Mary Shannon Lindstrom - Freedom Voter Guide

Party:

Independent

District:

124

Office:

State House or Assembly

www.lindstromforme.com

Survey Responses:

S = Support
O = Oppose
NR = No Response

Life	S	O	NR
1. Protecting Life: Protecting the right to life of an unborn baby with a beating heart.		X
2. Taxpayer Funded Abortion: Allowing taxpayer dollars to fund organizations that provide abortion.	X
3. Physician-Assisted Suicide: Allowing voluntary physician-assisted suicide for terminally ill patients.			X

Candidate's Comments:

While I understand the general purpose, these questions are more nuanced than a simple yes or no can capture. I believe women should have the right to make their own medical decisions without government interference. I also understand that organizations that provide abortion services often also offer other essential reproductive healthcare that is critical to women’s health. It is my understanding that federal and Maine state laws prohibit taxpayer dollars from funding abortion services, but allow their use to support basic healthcare services. In full transparency, I am not yet certain where I stand on voluntary physician‑assisted suicide. I do believe that a designated, trusted medical power of attorney should be empowered to make decisions that reflect the patient’s stated wishes when the patient is unable to do so

First Amendment	S	O	NR
4. Conscience Rights for Professionals: Prohibiting the government from denying required licensure or certification to individuals because of their religious or political beliefs.	X
5. Conscience Rights for Faith-Based Organizations: Exempting faith-based organizations (e.g. adoption/foster care providers, private schools) from regulations that cause them to violate their sincerely held religious beliefs.			X
6. Prohibiting De-Banking/Insuring Based on Beliefs: Prohibiting financial institutions from shutting a customer’s bank account or canceling their insurance because of their religious or political views.	X

Family	S	O	NR
7. Protecting Kids from Social Media: Requiring platforms to by default prevent underage accounts without parental permission, preserve parents' authority when access is allowed, and remove addictive design features and data exploitation from underage accounts.	X
8(a). Parental Rights: Allowing parents to obtain professional counseling for a child struggling with gender confusion to help the child find comfort with his or her biological sex.			X
8(b). Parental Rights: Protecting parents from losing custody of their child solely because they treat their child consistent with his or her biological sex.			X

Candidate's Comments:

It is my understanding that Maine does not have a statute requiring a parent to lose custody solely because they raise their child consistent with their biological sex. Custody decisions in Maine are made based on the best interest of the child, which is consistent with the courts’ role.

Education	S	O	NR
9. School Choice: Allowing the use of tax credits, vouchers, and/or education savings accounts to cover the cost of children attending the school of their parents’ choice, including private religious schools.		X
10. Free Speech at School: Protecting teachers and students from being forced to refer to a person by inaccurate pronouns that do not align with the person’s sex.			X
11. School Healthcare Disclosure to Parents: Requiring schools to inform parents of any mental, physical, or emotional health information and treatment that a child is receiving at school.			X
12. Transparency in School Curriculum & Activities: Giving parents access to the curriculum, presentations, and activities that their children are learning in school and allowing them to opt their children out of school extra-curricular activities, presentations, or specific lessons to which the parents object.	X

Candidate's Comments:

Parents should be at the heart of a student’s academic experience, with teachers and staff working alongside them to support the best interest of the child. Additionally, parents should be able to review curriculum and have the ability to opt out of programming they feel is not in their student’s best interest.

Health and Welfare	S	O	NR
13. Medical Rights of Conscience: Protecting health care workers from losing their jobs if they decline to participate in a procedure or treatment that violates their personal beliefs and conscience.			X
14. Women’s Privacy: Preventing males who identify as female from entering sex-separated spaces intended for females, such as showers, locker rooms, bathrooms, dormitories, women’s shelters, prisons, etc.			X
15. Protecting Pregnancy Centers: Ensuring pregnancy centers that provide life-affirming support to women and their families are not targeted or penalized by government officials.			X

Candidate's Comments:

Safety and security in locker rooms and bathrooms must be ensured for all students, including biological females, biological males, and transgender females and males. Any discussion of this issue should involve all affected parties and incorporate diverse viewpoints.