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NARAL endorses candidates on abortion issues before August primary

JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. – With just one month left before the August primary, candidates for both the House and Senate are hitting the pavement to spread the word, drum up donations, and collect endorsements.

One of the most polarizing topics each year is that of abortion, and candidates each year look to see if their names made the list of their respective stance, whether they are pro-life or pro-choice.

“Seven in ten Americans believe in a woman’s right to choose no matter their zip code, and we are proud to stand with these candidates from across the state who are committed to protecting reproductive rights,” NARAL Pro-Choice Missouri Executive Director Alison Dreith said. “The candidates we have endorsed will not only use their votes to stand with women, but actively introduce pro-choice legislation to protect reproductive freedom, which is deeply needed in the Missouri General Assembly. We look forward to doing all we can to get these fighters for women and families elected.”

Alison Dreith

Here’s a look at the endorsements from NARAL Pro-Choice Missouri:

Missouri State Senate

“For far too long, women in Missouri have been forced to endure the erosion of their reproductive rights and attempts to limit access to quality healthcare facilities. It’s appalling to me that the ultra-conservative legislature finds it necessary to continually interfere with our Constitutional rights.”

“Family planning decisions should be left up to families, not the government. I’m proud to be an advocate for reproductive health and family planning services.”

 

“It is an honor to be endorsed by NARAL Pro-Choice Missouri for the upcoming 2018 state senate election. I am also grateful for the recognition of my years of unwavering support and advocacy for families, women’s health and reproductive choice. As a former college educator and mayor, and current state representative, I understand that access to affordable reproductive services not only promotes health and wellness, but is instrumental in breaking the cycle of poverty. When elected, I pledge to continue to provide steadfast leadership and support in the Missouri Senate for women’s health and reproductive freedom for the 14th Senatorial District and the State of Missouri.”

“I am so proud to have the endorsement of NARAL Pro-Choice Missouri in my race for Senate District 14. Reproductive rights must be protected against the extremist agenda in Jefferson City. As a former State Representative, Healthcare Director, and the only women running in the 14th District, I welcome this endorsement and asked that all like-minded progressives of all ages join us in this endeavor.  I pledge to continue the fight.”

 

“In the Missouri State Senate, I will advocate for the individual rights of women and their access to comprehensive healthcare. To achieve a more just and equal society, all Missourians must have a seat at the table in order to build people up, strengthen our communities, and make Missouri a better place to live and work.”

 

“I am proud to be endorsed by NARAL because I trust Missouri women to make their own decisions regarding reproductive health.”

“I’m honored to receive the endorsement from NARAL Pro-Choice Missouri. I will always stand with women and protect their individual rights in Jefferson City.”

 

Missouri State House

“I look forward to being an ally of NARAL Pro-Choice Missouri. I will defend women’s autonomy over their own body and work hard to address the crisis of rising infant and maternal mortality rates. It’s unacceptable that Missouri’s infant and maternal mortality rates are worse than some developing nations.  We must work together to improve care for infants and their mothers.”

 

“I am proud to stand with NARAL Pro-Choice Missouri in protecting a woman’s right to choose when she becomes a parent. I am honored to have NARAL Missouri’s endorsement. As a healthcare executive, I will continue to be a champion for Missouri women and their right to reproductive healthcare.”

“I believe that we should empower women and families to make their own family planning and reproductive health decisions.”

“I am proud to have the endorsement of NARAL Pro-Choice Missouri. I am ready to continue my work with NARAL Missouri to fight to protect access to constitutionally-protected healthcare and be a champion for reproductive rights.”

“I’m honored to receive the NARAL Pro-Choice Missouri endorsement because I support building strong families and ensuring a woman’s right to make her own healthcare decisions, including her right to choose, remains between a woman, her doctor and her God, without interference from the state.”

“I’m proud to be endorsed by NARAL Pro-Choice Missouri. The rights of women and families are under attack in Jefferson City. My district and our state deserve a representative who will fight to make sure that women have access to medically-accurate reproductive health information and access to the full range of options for reproductive healthcare. I will work for economic justice for every family and gender equality for all women so that every child brought into this world is the result of a free and joyful choice.”

“I have always been a strong supporter of women’s right to control their own bodies and lives without political interference. Women’s rights are human rights.”

“I am delighted to receive an endorsement from NARAL Pro-Choice Missouri. This endorsement demonstrates my commitment to women’s right to chose and access to comprehensive health services for all women.”

“When I was in college, I attended a speech given by the President of Planned Parenthood. At that event I met a very elderly gentleman and asked what brought him there. He related to me the story of how he was forced to perform illegal abortions to keep his job in a one-factory small Missouri town and told me he would never let that happen again during his lifetime. After this interaction, I was in complete understanding of where we could be without safe, legal abortion services. I am fully committed to women having access to safe, legal abortion services and making their own health care choices without state interference. I am deeply honored by the endorsement of NARAL Pro-Choice Missouri and will continue to support their work.”

“Reproductive procedures are private health care decisions not unlike any other procedure; we should have autonomy over our choices and bodies without government intrusion.”

“I know that the infant mortality rates and maternal mortality rates in my state rival that of developing countries, and I know that the disparities of those rates for women and children of color is even worse. I know that in some zip codes in my district, black mothers and black babies die at disproportionately higher rates than white women—in some cases 3-4 times as high, even when controlling for income and education. I know that access to reproductive health is fundamentally a matter of justice and equity, and I’ll keep fighting for our freedoms.”

“As women’s rights are increasingly under attack by Republicans, we must stand together to ensure women have the ability to say when and if they want to start a family. We must immediately lift the restrictions on access to abortion and stop public funding for fake crisis pregnancy centers. Women deserve the right to education and access to make free and informed reproductive health choices. We need to ensure women have access to contraceptive counseling coverage and keep contraceptive methods at no out-of-pocket cost so women of all socioeconomic backgrounds can afford access.”

“I wholeheartedly believe that everyone deserves a choice and I want to take a stand for it. I trust and believe that women know what is best for themselves and their own bodies without any government interference. I am ready to embark on this journey alongside NARAL Pro-Choice Missouri to fight for women’s reproductive rights. I stand for non-judgement, I stand for compassion, I stand for fairness and I am proud to say that I am pro-choice.”

“Women have the right to choose what they do with their bodies, and it’s my honor and duty to make sure that right isn’t infringed upon. Only NARAL Pro-Choice Missouri has stood by me since day one and I will continue to do the same for them.”

“Women bear the sole responsibility of child bearing, and far too often child rearing. It is the woman’s decision to make. I believe in the fourteenth amendment’s right to privacy, and its protections against government intrusion on a woman’s decision to do with her body what she feels is in her best interest. I want to thank NARAL Pro-Choice Missouri for their leadership role in protecting the rights of women everywhere and for affirming this campaign.”

In addition to getting an A on the 2018 Legislative scorecard, Rep. Merideth introduced four pro-choice bills in 2018: HB 1602, which would have expanded Medicaid in Missouri; HB 1949, which would have required employers to allow working mothers paid breaks to breastfeed or pump breast milk; HB 1950, which would have required insurance plans to cover up to a 12-month supply of hormonal contraceptives at one time; and HB 1951, which would have expanded insurance coverage for certain infertility treatments. Rep. Merideth is a champion for all aspects of reproductive rights.

“The rights of women in Missouri are under constant fire by those who try to use the law to control access to reproductive healthcare. They dismiss women’s intelligence by questioning their ability to make decisions about their own bodies. They disregard women’s fundamental rights for quality, affordable healthcare and family planning. I’m proud to have NARAL Pro-Choice Missouri’s endorsement and will fight in Jefferson City to make true reproductive freedom a reality. I will work to safeguard and expand women’s reproductive rights hand-in-hand with encouraging economic justice in the workplace and promoting gender equality in all aspects of life.”

“It’s more important than ever to defend every woman’s right to make reproductive health decisions free from government interference, and I’m proud to stand with organizations like NARAL Pro-Choice Missouri that support women. NARAL’s advocacy and endorsement of our campaign reinforces my dedication to fight for women’s rights in Jefferson City.”

“I am proud to be endorsed by NARAL Pro-Choice Missouri as this organization is active and vigilant in supporting women’s rights. Being raised by a single, working mother I understand the importance of a woman having full autonomy of her body. I believe in the mission and values of NARAL Pro-Choice Missouri so strongly because if women are under attack, our future is under attack.”

“Your privacy rights deserve protection. As women, we decide what is best for our future, not someone who lives 200 miles away. What we choose to do with our own body is our business. It is an honor to champion reproductive rights for all.”

“I am honored to have the endorsement of NARAL Pro-Choice Missouri. Reproductive rights are civil rights. I will not rest until reproductive services are available to all our citizens, regardless of zip code. Let’s do better.”

“As someone who has testified in favor of reproductive rights in Jefferson City, visited clinics, been in the operating room for procedures, and who has worked for over a decade for some of our state’s most progressive pro-choice women – I am happy to accept the endorsement of NARAL Pro-Choice Missouri.”

“Long before serving in the House, I worked hard to protect reproductive rights. I am proud to sponsor Missouri’s Earned Family & Medical Leave Act and will continue to do all I can to ensure Missourians have access to a full range of medical care.”

“I firmly believe it’s not the government’s job to stand between a woman and her doctor. As a man, I feel it’s important to trust women to make the right decision for her and her family.”

“I am honored to have the endorsement of NARAL Pro-Choice Missouri. Like the majority of my constituents, I support a woman’s right to comprehensive healthcare services.”

“I support women’s rights. I support women’s healthcare. I support women.”

“I am honored to be endorsed by NARAL Pro-Choice Missouri. Women’s health and access to healthcare are very important to me, and I will go to Jefferson City to defend women on all fronts, especially in this political climate.”

“I am honored to have received the endorsement of NARAL Pro-Choice Missouri. NARAL Missouri has been fighting to protect a woman’s right to control her own healthcare decisions and I will continue that fight in Jefferson City. This fight is personal for me, as anti-choice laws restrict ways my wife and I can build our family.”

“I am proud to receive the endorsement of NARAL Pro-Choice Missouri. As a lawyer, I swore to uphold the Constitution. Roe v. Wade affirms the right of a woman to have an abortion, as protected by the 14th Amendment (right to privacy). In Jefferson City, I will fight to protect this constitutional right and ensure all women have access to comprehensive healthcare.”

“It is an honor to be endorsed by NARAL Pro-Choice Missouri. In Jefferson City, I look forward to defending women’s right to choose their own reproductive healthcare options, free from restriction, judgment or retaliation.”

“Women’s healthcare is something that I am proud to fight for. Not only does access to reproductive services allow us to be healthy and plan our lives, it can serve as a catalyst in breaking the cycle of poverty. As women, we deserve that right to plan and our right to be the kind of mothers we want to be if we choose that path in life.”