As a pediatric nurse and a person hoping to start a family here in Alaska, I believe that Gov. Mike Dunleavy’s desire for “Alaska to be the most pro-life state in the entire country,” as he verbalized in his annual address, is not reflected in his policies to actually support families, make communities safe, and make people want to stay in Alaska to raise children.
According to the Alaska Children’s Alliance, Alaska consistently struggles with some of the highest rates of child abuse and neglect, as well as the highest rate of firearm death in the country. Despite these well-known facts, Dunleavy has made cuts to important programs like foster care and clings to outdated community safety and firearm policies that put us all at greater risk.
Furthermore, Alaska has one of the highest rates of uninsured residents in the country, yet the governor has threatened cuts to Medicaid on multiple occasions. Unfortunately, I see the sad outcomes of children and families not getting the care and love they need when they end up in crisis at the hospital.
As someone who is thinking about raising kids in Alaska, our decision to raise children here will depend on factors such as access to affordable and quality reproductive health care, well-funded quality education and the safety of our communities.
If we really care about families, it’s time for our representatives, including Dunleavy, to re-evaluate many of our outdated beliefs reflected in our state policies about health care, education and community safety and create a state where families — including my own — are proud to raise their children.
— Lena Sessions
Anchorage
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