Posted on Jun 3, 2023
Republican Oregon lawmaker Charlie Conrad’s support of controversial bill reflects his ‘middle...
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Last month, Oregon Rep. Charlie Conrad was the sole Republican state lawmaker to vote in favor of House Bill 2002, which would further protect access to abortion and expand insurance coverage for gender-affirming care. It would also allow minors to obtain abortions and teens 15 years and older to receive gender-affirming care without parental consent. The bill is one of two cited by Republican and Independent state leaders as the reason they staged a walkout a month ago, effectively grinding Senate business to a halt.
The Capital Chronicle earlier reported on why Conrad shifted his stance from opposing to supporting HB 2002. The first-term lawmaker recently spoke with “Think Out Loud” host Dave Miller about HB 2002, which he initially voted against in April as a member of the House Behavioral Health and Health Care Committee.
Conrad also spoke about being a pro-choice Republican lawmaker representing a politically diverse district in eastern Lane County, and how extreme partisanship hinders the ability to make good policies, irrespective of party affiliation. He said he changed his vote after seeking out more information about how gender-affirming care decisions are made by medical professionals regarding 15- to 18-year-olds who may not have parental support.
The Capital Chronicle earlier reported on why Conrad shifted his stance from opposing to supporting HB 2002. The first-term lawmaker recently spoke with “Think Out Loud” host Dave Miller about HB 2002, which he initially voted against in April as a member of the House Behavioral Health and Health Care Committee.
Conrad also spoke about being a pro-choice Republican lawmaker representing a politically diverse district in eastern Lane County, and how extreme partisanship hinders the ability to make good policies, irrespective of party affiliation. He said he changed his vote after seeking out more information about how gender-affirming care decisions are made by medical professionals regarding 15- to 18-year-olds who may not have parental support.
Republican Oregon lawmaker Charlie Conrad’s support of controversial bill reflects his ‘middle...
Posted from opb.org
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Posted 1 y ago
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PO1 William "Chip" Nagel good day Brother William, always informational and of the most interesting. Thanks for sharing, have a blessed day!
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PO1 William "Chip" Nagel
SFC Joe S. Davis Jr., MSM, DSL It is Good to Hear that there are still some Republicans that Listen to Science and Doctors.
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PO1 William "Chip" Nagel
..."Why Conrad thinks ‘hyperpartisanship’ is preventing ‘the middle ground’ from being heard:
It is the hyperpartisanship, and the news and the media ... not even just looking at Oregon, but looking nationwide, it is always one side or the other. It’s either this or it’s that, and I think what has been lost, it’s the middle ground. Most of us — and this is what I found out talking to people on the campaign trail, and in my personal life as well when I talk to people — we’re all pretty complex. Most of us might side with one side or the other on 80% of the issues, but the other 20%, we might have a little different perspective that might not be strictly party-line. And everything right now, it’s all one or the other. It’s that middle ground and the voices in the middle that aren’t being heard.
And that’s really one of the reasons why I ended up running and I decided to run is because that’s who I am. I’m in that middle group. I’ve always been a registered Republican, but given some of my voting record now, it’s clear that I’m not 100% party-line.
There are some good policies out there that really help people, and that’s where I want to focus on, is really helping people and passing the good policies, and not necessarily going down just the party-line side of things. And it’s unfortunate that’s the case. I think some of what that does is it chills good, solid discussion about the pros and cons of policies and where we want to go as a state."
..."Why Conrad thinks ‘hyperpartisanship’ is preventing ‘the middle ground’ from being heard:
It is the hyperpartisanship, and the news and the media ... not even just looking at Oregon, but looking nationwide, it is always one side or the other. It’s either this or it’s that, and I think what has been lost, it’s the middle ground. Most of us — and this is what I found out talking to people on the campaign trail, and in my personal life as well when I talk to people — we’re all pretty complex. Most of us might side with one side or the other on 80% of the issues, but the other 20%, we might have a little different perspective that might not be strictly party-line. And everything right now, it’s all one or the other. It’s that middle ground and the voices in the middle that aren’t being heard.
And that’s really one of the reasons why I ended up running and I decided to run is because that’s who I am. I’m in that middle group. I’ve always been a registered Republican, but given some of my voting record now, it’s clear that I’m not 100% party-line.
There are some good policies out there that really help people, and that’s where I want to focus on, is really helping people and passing the good policies, and not necessarily going down just the party-line side of things. And it’s unfortunate that’s the case. I think some of what that does is it chills good, solid discussion about the pros and cons of policies and where we want to go as a state."
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As for gender dysphoria. When politicians got hold of it as a way to get votes more people started being for or against based on what politicians and media wanted you to believe. Now abortion is political mainly to get votes again. It is not about caring for the life of the unborn or elderly(euthanasia), it is about votes. Think about the history.
Except for dictators and serial killers most of society valued life. Now we are experiencing unfettered abortions and euthanasia as acceptable by some countries and people. Makes a person think about what is next. Like the labor camps and death camps that snuffed out millions of lives because those people were not favored by that government. Mao Tse Tung, Stalin, Kim Il-sung, and Hitler should be a lesson to those who are supporting killing the unwanted
Except for dictators and serial killers most of society valued life. Now we are experiencing unfettered abortions and euthanasia as acceptable by some countries and people. Makes a person think about what is next. Like the labor camps and death camps that snuffed out millions of lives because those people were not favored by that government. Mao Tse Tung, Stalin, Kim Il-sung, and Hitler should be a lesson to those who are supporting killing the unwanted
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PO3 Justin Bowen
Abortion was legal and uncontroversial for virtually all of human history. It only became politically contentious within the past century and a half - and not for anything to do with morality or ethics.
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CW2 Michael MacInerney
There are records in ancient history that tell how some ancient states awarded people for having children. There are also times when a newborn would be cast away due to obvious birth defects. The pendulum swings to extremes and controversy is guaranteed. Birth control is a partial answer to stopping abortions, but then that is controversial depending on the group. I think more effort to educate young people on ethical (not religious) lifestyle would help. Greek and Roman philosophers often wrote/discussed how sex became the master of so many rulers and people in power. So, 2000 to 3000 years ago we were facing the same issues as today when it comes to sexual activity. My opinion is that abortion is really not the real issue, it is just something that is used for votes instead of focusing more on helping young people make better life choices.
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