Why is the West Virginia Legislature putting our state in jeopardy of losing more businesses, families, teachers, young college graduates and especially health care professionals, by supporting legislature that dictates the choices that women and families deserve in health care? Innovative and individualized health care options for all ages and all West Virginia communities has slowly improved in the past decade. This is especially true for women’s health and maternal/child health in the Eastern Panhandle. As a 35+ year veteran Nurse Practitioner in women’s health, only one candidate for the West Virginia senate, Hannah Geffort, recognizes these health care changes as a priority for the health, welfare and economic future of West Virginia.

Several Republican candidates and members of the West Virginia House of Delegates are blocking our progress, by not allowing exceptions to the newly enacted abortion ban. Most of these Delegates/candidates would not even allow an exception for a woman who was the victim of the crimes of incest or rape. Each voted to disallow an exception for a woman who is suicidal over having to carry a pregnancy to term.

One candidate/Republican Delegate voted to make a woman’s doctor subject to felony criminal prosecution for performing a necessary termination of a pregnancy. No Republican candidate and present Delegate thought it necessary to consider the possibility of losing more OB/GYN providers in our state.

One candidate, who is a Republican member of the House of Delegates, voted to deprive women of the freedom to make their own decisions regarding their health care and the care of their families. Another candidate/Republican member of the House even voted to impose stricter government mandates on a woman’s range of health care options.

One candidate, who is now a Republican member of the House of Delegates, decided that his religious views, in defining when a fetus is a “separate being,” should be imposed upon every woman in West Virginia.

The other candidate for the Senate, supportive of health care rights, is Senator Hannah Geffert. Senator Geffert recognizes that every pregnancy is unique and that every child, woman and family faces a different set of life circumstances. Many of these situations (very visable to health care providers) are unimaginable and often unrecognized by the main stream, mostly privileged members of the West Virginia Legislature.

Senator Geffert believes that the decision of when and whether to have a child is a life changing decision — a private decision which belongs to the woman and not to state legislators in Charleston who know nothing of “her” or even about health care options.

Empathy is an essential characteristic of a good legislator. Only one candidate for the West Virginia Senate in the 16th District has demonstrated that essential trait. That candidate is Senator Hannah Geffert.

Vote to keep Senator Hannah Geffert in our state legislature.

Christine Palank, of Shepherdstown