This is posted on behalf of the Women’s Leadership Council, a group of female leaders from the private, non-profit and government sectors supporting Martha Coakley for Governor. Kara Coredini, executive director for MassEquality, is a member of the council.
The cavalier dismissal by Charlie Baker that the Hobby Lobby decision “doesn’t matter” is wrong on many levels.
Chief among them is that he is factually wrong on the impact the decision has on the access to contraception here in Massachusetts. But there is another reason that Charlie Baker proves that he is out of touch with his dismissal: It completely ignores that in the Hobby Lobby decision, the Supreme Court erroneously asserted that corporations have rights the same way that people have rights. In Hobby Lobby, the Court further expands this misguided grant of corporate personhood it found in Citizens United and states that a closely held corporation has personal rights above and beyond that of individuals.
Hobby Lobby does matter to men and women alike because corporations should never be granted deference over individual citizens of this nation.
Thankfully we have a candidate running for Governor, Martha Coakley, who gets it.
Martha has been an outspoken critic of Citizens United since the decision issued and understands all the ways that Hobby Lobby matters, not only to women, but to everyone. Clearly the people of Massachusetts need a leader, a Governor, who realizes the rights of individuals are greater than those of corporations all of the time, not some of the time.
Because of her experience, because of her conviction, because of her track record and the passion that she brings to this fight, Martha Coakley is our candidate and the best candidate for Governor.
Thought I’d just point that out 🙂
http://www.berwickforgovernor.com/press-releases/don-berwick%E2%80%99s-statement-charlie-bakers-hobby-lobby-comments
http://stevegrossman.com/press-release-grossman-charlie-baker-owes-women-across-country-apology-insensitive-touch-comments/
http://www.marthacoakley.com/Campaign-Updates/details/2014-07-dear-charlie-it-does-matter
As has already been pointed out, all three candidates have taken similar positions.
I’d like to hear what specific steps Ms. Coakley would take, as Governor, to address the impact on Massachusetts residents of these awful decisions.
Coakley joined in leading the charge in advocating for An Act to Promote Public Safety and Protect Access to Reproductive Health Care, recently filed in response to the McCollum decision. See e.g.: http://www.pplmvotes.org/newsroom/press-releases/265-legislationfiledtoenhancesafeaccesstoreproductivehealthcenters.html
As AG (and as a candidate for Governor), Coakley will push for passage and strong enforcement of this legislation. As Governor, she will led enforcement efforts.
On Hobby Lobby, Coakley has pledged to ensure that state law fully mitigates any impact on Massachusetts’ women. She’s also said she will work to ensure that all businesses contracting with the state offer insurance covering contraceptives. See:
http://www.marthacoakley.com/Campaign-Updates/details/2014-06-coakley-will-work-to-require-companies-that-contract
I hope I see similar responses from the other candidates over the next few days or weeks.
Relax, I’m not trolling. I’m responding to this comment by christopher.
Charlie Baker pledges $300K for contraception
http://www.masslive.com/politics/index.ssf/2014/07/republican_gubernatorial_candi_10.html