Las Vegas Sun

March 28, 2024

GUEST COLUMN:

Laxalt says one thing, does another

For many people, the decision of when and whether to become a parent is one of the most significant choices they will make. Nevadans spoke loudly and clearly nearly 29 years ago when they overwhelmingly approved a ballot measure affirming our state abortion statute, which guarantees that Nevadans should have all reproductive choices available to them, noting that these choices are personal and should be free from government interference.

Adam Laxalt, Republican candidate for governor, has been evasive and inconsistent on where he stands on Nevada women’s constitutionally protected right to make decisions about their own lives, bodies and futures — including the right to use contraception or have an abortion. Asked in a questionnaire by the Reno Gazette-Journal last April whether abortion rights should always be legal for Nevadans, Laxalt refused to answer, calling it an “extremist wording” of the question. One day after the June primary election, Laxalt said in a TV interview that he would “look into” repealing the voter-approved measure affirming abortion rights, and called Democratic candidate Steve Sisolak “extreme” for his commitment to reproductive freedom for all Nevadans.

After the interview, his campaign team tried to walk that back, first claiming that Laxalt could not hear the reporter, then that the comments were taken out of context.

After the news station released the unedited footage, which clearly shows the audio and the context, Laxalt’s camp stopped trying to undercut honest reporting and instead began putting out statements saying the candidate wouldn’t try to strip away abortion rights for Nevadans if elected as governor.

This isn’t just a flip-flopping words problem for Laxalt. His campaign of contradictory messages is made even more dubious given his actions as attorney general.

The only two amicus (“friend of the court”) briefs filed in the past five months by Laxalt involve restricting reproductive freedom. On behalf of Nevada, Laxalt signed on to support so-called “crisis pregnancy centers,” which are fake health care clinics that lie to, shame and often intentionally mislead women about their reproductive health care options in an attempt to dissuade them from accessing abortion care.

Laxalt also signed Nevadans on in support of a Texas law, already found unconstitutional by a federal judge, that would ban specific abortion procedures, endangering the health and safety of women.

Following the lead of anti-choice Southern states is apparently a trend for Laxalt, as it was also recently reported that last year, he signed Nevada on in support of an Alabama law similar to the one from Texas.

Laxalt is trying to have it both ways by saying he respects abortion rights and then attacking them. Laxalt and his allies have been attacking Sisolak for standing up for Nevada women’s right to receive accurate, honest information about their reproductive health. Recently, one Laxalt ally went so low as to attack Sisolak’s personal faith. This should should set off alarm bells for Nevadans who believe strongly in personal decisions, including matters of faith remaining personal and not the basis for how one makes public policy decisions.

In his campaign to be our next governor, Sisolak has been consistent and clear in his position on reproductive rights: These decisions are personal and have no business being decided by politicians. Our reproductive freedom is under attack at the federal level. Now, more than ever, Nevadans deserve a governor who is honest and forthright in his commitment to defend Nevadans’ reproductive freedoms.

Caroline Mello Roberson is the Nevada state director of NARAL Pro-Choice Nevada, a nonprofit advocacy organization that works to advance reproductive freedom.