I have worked to oppose many bills attacking women’s health care. As an attorney, I had successfully fought for women’s safe access to legal abortion without harassment by protesters. Unfortunately, the legislature passed a host of bills — mostly based on conspiracy theories and falsehoods — which sought to control women’s bodies.
I trust women to make decisions around their own healthcare. We should work to reduce abortion by providing adequate and generous reproductive health care, especially contraception. But, neither the State nor any religious doctrine should supersede a woman’s right to her own conscientious decision. Freedom of religion means that the religious doctrines of others should not be imposed on conscientious people who do not share those religious values. That is why I introduced legislation this past session that would protect the conscience rights of those seeking abortion just as the religious rights of those opposing abortion are protected by law. In the end, abortion is a deeply personal choice, not one for the government to make based on the religious beliefs of those in power.