Great Falls Voters Should DEMAND Local Candidates Publicly Answer Abortion Question

Last week E-City Beat emailed all Great Falls state legislative candidates requesting responses to three questions:

Question One – Which position on abortion most closely describes the kind of legislation you would support in the Montana state legislature? Please choose only one option and feel free to briefly explain or expand on your views.

1. Abortion should be legal for any reason at any time during pregnancy, including up until birth, with no exceptions.
2. Life begins at conception and abortion should not be legal at any time for any reason.
3. Abortion should be illegal after 12-14 weeks into a pregnancy except in cases of rape, incest, or life threatening risk to the mother.

Question Two – Describe what you will do if elected to address the lack of affordable housing in Montana. What specific legislation would you put forward or support to tackle this issue?

Question Three – Describe in what way and on which issues you would ‘reach across the aisle’ to implement solutions for your constituents.

We asked that the responses be sent to ECB by September 23 so that we could publish them before ballots go out for the November 8 election.

Yesterday ECB received a response from a GOP candidate who didn’t answer any of the questions but included the following in the email:

“I’ve spoken to a couple of other legislators and I’d like to point out something here… From what I’ve noticed Democrat candidates overwhelmingly ignore the ECB submissions. This questionnaire is, therefore, effectively putting GOP candidates on the record in writing on the more than ever hot-button issue of abortion in a lose/lose fashion.

No matter how Republican candidates answer it will cost them votes and/or open themselves to attacks and negative mailers from the D’s.

Honestly, that’s all fine and well and a part of the business as long as the Democrats put themselves equally out there and go on the record as well. Unfortunately, they almost certainly will not.”

Fair enough. ECB will only be publishing responses to the abortion question if both (or all) ‘sides’ in any particular district race respond to that question.

In the meantime E-City Beat calls on ALL candidates to be forthright and honest in providing a complete answer to the abortion question in a transparent and public venue.

Voters deserve no less and should DEMAND it.

• Category: Abortion, Election 2022