Hello DailyKos readers!
I’m Ally Dalsimer. I’m a candidate for Congress in Virginia, a 30 year environmental professional, and a mom of two. Right now though, I’m a concerned citizen. I’m concerned because on January 15th Glenn Youngkin, who has said he will go “on offense” to strip a woman’s right to choose, will be sworn in as Governor of Virginia. And that means, if we don’t act now, Mr. Youngkin and his new majority in the House of Delegates will do everything in their power to strip reproductive freedoms from the women of Virginia, effectively undoing decades of hard-fought progress and empowerment.
But it’s not too late! The current Governor and House of Delegates are ready to codify reproductive rights into State law, providing legal protections to Virginia’s women for the decades to come. The hold up? State Senate Democrats who don’t want to change their vacation plans to return for a special session. The New York Times wrote just last week about the situation:
One senator is traveling in Africa. Others are in Europe. And the majority leader is headed to Hawaii.
“They’re not going to be able to get back; flights are booked this time of year,” the majority leader, Richard L. Saslaw, said in an interview from California, where he was en route to the Aloha State. The state’s General Assembly does not allow proxy or remote voting, and Democrats’ paper-thin majority in the State Senate requires all members to be present to pass contentious legislation.
“We discussed it,” Mr. Saslaw said. “There are too many people out of town.”
Senator Saslaw’s claims that ‘flights are booked’ is false, I’ve checked (and you can too) and there are plenty of flights with available seats from Hawaii to Richmond this week, next week, and everyday before the term ends. I’m sure it’s the same for other locations where Senators are vacationing. The fact is that the window of opportunity to call a special session to vote on and pass legislation to protect the rights of tens of thousands of women in the Commonwealth is closing.
That’s why I’m asking you to join me in respectfully but urgently asking Senator Saslaw to cut his vacation short, as well as to urge other elected officials across the Commonwealth to also join in this call. Every Democratic Senator, Congressperson, and elected official across Virginia should be contacting their colleagues to express concerns for the future reproductive rights of Virginia’s women, including and especially Northern Virginia leaders like Congressman Gerry Connolly, who is a long-time friend and ally of Senator Saslaw’s.
I genuinely understand the need to be with family and to take time at the holidays but, as a public official, it is also incredibly important that the rights and freedoms of constituents are a priority. Public officials, public servants, must be held to a higher standard and must, sometimes, sacrifice personal comforts to do what’s right for the people they serve.
Together our collective call to action can help ensure that women’s rights are protected in Virginia, and can serve as an example to other states that We the People will stand strong against turning back the clock on reproductive rights!
Best,
Ally Dalsimer
For more information, check out my Website and ActBlue pages