Abortion Generally

Abortion Generally

Laxalt Said He Was “Pro-Life”

Laxalt Described His Position On Abortion As “Pro-Life.” According to Nevada Independent, “Asked for his stance on abortion, Laxalt responded with a two-word statement: ‘I’m pro-life.’” [Nevada Independent, 1/27/18]

January 2018: Laxalt Refused To Answer Further Questions On His Abortion Stance. According to Nevada Independent, “The conservative gubernatorial candidate did not respond to questions on whether abortion should be outlawed at all stages or just some, whether there should be requirements for parental notification, ultrasounds before abortion or a waiting period. His campaign website also does not address social issues.” [Nevada Independent, 1/27/18]

Laxalt Said He Rejects “The Premise” Of The Question If Abortions Should Always Be Legally Available, And Said That Was An “Extremist Position That’s Never Been Supported By Either The U.S. Supreme Court Or The People.” According to AdamLaxalt.com, “Should abortions always be legally available? I reject the premise of that question. That’s an extremist phrasing of the issue that’s never been supported by either the U.S. Supreme Court or the people of Nevada, which is why there are already some restrictions in place today, such as partial-birth abortion and late-term abortion, both of which I’m against.” [AdamLaxalt.com, 4/23/18]

Laxalt Did Not Respond To Questions About Texas Abortion Law

Laxalt’s Campaign Did Not Respond To Request For Comment About Texas’ Abortion Ban. According to the Washington Post, “Democratic women running in Senate elections next year said in interviews that the Supreme Court’s action was a wake-up call that women were already heeding. Sen. Catherine Cortez Masto (D-Nev.), who is facing challenges from several antiabortion Republicans, including former state attorney general Adam Laxalt, was quick to cast next year’s election as a referendum on abortion rights. ‘It matters who sits in this seat in this race,’ she said. ‘There’s no doubt in my mind, if elected, [my Republican opponents] would support the conservative Supreme Court justices that would further undermine Roe v. Wade, and they would vote for federal legislation to restrict reproductive rights.’ Laxalt has described himself as an opponent of abortion and, as attorney general, signed briefs supporting restrictive abortion laws in other states. His campaign did not respond to an email seeking comment.” [Washington Post, 9/2/21]

Laxalt Supported Enabling Religious Or Moral Objections To PerForming Abortions

Laxalt Signed The State Onto A Letter In Support Of Protections For Health Workers With Religious Or Moral Objections To Providing Abortions And Transitional Services To Transgender Patients. According to Nevada Independent, “Republican gubernatorial candidate and Attorney General Adam Laxalt has signed on to a letter supporting a new set of regulations that aims to protect health workers who don’t want to perform abortions, help transgender patients transition or take other actions because of religious or moral objections. Laxalt joined 16 other attorneys general in signing the March 27 letter to Alex Azar, secretary of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. The letter lauds the ‘Protecting Statutory Conscience Rights in Health Care; Delegations of Authority’ regulations, saying it’s important to return to obeying conscience protections enacted by Congress and restore the rule of law in Washington. ‘Despite the clearly-expressed directives from Congress set out above, the Department in recent years has failed to assure that participants in its healthcare programs honor these conscience and religious freedom protections,’ the letter said. ‘In particular, the Department has failed to adequately address situations where program participants have coerced healthcare professionals into participating in abortions, dispensing drugs that end human life, and providing health insurance coverage for abortions.’” [Nevada Independent, 3/20/18]

Laxalt Said Would “Look Into” Overturning Nevada’s Question 7 

Laxalt Suggested He Would Look Into Overturning The State Referendum Protecting Abortion

[VIDEO] Laxalt Promised To “Have That Debate” On Abortion And When Asked If He Was Planning To Propose A Referendum To Overturn Question 7, Laxalt Said “We Are Going To Look Into It.” According to KOLOTV, “But in the past five months, Nevada’s Attorney General has filed friend-of-the-court briefs, asking the U.S. Supreme Court to overturn a California law requiring crisis pregnancy centers to inform women of their options. In March, another AMICUS brief was filed to an appeals court, asking it to uphold a Texas law outlawing 2nd trimester abortions. ‘We pay him to do the work of our state,’ says Hawkins. ‘You know I’m going to err on the side of life,’ says Adam Laxalt. We talked to Attorney General Laxalt after winning his party’s nomination for Nevada governor about his legal filings on behalf of Nevadans. Does Nevada have a dog in that fight does it? ‘We are going to have many months to talk about this. The bottom line is my opponents have been very clear in the last many months they are incredibly extreme on abortion. We are going to have plenty of time to have that debate,’ says Laxalt. But you can’t change it without a vote of the people. ‘We are happy to talk about that in the coming months,’ replied Laxalt. ‘Are you planning on doing that as governor? Would you propose a referendum for voters to vote on that? Because that is how it has to change in Nevada.’ ‘We are going to look into it,’ says Laxalt.” [KOLOTV, 6/13/18] [YouTube]

[VIDEO] Laxalt Said Nevada Was “Gonna Look Into It” When Asked About Question 7. Adam Laxalt is attempting to open the abortion debate after decades of a freeze on abortion laws. Now, Adam Laxalt wants to take up the issue again. In 1990, Question 7 left the state’s abortion laws as is, unless there was a referendum to overturn it. Question 7 passed by over 60% of the vote. In the last five months, Adam Laxalt filed an amicus brief asking the SCOTUS to overturn California’s law requiring Crisis Pregnancy Centers to inform women of their termination options. Laxalt filed another brief in support of a Texas law outlawing second trimester terminations. After winning his nomination, Laxalt discussed his filings: “We’re going to have many months to talk about this, the bottom line is my opponents have been very clear in the last many months, they’re incredibly extreme on abortion. We’re going to have plenty of time to have that debate.” When reminded the issue would have to be changed by referendum Laxalt smiled adding, “We’re gonna look into it.” Despite Laxalt frequently sending press releases for various Friend of the Court briefs, his office did not send out any releases in the two abortion-related cases. [KOLO (ABC). 6/13/18] [YouTube]

Laxalt’s Campaign Manager Claimed That Laxalt’s Statement Was Taken Out Of Context

Laxalt’s Campaign Claimed His Comments Were Taken Out Of Context And Said Laxalt Had “Zero Interest” In Undoing The 1990 Law. According to KOLOTV, “Laxalt’s campaign said in a statement Thursday that he ‘has zero interest in ‘undoing’ the 1990 law in question.’ Laxalt told KOLO-TV in Reno, ‘We’re going to look into it,’ when he was asked if he would propose a referendum for voters to consider changing Nevada’s abortion law. The Nevada Democratic party said in a statement that Laxalt wanted to roll back access to abortion and called him ‘extreme.’ Laxalt campaign manager Kristin Davison says Laxalt’s statement was taken out of context about what Laxalt meant.” [KOLOTV, 6/15/18]

Advocates Questioned Whether Laxalt Even Knew The Law

[Video-Summarized] Pro-Choice Advocated Questioned Whether Laxalt Knew What The State Laws On Abortion Were. Pro-choice advocates responded to answers Adam Laxalt gave about Nevada’s abortion laws. NARAL protested Laxalt’s anti-choice comments at his victory party when asked why he’s filed several anti-choice lawsuits to change abortion laws in the state. Currently, any changes to abortion laws must come from referendum. Some protestors questioned whether Laxalt even knew what the laws/referendums were because of how little time he’s spent in Nevada. [KOLO (ABC). 6/19/18;  American Bridge Label 180619_BLM_2012_A]

 

NARAL’s Nevada Director Caroline Mello Roberson: Laxalt’s “Statements Are Not Only Troubling, But Dangerous For Nevada Women.” “ANCHOR 1: One week ago, during his victory party in Reno, we asked gubernatorial candidate Adam Laxalt about why his office was participating in court action contrary to our state's abortion laws, the story, which aired the following day, sparked a lot of interest and strong reaction […] ANCHOR 2: The reaction from pro-choice advocates was swift and nearly instantaneous. MELLO ROBERSON: His statements are not only troubling, but dangerous for Nevada women. We believe that repealing established law in our state is the wrong move for Nevada. And we also believe that women should be able to make their own reproductive health care choices.” [KOLO (ABC). 6/19/18] 180619_BLM_2012_A

Laxalt Supported Texas Law Banning A Common Second-Trimester Abortion Procedure

Laxalt Joined A Brief In Defense Of A Texas Law Banning A Common Second-Trimester Abortion Procedure. According to Nevada Independent, “Attorney General Adam Laxalt has signed on to an amicus brief defending a Texas law that bans the most common method of abortion used in the second trimester. Louisiana Attorney General Jeff Landry announced Friday that Nevada is among a 25-state coalition that filed an amicus brief in the Fifth Circuit Court of Appeals. Texas lawmakers had passed a law in 2017 banning abortion through the dilation and evacuation method — in which the cervix is dilated and the fetus is removed in pieces with forceps or other instruments and suction — unless the heart is stopped through drugs. […] Laxalt has said he is pro-life, but has not answered questions about whether he would seek to implement greater restrictions on abortion in Nevada, such as an ultrasound requirement, parental notification or a waiting period. His campaign did not respond to a request for comment Tuesday evening about whether he would support or sponsor a ban on dilation and evacuation abortions if elected governor.” [Nevada Independent, 3/14/18]

Laxalt Failed To Consult Governor Sandoval On His Decision To Sign Onto An Amicus Brief In Defense Of The Abortion Law

Laxalt Did Not Consult Governor Sandoval Prior To Signing Nevada Onto The Brief. According to Nevada Independent, “Attorney General Adam Laxalt has signed on to an amicus brief defending a Texas law that bans the most common method of abortion used in the second trimester. […] Gov. Brian Sandoval’s office said it was not consulted before Laxalt signed Nevada onto the brief. Sandoval’s spokeswoman did not answer when asked whether Sandoval, a Republican who is pro-abortion rights, supports the Texas law or the amicus brief in principle.” [Nevada Independent, 3/14/18]

NARAL Pro-Choice Nevada Slammed Laxalt’s Decision To Join The State Onto The Amicus Brief In A Statement

NARAL Pro-Choice Nevada Director Caroline Mello Roberson: Laxalt’s Action Contradicts “The 74% Of Nevadans Who Support A Woman’s Right To Choose.” According to a NARAL Pro-Choice Nevada press release, “NARAL Pro-Choice Nevada State Director Caroline Mello Roberson issued the following statement: ‘[…] Abortion bans such as the one AG Laxalt is trying to defend without the consultation of Nevada’s pro-choice Republican Governor, prevent health care providers from giving their patients the best health care possible in what can be a very difficult situation. Even worse: the ban does not include exceptions for rape or incest. ‘Laxalt and his protégé Wes Duncan have made their positions clear, and they contradict the 74% of Nevadans who support a woman’s right to choose.’ ‘Nevadans want their elected officials to focus on creating jobs, fixing education, and strengthening access to health care. Instead, Adam Laxalt and his protégé Wes Duncan are obsessed with outlawing abortion and punishing women — and their actions are wildly out of touch with the vast majority of Nevadans. Enough is enough.’” [NARAL Pro-Choice Nevada, 3/16/18]

NARAL Pro-Choice Nevada Director Caroline Mello Roberson: Laxalt Moves “Would Be A Great Step Backward For Reproductive Freedom And For Nevada Women.” In a Reno Gazette Journal op-ed Caroline Mello Roberson wrote, “This month, Attorney General Adam Laxalt signed the state of Nevada onto two amicus briefs that, if the court decides as Laxalt prefers, would be a great step backward for reproductive freedom and for Nevada women. Laxalt, also a Republican candidate for governor, signed on in support of anti-choice groups challenging a California law at the Supreme Court that helps provide important, accurate and honest information to pregnant women. Oral arguments were heard by the Supreme Court on March 20 with a decision expected to come down in June. […] And here is the kicker: this isn’t Laxalt’s first attempt to push his own dangerous agenda. He signed onto an amicus brief defending a Texas abortion ban law that was ruled unconstitutional by a federal judge. To be clear: Texas considered a whopping 50 measures in their last legislative session to restrict reproductive freedom. They also have the highest maternal mortality rate in the developed world. Is this Adam Laxalt’s vision for Nevada?” [Reno Gazette Journal, 4/12/18]

Laxalt Downplayed Concerns That The Supreme Court Would Overturn Abortion

Laxalt Said Abortion “Will Not Be An Issue” In Nevada Because Of Question 7. According to the Nevada Independent, “Republican gubernatorial candidate Adam Laxalt downplayed concerns that he may push to limit abortion rights in Nevada if elected governor as he praised President Donald Trump’s decision to nominate Brett Kavanaugh to join the Supreme Court. ‘Nevada is uniquely situated since we have a referendum on the books from 1990 that guarantees a woman's right to have an abortion,’ Laxalt, who is pro-life and serves as attorney general, said on a conference call with reporters. ‘Certainly in our state this will not be an issue.’” [Nevada Independent, 7/10/18]