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10/10/2018 08:00 AMLast month, my State Senate race opponent Norm Needleman continued his negative campaigning with both video and a mailer targeting me directly. His campaign is furthering its claims portraying me as hostile to women’s issues. With all that’s going on nationally, it seems any action that can be interpreted as adversarial to women is fair game to be called out, regardless of context. I’m an outspoken Republican, which makes me an easy target.
A recent criticism is around the issue of pay equity for women. Yes, I voted against HB-6850 in 2015, because it was a poorly constructed bill. I felt it needed to go back to committee, which it did. After careful bipartisan review, I had no qualms supporting it and I enthusiastically voted in favor of HB-5386 in 2018.
I feel strongly that the drafting and revision of law is something that should be taken seriously. Hundreds of bills—many of them good, conceptually—die in committee each year. Bills that finally find their way into law are the result of years of consensus building and bipartisan work. You won’t find that in opposition talking points or some fake website, because such information doesn’t suit Mr. Needleman’s opportunistic narrative.
We too often forget the difference between campaigning and legislating. Pick any particular vote I’ve made (something that’s easy to do with my 100 percent voting record), strip away the context, and one may find something that can be conveniently weaponized. Drill down into process, or better yet, listen to my testimony, and suddenly things are no longer so cut and dried.
I have fought for women throughout my career, just as I have fought for all of my constituents regardless of race, color, gender, town, or age. I hope to earn your readers’ votes and continue that work.
State Representative Melissa Ziobron (R-34)
East Haddam
Melissa Ziobron is the Republican candidate for the 33rd District State Senate seat.