Part 1 of this series looked at questions likely to come before the Michigan legislature following leak of a forthcoming United States Supreme Court finding that would revisit the validity of Roe v Wade. [1]
This November, voters in the newly-drawn 33rd District for the Michigan legislature will elect one of two candidates to represent them in Lansing. With that as current backdrop, Saline Journal put the following questions to each via eMail on May 4, with responses received prior to publication of Part 1 on Monday. Prior to that, neither had seen any answers of the other. [2]
Following is our Q&A with Dr Felicia Brabec, of Pittsfield Township Michigan. [3]
Saline Journal: “Is the matter of abortion more appropriately addressed at the national- or state-level? Explain.”
Felicia Brabec: “Roe v Wade is already the law of the land, as it has been for just under 50 years, and it should stay that way. Overturning precedent based on the political makeup of the court will have devastating consequences for not only the integrity of the court, but for public trust in our institutions as well as the security of other cases that have expanded individual rights.
That being said, should the court go through with overturning Roe, Michigan’s archaic anti-choice law should be repealed as soon as possible.
Saline Journal: “How would you balance ‘personal autonomy’ and ‘compassion,’ with ‘public interests’ and ‘legal’ considerations, in fulfilling duties as a member of the 2023 Michigan Legislature?”
Felicia Brabec: “Personal freedom is something that Americans cherish, and as a legislator, I would never seek to limit a person’s already granted freedom. When deciding what legislation to introduce or sponsor, I take seriously the responsibility to balance what is necessary with what’s right, and I will continue to listen to the needs and concerns of constituents when making decisions.”
Saline Journal: “Do you have any recommendations on how this ‘debate’ might move forward toward reasonable resolution, without creating needless acrimony or casting of ‘winners versus losers’?”
Felicia Brabec: “Over the past few years, discussions of political issues have been heading in a dangerous direction. To move forward, it’s critical that we take time to understand everyone’s perspective and work to find areas of agreement to build upon.
Saline Journal provided each candidate with the same list of issues and asked that they be priorities, beginning with most important.
Candidates were then asked, “What is your rationale for placing abortion as you have?”
Felicia Brabec: “I would rank these as economy, reproductive freedom, COVID-19, fentanyl, and DEI.
There are so many intersections that make these issues hard to concretely rank them by importance.
To take action on these issues, I’ve introduced bills such as HR 0247 to affirm that Griswold v Connecticut was rightfully decided, HB 4651 to ban conversion therapy, HB 5821 to prohibit state funds from going towards discouraging unionization, HB 5344 to require employers to disclose family leave policies to current or potential employees, and I’ve advocated for an appropriation to be in this year’s budget that would expand medically assisted treatment for opioid addiction.
DEI is ranked last not because of lack of importance, but because those priorities are woven into the very fabric of the work that I do on a daily basis as a legislator.
Saline Journal: “Has the landscape of the mid-term elections changed as a result of the Supreme Court abortion delibration disclosure? If so, in what aspect(s)?”
Felicia Brabec: “I certainly hope that the impending Supreme Court decision to upend decades of precedent on a targeted political opportunity will light a fire among voters to demand their representatives protect their freedoms and rights.
Saline Journal: “Are there ‘lessons to be learned’ for future legislators through emerging questioning of =Roe v Wade= precedent and the ‘May surprise’?
If so, describe what you see as those lessons.
Felicia Brabec: “Future legislators should consider whether they want to be on the side of safeguarding freedom, or the side of taking it away.
As elected officials, we hold a lot of power to affect people’s lives and we should focus on making things better and not worse.
On the issue of reproductive freedom, it should be taken into consideration that the majority of Michiganders support the right to choose. As elected officials, we should listen to the collective voice of the people when making important decisions.
Saline Journal: “Finally, what do you, from your perspective, think needs to be added to this discussion, today?”
Felicia Brabec: “I think there are so many important issues that matter to residents of the 33rd district, such as our environment, the quality of our schools, upgrading critical infrastructure, the need for better mental health care resources, criminal justice reform, and much more.
I look forward to working with colleagues on both sides of the aisle to address these issues moving forward.
Thank you so much for the opportunity to participate in this discussion!
Our Q&A with Dr Robert Borer, of Saline, ran here on Saline Journal yesterday. [4]
References
- “Part 1 of 3 re Future of Roe v Wade, abortion – and roles of United States Supreme Court, Congress, Michigan legislature” Dell Deaton (May 16, 2022) Saline Journal.
- “See who’s running for new 33rd District state House seat in Ann Arbor area” Ryan Stanton (April 22, 2022) mLive.
- Felicia Brabec: Democrat for State Representative (home page).
- “Part 2 of 3 re Future of Roe v Wade, abortion, and Michigan legislature: Interview with Dr Robert Borer, Republican” Dell Deaton (May 17, 2022) Saline Journal.
