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Politicians are going too far, taking away our freedom and our power to control our personal decisions.
These bans go beyond abortion. It’s about who has power over you, who has the authority to make decisions for you, and who can control how your future is going to be. When Roe v Wade fell, the rights of 36 million women across 27 states were taken away. This generation and the next generation will have fewer rights than we did.
No matter where a person lives, what they look like, or how much money they have, women, not politicians, should be able to make their own decisions about their own lives, including when it comes to abortion care and miscarriage management. Abortion bans don't just affect those getting an abortion, but also create uncertainty around medical procedures related to pregnancy. Already, women having miscarriages have not been able to access care and have left the state for life saving treatments. Our rights are unraveling and are now hanging by a thread.
Watch this video to hear more and what you can do.
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JOINT LEGISLATIVE OVERSIGHT COMMITTEE
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I had the honor to chair our last meeting of the Joint Legislative Oversight Committee where we reviewed reports from the Office of Performance Evaluations on the the SUSTAINABILITY OF IDAHO'S DIRECT CARE WORKFORCE.
- 33,000 older adults and people with disabilities rely on the direct care workforce to maintain a healthy and independent life in Idaho.
- 23,000 direct care workers help with personal care, nursing, home maintenance, counseling, transportation, and many other services.
- 76% of direct care workers said that higher pay was the main factor that would keep them from leaving their job when responding to our survey.
Is there a shortage of direct care workers? YES.
A conservative estimate is that the state needs 3,000, or 13%, more workers. The shortage is worse in North Idaho, in counties that border Washington and Oregon, and in settings that are more reliant on Medicaid.
What is causing the shortage? The desire to help other people is not enough to offset low pay and other workplace challenges. Direct care workers have the knowledge, skills, and ability to get a 36—39% raise by leaving the industry.
Why is this a state policy concern? The state sets payment rates for Medicaid, which is often the main funding source for direct care businesses. Since the state funds these services and usually does not provide them directly, it relies on consumer choice to help ensure quality of care. For this model to work, people need to be able to leave their provider when they are not receiving appropriate services and support.
Instead what OPE found:
1) people who rely on direct care often feel that they must settle for low quality service or care provided in more expensive institutions;
2) businesses feel they must settle for applicants with fewer qualifications or keep poor-performing workers longer than they would like; and
3) workers feel they have no choice but to leave direct care because of low pay.
We heard compelling and very troubling testimony about how so many people are going without assistance at all which creates drastic safety hazards, life threatening situations, and an overall lack of humanity. Everyone deserves the right to live an independent and dignified life.
The workforce shortage has become a crisis and the legislature must work with the executive branch to ensure that staffing is available to maintain necessary serves for our citizens. The report outlines clear recommendations to address this crisis, and I will do all I can to work with the Department of Health and Welfare, the Legislature, and stakeholders to find solutions.
Click here to Read the Full Report
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Walking Steven Home by Playwright Gregory Hinton
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“Walking Steven Home,” by playwright Gregory HInton is a curated assembly of impact statements from the family of Steven Nelson, at the April 10th, 2017, District Court hearing of his confessed killer. Steven Nelson worked at Boise State. He was the victim of a hate crime and was murdered in 2016 for being gay.
Award-winning playwright, Gregory Hinton, was deeply moved by the impact statements read by Steven’s family at the sentencing of his murderer. Reflecting on the “eloquence of their grief,” Gregory interwoven these accounts to share with the world.
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Visit my Website to view the video of the reading from Sept. 9
Readers:
- The Honorable Justice Jim Jones
- Boise City Council President Jimmy Hallyburton
- Dan Prinzing former Director of the Wassmuth Center for Human Rights
- Idaho Children’s Trust Director Roger Sherman
- Boise State Professor Lori Watsen
- Representative Chris Mathias
- Senator Melissa Wintrow
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GET FREE TICKETS NOW
(RESERVATIONS REQUIRED)
TUESDAY, OCTOBER 10 @ 7:00PM
The Pro-Voice Project, in partnership with the Boise Unitarian Universalist Fellowship, presents The Abortion Diaries. This stage production of Idahoans’ personal stories of reproductive agency brings the subject of abortion out of the realm of shadow and illuminates how this decision touches people’s lives. It also addresses the fallout from Idaho’s restrictive and punitive abortion laws and provides context for the history and future of the fight for reproductive justice.
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I was honored to be selected as a Henry Toll Fellow and engage with leaders from all over the country.
The Council of State Governments welcomed 44 state leaders from across the nation to its headquarters in Lexington, Kentucky, to participate in the 2023 CSG Henry Toll Fellowship — the nation’s premier leadership development program for state government officials.
The program’s name honors Henry Wolcott Toll, a former Colorado state senator and the driving force behind the formation of CSG in 1933.
Each year, the Toll Fellowship program gathers the nation’s top officials from all three branches of government to engage in an intense leadership boot camp and forge connections that span political affiliation. This year’s class was challenged through various development sessions while also being encouraged to build relationships with fellow lawmakers
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I voted for the Idaho Launch initiative to help encourage and support students as they pursue in-demand careers.
Idaho LAUNCH grants will cover 80 percent of the cost of an in-state program that leads to an in-demand career, up to $8,000.
There are hundreds of career paths and programs to choose from, and if they are still weighing their options, they can update their choices later.If you’re a high school senior or the parent of a high school senior, do not delay in applying for a LAUNCH grant. There is only enough money to offer grants to half of Idaho’s high school seniors, and some of the most popular programs will fill up quickly.
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Took my PoliSci/Gender Class to the Statehouse for a tour.
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Yasmin Aguilar, congrats on receiving the WCA Joyce Stein Award.
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Joined Rep Rubel, Mayor McLean, and Rep Necochea for a panel discussion at the Alturas Institute's "Conversations with Exceptional Women." It's such an honor to work with these powerful leaders!
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Joined some neighbors in the north end to talk politics and community engagement. Loved every minute with you!
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Paid a visit to the Food Bank. Stay tuned if you want to join for a service day at the food bank!
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Thank you for your continued support!
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