This Washington
NARAL Sounds Alarm on McKenna
Washington State Attorney General hasn't formally declared his candidacy for governor yet (he's making it official tonight at Sammamish High Shcool) and already the Washington State Democrats and NARAL Pro-Choice Washington have released a statement docking him.
NARAL's press release criticizes McKenna for being "determinedly vague" about his position on a woman's right to choose and condemns his decision to join the multistate lawsuit against the health care reform law, which NARAL Executive Director Lauren Simonds says "will enable countless women to access a wide range of family planning and maternity care services previously unavailable to them. The attempt to overturn health care reform is a step backward."
The press release also brings up a story first reported by PubliCola last summer about the role McKenna's office took in abandoning the state's case to enforce access to emergency contraception.
NARAL's release states: "Shockingly, the apparent aim .... was to let the Board of Pharmacy reverse the intent of the rules and allow pharmacists to turn patients away due to personal objections to the medications being requested."
Gov. Chris Gregoire condemned McKenna at the time, and even though the Pharmacy Board did take advantage of the suspended trial to revisit the rules guaranteeing a drug store's patient's right to Plan B scrips, ultimately access remained in place.
As for the Democrats' press release: Washington State Party Chair Dwight Pelz calls McKenna "Washington's version of Scott Walker" and adds:
I'm not sure about the Walker comparisons. McKenna recently told a group of UW students that collective bargaining was "appropriate" and he told Seattle Times reporter Jim Brunner it was "a right."
McKenna's holding a press conference after his announcement tonight where the media will have a chance to suss him out on choice issues.
NARAL's press release criticizes McKenna for being "determinedly vague" about his position on a woman's right to choose and condemns his decision to join the multistate lawsuit against the health care reform law, which NARAL Executive Director Lauren Simonds says "will enable countless women to access a wide range of family planning and maternity care services previously unavailable to them. The attempt to overturn health care reform is a step backward."
The press release also brings up a story first reported by PubliCola last summer about the role McKenna's office took in abandoning the state's case to enforce access to emergency contraception.
NARAL's release states: "Shockingly, the apparent aim .... was to let the Board of Pharmacy reverse the intent of the rules and allow pharmacists to turn patients away due to personal objections to the medications being requested."
Gov. Chris Gregoire condemned McKenna at the time, and even though the Pharmacy Board did take advantage of the suspended trial to revisit the rules guaranteeing a drug store's patient's right to Plan B scrips, ultimately access remained in place.
As for the Democrats' press release: Washington State Party Chair Dwight Pelz calls McKenna "Washington's version of Scott Walker" and adds:
He turned the AG’s office into a feel-good press release shop, while ignoring or underperforming on the key issues facing Washington families such as the mortgage crisis and rising gas prices. We needed bold leadership, but instead got McGruff the crime dog.
I'm not sure about the Walker comparisons. McKenna recently told a group of UW students that collective bargaining was "appropriate" and he told Seattle Times reporter Jim Brunner it was "a right."
McKenna's holding a press conference after his announcement tonight where the media will have a chance to suss him out on choice issues.
