I’ve outlined my views below, and I hope you’ll have a moment to read them.

I believe that abortion is a private matter between a woman and her doctor, and governments should not interfere in women’s decisions regarding their own healthcare.

Roe v Wade: The Ramifications Since It Was Overturned

On June 24, 2022, Roe v Wade was overturned, and since then individuals are being stripped of rights they have enjoyed for most or all of their lives.  Women are living in fear of prosecution, are being denied healthcare, getting ill, losing their ability to have children in the future, and worse, dying.  Nearly 50 years of legal precedent has been tossed aside, leading to chaos as states are seeking to prosecute not only their own citizens, but citizens of other states as well. Not since the years preceding the Civil War have we seen our Constitution challenged to this degree.

Why this Matters in a Village Election

Some people may ask if it matters whether or not a Village Mayor is Pro-Choice — whether it's important what a Mayor believes, as long as they can balance a budget and fix the roads?  I believe it does matter: while a Village Board doesn’t enact broad legislation, there could come a day when a clinic seeks to open in Hastings or an abortion provider who lives locally comes under attack. On this and all other issues impacting each of us and our rights, we should have clarity about what our elected officials stand for at every level of government.

My Commitment to a Woman’s Right to Choose does Not Stop There

I am committed not just to a woman’s right to choose, but to a nation in which we are all equal and all entitled to equal protection under the 14th Amendment, that no state shall “deny to any person within its jurisdiction the equal protection of the laws”.  To me, this means that:

1. Any person is all of us.
   
   

2. Discrimination will not be tolerated.  Our State Constitution is clear that “No person shall, because of race, color, ethnicity, national origin, age, disability, creed, religion, or sex, including sexual orientation, gender identity, gender expression, pregnancy, pregnancy outcomes, and reproductive healthcare and autonomy, be subjected to any discrimination.”
   
   

3. This work is not finished.  We must be vigilant moving forward, and past discrimination must be undone.

I’m a Pro-Choice Candidate who believes in the rights of all people: I will continue to work to uphold the laws that govern us, and I will fight to keep Hastings a safe place for everyone in our community.