Meet Our Candidates: Jo Holt for State Senator, LD 11

Posted on August 7, 2014 by Rachel Port

The Arizona primary election will be held on August 26, 2014, and early voting began on July 31. Reproductive health care access has been under attack, both nationally and statewide, but Planned Parenthood Advocates of Arizona has endorsed candidates who have shown strong commitment to reproductive justice. To acquaint you with our endorsed candidates, we are running a series called “Meet Our Candidates.” Make your voice heard in 2014!

[A]rizona’s Legislative District 11 covers northwest Pima County, including Marana, Oro Valley, and Catalina, and parts of Pinal County, including SaddleBrooke, Casa Grande, and the town of Maricopa. Jo Holt, who is running for the Arizona Senate, lives in Oro Valley.

Dr. Holt is a retired research scientist with a background in biochemistry. More recently, she has been involved in Arizona politics; she previously ran for state Senate in 2012, when she was also endorsed by Planned Parenthood Advocates of Arizona. You can read the interview we conducted with her then to learn more about her background, as well as her positions on conscience clauses and sex education.

She was kind enough to answer some questions for me this year as well, on July 31.

“I believe in an America that lends a helping hand, not one that punishes at taxpayer expense.”

It’s great to talk to you again! How has your desire to serve Arizona grown over the past two years? On the policy level, what has happened during that time to give you hope, and what has happened to strengthen your convictions?

Thank you, Rachel. I am still very much committed to making a difference in the lives of the people of Arizona, and to becoming an effective advocate for those who live in my legislative district. The extension of Medicaid, the successful petition drive against the voter repression bill, and Gov. Brewer’s veto of the “religious liberty” bill all give me hope that the public is getting increasingly fed up with our state legislative majority. Continue reading →

Meet Our Candidates: Dave Joseph for State Representative, LD 11

Posted on October 10, 2012 by Rachel Port

The Arizona general election will be held on November 6, 2012, with early voting starting on October 11. After the many recent legislative challenges to reproductive health care access, both nationally and statewide, the importance of voting in November can’t be overstated. To help voters, Planned Parenthood Advocates of Arizona has endorsed candidates who have shown strong commitment to reproductive health and freedom. Along with those endorsements, we are spotlighting our endorsed candidates in a series called “Meet Our Candidates.” Make your voice heard in 2012!

[D]ave Joseph is running for the Arizona House of Representatives in Legislative District 11. He is the only Democratic candidate, running against two Republicans, Steve Smith and Adam Kwasman. Although there are two seats open, we are recommending “single shot voting” in this district. This means that we recommend voting only for Dave Joseph, which actually benefits him, as that vote will be weighted in his favor.

Joseph was interviewed by Planned Parenthood Advocates of Arizona on October 6, 2012; our questions and his responses are recorded below.

“Just as I wouldn’t want a politician to perform surgery on me, I certainly don’t want them directing caregivers how to speak to and treat patients.”

Tell us a little about your background.

I am a successful business owner and job creator. Over my long career, I have acquired and run local television stations in Arizona, Missouri, and Mississippi. By re-investing and re-focusing resources, I was able to skillfully turn around stations that had been on the verge of bankruptcy. The result was more jobs, better pay and benefits for the staff, and a large return for investors. Recently I have been consulting with the Regional Transportation Authority of Pima County, which has given me an appreciation for the people and processes that make government function.

My wife, Michele, and I have been Oro Valley residents for over 20 years. As the father of three exceptional daughters, I know the value of a great educational system and the importance of unrestrained access to health care.

In the previous legislative session, there were a lot of bad bills that negatively affected access to birth control (HB2625), funding for family planning (HB2800), abortion (HB2036), and unbiased information about unintended pregnancies in public schools (SB1009). What kind of beneficial legislation would you like to see introduced, and why do you think it’s important to fight for it?

The primary function of government is to protect its people. We should be working to move health policy forward in this state, innovating to lower costs while improving outcomes. The demonization and defunding of Planned Parenthood is another example of the irresponsible choice of serving ideologues over effective and efficient health care. Government has no business intruding in the freedom of our citizens to privately choose medical providers. Planned Parenthood plays an important role in reducing the number of unintended pregnancies by providing access to education, information, and affordable birth control. Further, the recently passed 20-week abortion ban is so intrusive that it is applicable two weeks before conception even occurs. Government and business must refrain from interfering between a woman, her doctor, and her faith. Continue reading →

Meet Our Candidates: Jo Holt for State Senator, LD 11

Posted on October 2, 2012 by Malinda B.

[J]o Holt is running for an Arizona Senate seat in the new Legislative District 11, which covers the northwestern parts of Pima County and western parts of Pinal County. This area includes Oro Valley, Marana, Avra Valley, Arizona City, Ak-Chin, Maricopa, SaddleBrooke, and Catalina, as well as many other cities and towns. On her website, Holt states, “Arizona is worth fighting for, and I’m ready to roll up my sleeves and work for the best interest of all the people of Arizona.” It’s also very clear that she believes the women of Arizona are worth fighting for as well, and that Holt will be willing to roll up her sleeves to protect women’s rights to health care.

What follows is an exclusive interview conducted with Holt on September 26, 2012.

“The right of women to determine their reproductive choices … is being undermined here in Arizona with the most restrictive laws in the nation.”

Tell us a little about your background.

I am a retired research scientist, and this is my first time to run for public office. Part of my career was spent at the Department of Biochemistry at the University of Arizona in the 1980s. My son James was born at Tucson Medical Center. My career took me to the Department of Biochemistry & Molecular Biophysics at Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis, Missouri, where I spent about 15 years. I retired early to take care of my husband, who passed away last year after a long battle with early-onset Alzheimer’s. So, my background is split between being a mom, a research scientist, and a caregiver.

From 2010 through 2012, your opponent Al Melvin has supported 13 bills (and sponsored many of them) that sought to regulate and stigmatize abortion care out of existence, defund Planned Parenthood, and harass patients and staff of Planned Parenthood and other women’s health care providers. For example, in the previous legislative session, there were many bad bills that negatively affected access to birth control (HB2625), funding for family planning (HB2800), abortion (HB2036), and unbiased information in schools about unintended pregnancies (SB1009). What kind of beneficial legislation would you like to see introduced, and why do you think it’s important to fight for it?

According to the laws of this country, a woman can legally choose to end her pregnancy. A state bill that reaffirms this right, and removes government restrictions on a woman’s ability to control her own reproductive cycle, should be introduced. Continue reading →