What We Value
I believe the government should value people first and foremost in its policies and budget.
Jennifer Kinzey
Candidate for Oregon
House District 34
I am an attorney with experience in both public defense and prosecution. I currently work as a public defender for juvenile dependency (DHS) cases representing children, mothers, and fathers. I have experienced the effects this pandemic has had on families. Homeless camps have expanded. Gun violence is on the rise. Systemic injustices grew wider. I believe that government can and should make life better for its citizens.
LEGISLATIVE PHILOSOPHY
Nothing exists in a vacuum. Issues are interconnected and solutions should embrace this fact. We cannot create a sustainable economy without ensuring those who work in it are taken care of throughout the transition. Environmental justice must also affirmatively correct racial and socioeconomic housing segregation. We need to create a healthcare system that values our essential nursing and support staff while moving towards universal healthcare coverage- particularly for children and for mental health. We deserve a legal system that prioritizes people over punishment and balances caseloads so people receive quality representation.
I promise to consider the impacts of any legislation by speaking with those it affects.
BACKGROUND
I hold a Masters in Law- International Law and Governance, with Merit from Durham University in the UK. While there I wrote a dissertation on refugee camps- Resolving Rape in Refugee Camps: Effectiveness of Community Justice vs. Mobile Courts on Reducing Barriers to Reporting Rape. I also presented my work, “Cutting, An Unequal Application of Human Rights Law: A Comparison of Male and Female Genital Cutting Under International Bodily Autonomy and Consent Laws”, at a conference- Consent: Histories, Representations, and Frameworks for the Future- Future Josephine Butler College, Durham University, in August of 2019.
I hold a Juris Doctorate, with High Honors from Drake University Law School. While there, I was a staff editor of the law review: Drake Journal of Agricultural Law. I was a research assistant for Professor Jonathan Rosenbloom focusing on green zoning and environmental law. I co-authored an Amicus Curiae Brief with the ACLU arguing for the restoration of voting rights for those convicted of felonies to the Iowa Supreme Court.
I hold a Bachelor of Arts in Political Science & Theatre from Morningside College. While there I spoke in the Palmer Research Symposium Religious Freedom versus the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act; An Analysis of O’Brien Holdings v. Health and Human Services. I was a research assistant for Professor Valerie Hennings' research on political leadership and women’s participation. I volunteered at Planned Parenthood.
I have published work on the future of environmental and agricultural regulation: Cultured Meat; Lab-Grown Beef and Regulating the Future Meat Market in the January 2018 edition of the UCLA Journal of Environmental Law and Policy. I have volunteered with Innovation Law Labs to represent immigration detainees at Sheridan Prison. I helped immigrants with visa issues during Refugee Adjustment Day sponsored by the Catholic Charities.
CONTACT
© 2023 by Jennifer Kinzey.