Michigan Green Party gubernatorial candidate, Jennifer V. Kurland (Redford, MI), expressed dismay Wednesday over several key rulings handed down by the Supreme Court of the United States. Kurland said the decisions are among the worst ever made by the Court and reflect the opinions of the conservative ideologues who make up the majority.

"By ruling that anti-abortion health clinics have no obligation to fully inform women of their legal healthcare options, the majority on the Court have placed so-called free speech of the clinics over a woman's right to know," Kurland said. "Healthcare for women, most notably women of color, in our country is woefully insufficient and the maternal death rate in our country is already one of the highest among first world countries."

For Immediate Release

June 29, 2018

Jennifer V. Kurland, Candidate for Governor

www.kurland4michigan.com

Press Contact:

313-349-3929

The Court also delivered a devastating blow to collective bargaining in a ruling that allows non-union employees to receive the benefits of union contract negotiations without being required to pay union dues. Kurland pointed out this attack on collective bargaining hits workers in Michigan especially hard.

"Unions in Michigan have a long and rich history of advancing workers' rights and workplace safety in our country. Incredibly, the Court has determined that workers will have to fend for themselves when faced with unsafe working conditions," Kurland said, adding, "This ruling unleashes corporations to pursue record profits even more aggressively off the backs of workers through reduced wages and critical benefits such as healthcare, family leave, pensions, and paid time off."

In an equally disconcerting decision that will directly impact Michigan's Arab-American community, the Court upheld President Trump's travel ban, which unfairly and unnecessarily targets Muslims fleeing war and violence.

"The travel ban is a wholly unacceptable continuation of our country's sad history of racial profiling and religious intolerance when it comes to immigration," Kurland said. "At the same time, we continue to ignore international law and our country's moral underpinnings by bombing civilian population centers in Muslim-majority countries. The wars in Yemen, Syria, and Libya have created a humanitarian crisis started by Democrats and continued by Republicans."

With Supreme Court Justice Anthony Kennedy's sudden announcement that he will retire, both Kurland and her running mate, Charin H. Davenport (Hazel Park, MI), are calling on the President to honor his campaign pledge to be "the people's president" and to nominate someone who will side with workers and families, rather than corporations.

"People in this country, including the President's base supporters, cannot afford another Supreme Court Justice that places the profits of corporations ahead of the needs of individual citizens," Davenport said. "While most observers consider it a given that whoever Trump nominates will easily sail through the confirmation process, it is important to remember that this year's critical mid-term elections provide voters the chance to convince the White House and members of Congress to select a Supreme Court Justice that is philosophically independent."

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