The following is the author's explanation of his affirmative vote on House Bill 8910, or the 'Adolescent Pregnancy Prevention Act,' delivered at the House of Representatives on Sept. 5, 2023.

PREGNANCY should invariably be an occasion for joy. It should not elicit dread or unhappiness in the prospective mother. For most women, a pregnancy is a long-awaited dream. But for adolescent girls, it may mean the end of their dreams. What should be a source of pride becomes a brand of dishonor and disgrace for unmarried adolescents. What should be a cause for celebration and cheer becomes a basis of castigation and criticism. What should be a forecast of life becomes a foreboding of death.