Politicians Plan to Protect Children Come Hell, High Water or Reduced Sentences Against Drug Offenders

As the campaigns head to the wire, it's time for our batch of gubernatorial candidates to address the hot-button issues. With this political installment, let's see where the people who want to live in that big pretty house pictured above stand on dealing with sex crimes against children.

• Prison Sentences: All four Gubernatorial contenders (Kinky Friedman, Chris Bell, Rick Perry and Cougar Strayhorn) favor a mandatory minimum of 25 years to life for first-time violent sex offenders whose victims are younger than 14. Both Bell and Friedman hope to pay for the impact this would bring to the prison system by working on alternative punishments for low-level drug offenses. Perry and Strayhorn have no idea how this will be paid for, but that is not their problem.

• Death Penalty: All the candidates appear to support the death penalty to some degree. Friedman supports the death penalty for repeat violent offenders whose victim is under 14 years old. Perry's position is similar, but he offers no age cut-off. Bell "leans" toward favoring the death penalty for repeat offenders, but is concerned that it might increase the number of murders. Strayhorn is "open" to the idea of the death penalty.

• Electronic Monitoring: All the candidates favor increased electronic monitoring.
  

*Image of Texas Governor's Mansion taken from DowntownAustin.com