Republican In N.Y. Special Election Voted To Shackle Pregnant Women


Republican Assemblywoman Jane Corwin is pushing an considerable amount of her personal fortune into running in the special election this month in New York.  She's been given the support of national Republican figures like Speaker of the House John Boehner and house Majority Leader Eric Cantor, as well as the NRCC and Karl Rove's American Crossroads special interest group.

Less likely to support her?  Human rights advocates.  While she was serving in the assembly, Corwin voted to continue shackling female inmates when they were giving birth.

Via Think Progress:

In the past, Assemblywoman Jane Corwin (R-NY), the GOP nominee for the special election in New York’s 26th congressional district, called attention to her economic views by declaring that, “we need to create an environment conducive to job creation, that means lowering taxes and removing the shackles on upstate businesses.” But her colorful language about taxation strikes a stark contrast with her position on another type of bondage. She was one of only a handful of lawmakers to vote to preserve a practice that allows prison guards to literally shackle pregnant inmates while they give birth.

Shackling of women during birth, which has been called "brutal and inherently unjust," is no longer allowed in New York, despite Corwin's approval of the procedure.

The special election is on May 24th.  Corwin, who is running in a safe Republican district, is two points behind her Democratic challenger in the latest polls, in some part due to a third party challenger running as a Tea Party candidate.


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