ballot question slashing the sales tax to 3 percent and, if not 3 percent, do you approve rolling back the sales tax to some other figure?

• Clark: Does not support rolling back the sales tax now.
• Day: Does not support rolling back the sales tax now.
• Spadafora: Would support rolling it back to 5 percent. 

What can the state do to stem rising health care costs?

• Clark: House bill to allow small businesses to pool; move from fee-for-service to global payment system.
• Day: More transparency as to how health providers and insurance companies and hospitals spend money; move from fee-for-service to global payment system.
• Spadafora: Address health care costs tied to illegal immigration; open up borders for competition and allow HMOs from other states to offer insurance in Massachusetts.

Would you support a proposal to require the state to verify that anyone over 18 who applies for state benefits is legally in Massachusetts.

• Clark: No, she voted against proposal because "this particular system was tried by Colorado and implemented years prior. They are $3.2 million into it and they haven't seen any savings."
• Day: Would not support proposal. "It's sideshow stuff … You've got to address these employers who are providing incentives for illegal and undocumented immigrants to come here and find jobs."
• Spadafora: "Absolutely … To me, it's as clear as day. If you are an illegal alien in this country, I don't know how you can apply for services or a license." State has limited resources; cannot encourage illegal immigrants to come here.

Your position on the state education board voting to adopt national academic standards in lieu of the state's own standards?

• Clark: "I think that the national standards will not impact Massachusetts as much as some other state … my concern with the national standards for Massachusetts is whether this 15 percent flexibility they leave states [will] be enough flexibility for us to address student achievement as we see necessary." Also concerned over costs pushed on to local communities to make curriculum adjustments.
• Day: "They're standards. There's nothing that says we cannot require things above that in our curriculum and in our individual school districts … we're stopping at chasing federal money and standardized testing as the only measure of how our students are performing."
• Spadafora: "Gov. Patrick says, 'I'm not going to accept it unless the national standards are higher. Well our standards were higher than the national standards, so that's a gray area ….. I don't' want to be like 35 other states. If we were leading the charge, why can't we be our own state and do it on our own? You're dangling a (financial incentive) number that sounds really good and I think most people realize that more money does not mean better education."