Submitted by Jennifer Barro, MD
Four Reasons to Re-Elect Senator Alex Kasser:
1. Alex Kasser sponsored the Paid Family and Medical Leave Insurance (FMLI) bill in 2019 to protect employees, especially the 50% of low-income workers, who do not have access to compensated family leave. She recognizes the importance of having time with a newborn or the flexibility to care for an ill parent, without having to worry about missed wages. Ryan Fazio wrote, in the middle of the pandemic, that he would get rid of the paid family leave program (and the planned $15 minimum wage too).
2. Alex Kasser has been endorsed by Moms Demand Action and Connecticut Against Gun Violence for her commitment to reduce gun violence. She understands that gun violence is a multifactorial problem that needs to be approached with evidence and honesty.
Ryan Fazio opted, during the recent Greenwich League of Women Voters (LWV) debate, to politicize the issue by somehow ascribing an increase in gun violence in Stamford and New Haven over the summer to passage of the Police Accountability Act, which did not take effect until October 1, 2020.
“Surging violence caused by de-policing,” is referenced in his recent mailing. His claim that police are no longer able to enforce existing gun laws, is false and fearmongering.
3. Alex Kasser has worked to make voting safe and more accessible. She fought for and passed legislation that allows absentee voting for every voter during the pandemic. She supports allowing early voting, which exists in 43 other states, to give voters more options. Ryan Fazio described early voting as “extreme.” In his recent mailing and during the debate, he used debunked talking points to suggest that mail-in voting is unreliable and leads to voter fraud.
4. The pending Supreme Court ruling on the Affordable Care Act may have repercussions in Connecticut. Alex Kasser has sponsored a Public Option bill (SB-346) to help insure access to affordable, quality health care for everyone in our state. Ryan Fazio does not fundamentally believe that people have a right to health care. In a Medium article that was removed from the internet, Fazio wrote that “Congress and Trump should eviscerate the [Affordable Care Act].” He has also written in The Federalist that the right to health care “fails to meet the universal standards for rights.” At the LWV debate, he argued that the focus should be on increasing healthcare supply. As a physician, I know that increasing the number of doctors, hospital beds and MRI scanners in our state will not be an effective solution.
There are stark differences between candidates in this election. The people we elect to represent us in Hartford will make decisions that impact our lives. I am voting for compassion, honesty, truth and common sense solutions.
Please join me in voting for State Senator Alex Kasser for re-election.
Editor’s note: Letters to the Editor in support of local candidates in the Nov 3, 2020 election may be submitted to [email protected] for consideration beginning July 15 and with a hard deadline of Oct 26, 2020 at noon.