Gov. Greg Gianforte is coming for your rights to freedom and privacy, and he’s proud of it.
In his time as governor, Gianforte has fought tirelessly to insert the government into our private lives, outlaw abortion and make it harder for Montana women to access reproductive care. Last year, Gianforte signed a slate of restrictions into law after the legislative session, including a 15-week ban on abortion — which was stopped from going into effect by the courts.
Before that, as a member of Congress, Gianforte voted to pass a national abortion ban, outlaw in vitro fertilization (IVF), defund Planned Parenthood, criminalize doctors, and allow companies to fire workers for getting an abortion.
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Montana voters have told Gianforte the freedoms enshrined in our Montana Constitution are non-negotiable. Those freedoms are not for him to interpret or change.
He does not care and he’s not listening.
Fortunately, Montana has fighters running to replace Gianforte and his dangerous, anti-freedom agenda — and protecting a woman’s right to make her own private decisions is one of the centerpieces of their work.
The Democratic candidate for governor, Ryan Busse, is an outspoken defender of reproductive choice and Montanan’s constitutional right to privacy. He believes that Gianforte has absolutely no business sitting in the doctor’s office with anyone, making private healthcare decisions for women, including whether or when to start a family, or if she can elect to have an abortion.
And the candidate for lieutenant governor, Raph Graybill, has a proven track record of fighting for Montanans and our freedoms — blocking 18 unconstitutional laws passed by Gianforte, including his abortion ban bill.
Gianforte called the overturn of Roe v Wade a “historic win”. As we remember when that happened two years ago, we must reflect on what’s next if we keep extremists like Gianforte in office: a national abortion ban. Less freedom. Less privacy. More unwanted pregnancies. More danger to women and girls.
Deciding how and when we want to start our families is one of the most personal decisions a person can make. We don’t need an extremist politician like Greg Gianforte making our health care decisions or deciding when we start our families.
Montana voters have spoken: We do not support an abortion ban. Now we must elect Ryan Busse and Raph Graybill to protect our constitutional rights.
Sheila Hogan is executive director of the Montana Democratic Party. She grew up in Butte and now lives in Helena with her husband, Jim.
