In my first term in the legislature, I continued my life’s work around supporting civil rights. As an attorney, I have fought for fair elections (most notably in the 2000 contested Florida election), for fair treatment for people of color, women, and handicapped people in employment, for mental health advocacy, for a woman’s right to choose, and for a wide variety of other civil rights. I headed the legal panel of the ACLU, and have received a civil libertarian award. As a rabbi, I lent a religious and moral voice to these issues, working for Bozeman’s non-discrimination ordinance, and against legislative attempts to stigmatize immigrants and minorities. I have been guest speaker at many Bozeman human rights events, including several Human Rights Day events, Holocaust Memorial Day, and Martin Luther King Day. I have taught in a variety of forums on the importance of a moral voice in these areas.
Working with national civil rights groups, I have introduced legislation to prohibit militias from acting as enforcement and to prevent a January 6 event in Montana. During the last session, much of my work involved countering attacks on voting rights through my work as the lone House Democrat on the Special Select Committee on Election Integrity. I will continue to be a moral voice on these issues.
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