Issue Position: Health

Issue Position

No one should have to choose between seeing a doctor and paying the rent, and unfortunately, this is a decision many Hoosiers have to make. I will continue to fight for public policies that make health care accessible and affordable for all. Health care includes mental health care and addiction treatment. We must recognize that addiction is a public health and social justice issue and treat it accordingly. To treat addiction as a criminal justice issue alone fails so many Hoosiers and their families.

We have seen the need for strong public health policy, infrastructure, and leadership. Times of crisis like the HIV outbreak in Scott County a few years ago and today's Coronavirus pandemic require a strong public health infrastructure to protect our citizens from disease.

One of the key public health issues that has been neglected due to inadequate funding and resources is women's reproductive health. It has led to Indiana's high maternal and infant mortality rates. Instead of continually adding barriers to abortion access, the aim of legislators and public health agencies should be to support the prevention of unintended pregnancies. A woman who does not get pregnant does not have to make a choice about abortion. Abstinence education is not enough. Instead, we need comprehensive sex education and access to affordable contraception and family planning resources. When a pregnancy is unintended, the choice belongs to a woman, not to politicians mandating what her decision has to be.

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