Perry Adds Partisan Issues to Special Session Call

by: Chaille Jolink

Tue Jun 11, 2013 at 03:05 PM CDT

Earlier this afternoon Governor Rick Perry added two highly partisan issues to the call of this special session, just after he added transportation to the call yesterday.

Transportation was added to the call of this sleeper of a special session in an effort to fund some critical infrastructure Texas really needs. The Governor's website states that, "legislation relating to the funding of transportation infrastructure projects" were added to "maintain the roads to ensure we sustain both our economic success and our quality of life." Currently SJR 2, a bill that transfers money from the rainy day fund into the state's dedicated highway fund, also known as Fund 6, will be heard tomorrow after the full Senate adjourns.

Including transportation the Governor also added abortion and juvenile justice issues to the call. The Governor's website has this particular language:

Legislation relating to the regulation of abortion procedures, providers and facilities.

Legislation relating to establishing a mandatory sentence of life with parole for a capital felony committed by a 17-year-old offender

The Senate Criminal Justice Committee is scheduled to meet tomorrow to hear a bill that expands the life without parole option to 17-year-olds in Texas. Up until 2005 juries in Texas did not even have the option of choosing life without parole. The maximum sentence before the death penally was 40 years with the option for parole. The bill, SB 23, is by Senator Joan Huffman.

No word yet on movement of any abortion legislation, but the bill that got the most traction last session was Senator Deuell's bill regulating away abortion providers in Texas.

UPDATE: The Senate Health and Human Services Committee will meet on Thursday, and will hear several bills relating to abortion.  

Sen. Ted Cruz Gets Gosnell Wrong: Pro-Life Policies Will Only Increase These Horrors

by: Katherine Haenschen

Sat Apr 13, 2013 at 07:56 PM CDT

Ted Cruz gets it all wrong: "pro-life" activists actually increase the odds of more horrors like those perpetrated by Kermit Gosnell by working to restrict women's access to safe and legal abortions, as well as birth control to prevent pregnancy in the first place.

Half of all US pregnancies are unintended. Of those, half, or 1.3 million pregnancies end in abortion every year. Half of those women were using contraception at the time and became pregnant (no method is 100% effective).

Studies have shown that the rate of abortion is the same in countries where it is legal and illegal. Half of all abortions are performed in unsafe conditions, meaning that they are performed by individuals who lack sufficient professional training, or are done in unsuitable facilities that do not meet minimum medical standards. About 70,000 women die every year from unsafe abortions. An additional 5 million women suffer permanent or temporary injury.

All that banning abortion does -- all that Ted Cruz's policy stance on women's choice will do -- is drive women to make dangerous, desperate choices, and operate in the shadows where perpetrators like Kermit Gosnell can prey on women.

Gosnell was himself performing illegal abortions on predominantly poor women who were not deterred by TRAP laws and gestational limits in seeking to end their pregnancies. The fact that they had no option but to visit this barbaric butcher shows what happens when conservatives succeed in curtailing access to a woman's right to choose.

Read more below the jump.

Republican Steve Stockman Wants To Arm Embryos

by: Katherine Haenschen

Fri Apr 12, 2013 at 03:00 PM CDT

Today, Stockman managed to touch on the hot-button issues of gun violence prevention and women's health, suggesting that we can solve both problems by arming those in utero:

On the face of it, Stockman's statement is absurd. I'm not sure how he thinks women can get a gun past their cervix, and he can't really think that fetuses who have not yet reached the point of viability would be able to "shoot" their way out of a uterus. It's hard to pull a trigger if you haven't developed hands, but I digress.

The worst part of this is that Stockman seems to be tacitly condoning violence against pregnant women, and pregnant women who choose abortion -- as remains their right in this United States of America.

Physical abuse of women during pregnancy is all too common -- the March of Dimes reports that 1 in 6 pregnant women have been abused during their pregnancy.

Arming more women isn't the answer either -- more guns put more women in danger. For every woman who uses a gun in self defense, 83 women are killed by an intimate partner.

Bottom line: we don't need more guns, and we don't need more attacks on women's reproductive freedoms. And we CERTAINLY don't need more Steve Stockman. He's an embarrassment to Texas.

Texas Lunch Links: Education Requirements, Election Law Changes, and Cats and Dogs

by: Nick Hudson

Mon Apr 08, 2013 at 00:00 PM CDT

EDUCATION: The Washington Post Editorial Board chides Texas lawmakers today for considering rolling back rigorous education standards. Writes the board, "If enacted, the measures promise to have a particularly pernicious effect on students from low-income families without college-educated parents."

ROADS: As Texas fails to provide a steady stream of funding for its road projects, some counties are asking local taxpayers to foot the bill for completion of state transportation infrastructure.

LON BURNAM: The Star-Telegram has a great profile of Texas Rep. Lon Burnam (D-Fort Worth), who has a different, more effective approach in the 83rd Legislature than in sessions past.

ABORTION FIGHT: As anti-abortion bills begin receiving committee hearings and committee approvals, the culture war looms in Texas.

ELECTION LAWS: Lawmakers on Monday take up bills that would shrink the early voting period from 17 to 10 days.

LEGISLATIVE OVERVIEW: The Lubbock Avalanche-Journal has a good comparative overview of Texas' 83rd Regular Legislative Session 90 days in. Writes Chris Tomlinson, "there is still plenty of time for hot-button issues."

CATS AND DOGS: The Dallas Morning News provides readers a good overview of legislation in Texas that would impact the treatment of a range of animals, including cats, dogs, sheep and goats.

Texas Lunch Links: Texas Budget Battle, Pecan Pie, and Ted Nugent's Testimony

by: Nick Hudson

Thu Apr 04, 2013 at 00:00 PM CDT

TODAY'S BUDGET BRAWL: Today is an especially important day at the Legislature, because the House is debating its version of the budget bill. Burnt Orange Report can tell you what to watch for, and we're collecting tweets from key progressive organizations and Democratic representatives. The Texas Tribune also has a read-worthy preview of the day's discussion.

SCHOOL FUNDING: Speaking of the House budget, much of the additional $2.5 billion in school aid included by house budget-writers is targeted at property-poor school school districts receiving less per-student funding than their property-rich peers. State District Judge John Dietz ruled that the state's school finance system was unconstitutional in February.

PAYDAY LOANS: Sen. John Carona's SB 1247, which would introduce new regulations to payday and auto title loans to help consumers escape cycles of debt, is moving forward. The bill was passed by the Senate Business and Commerce Committee on Tuesday night by a 6-1 vote. SB 1247 would limit loan amounts to 20-30 percent of a borrower's monthly income and limit the number of times payday and auto title loans could be refinanced to four and six times, respectively.

Find out about Ted Nugent, pecan pie, and five important abortion measures below the jump!

More Abortion Restrictions on the Top of Rick Perry's Legislative Agenda

by: Ben Sherman

Wed Jan 23, 2013 at 02:00 PM CST

Nope. Rick Perry and his fellow Texas Republicans in the Legislature are determined to deny women their free choice even more. The Associated Press reports that Perry has told lawmakers that he wants to see more abortion restrictions passed in the session, with the goal "to make abortion at any stage a thing of the past."

"We ... need to better protect our most vulnerable citizens, the unborn, by expanding the ban on abortion to any baby that can feel the pain of the procedure, and putting in place common-sense oversights on clinics and physicians involved," Perry told lawmakers on the opening day of the 2013 legislative session.

That proposed ban on abortions for fetuses "that can feel the pain" is based on junk science falsely claiming that fetuses can feel pain after 20 weeks. There is no evidence for that because it's a lie - fetuses don't have nerves at 20 weeks.

The AP has more on two specific proposals:

Ardent anti-abortion activist Sen. Dan Patrick, R-Houston, has introduced a bill that would make it more difficult for doctors to prescribe medications that induce abortions by adding a number of new requirements. The doctor must have a contract with another physician who promises to treat any emergencies arising from the drug, must designate a hospital where the emergency would be treated and the emergency physician must have admitting, gynecological and surgical privileges at the hospital.

These requirements, among others in the bill, make it more difficult for doctors to prescribe these medications, particularly in rural areas.

Rep. Allen Fletcher, R-Houston, has introduced a bill that would prohibit doctors from performing abortions based on the gender of the child.

How about the lack of well-paying jobs in Texas? What about our worst-in-the-country health of citizens? How about our rapidly deteriorating environment, or passing gun laws to prevent shootings like the one that happened yesterday in Houston? No, none of that type of common sense legislation from Rick Perry and his Republican goons. Just more right-wing nonsense.

John Cornyn Defends Mourdock's "Rape Pregnancies Are a Blessing" Comments

by: Katherine Haenschen

Thu Oct 25, 2012 at 00:04 PM CDT

Mourdock ignited a firestorm of controversy in a debate this week when he said -- out loud, on the TV, when people could hear him -- "Life is a gift from God. And, I think, even when life begins in that horrible situation of rape, it is something that God intended to happen."

Now, NRSC chair John Cornyn is standing by his man. So even though apparently God doesn't want the ladies to get raped, and even if a pregnancy comes as the result of a brutal, violent attack or simply a total disregard for a woman's right to consent, it's all part of God's plan!

Mourdock is the latest high-profile Republican to seize the mantle of rapists' rights advocacy, even managing to one-up Missouri Republican Senate candidate Todd Akin, who added "legitimate rape" to our contemporary political lexicon. (Got it, ladies? Even if someone has sex with you against your will, it might not be legitimate rape. While you're busy not giving consent to the physical violation that is happening to your body, make sure to take notes on whether or not your sexual assault meets Akin's criteria for legitimacy.)

Heck, the Republican Presidential ticket wants to overturn Roe v Wade. Republican VP nominee Paul Ryan wants to end abortion all together, and does not support the right to an abortion even in cases of rape and incest. Apparently GOP operatives think it's about time someone stood up for rapists' parental rights.

We've seen this same bizarre support for rapists over the women they victimize play out even here in Texas, where Republican State Senate nominee Mark Shelton voted against a bill that resulted in testing backlogged rape kits. The Republicans are totally going to run up epic margins in the "rapist vote" demographic this year.

In the meantime, maybe John Cornyn should stop recruiting Republican Senate candidates at rapists' rights rallies, and ask them if they actually support stuff like equal rights for women and all. We're only 53% of the electorate and all, but, you know, our rights are no big deal or anything -- at least not to the Republican Party. (Of course, if Cornyn's recruits believed in equal rights for women, they wouldn't be running as Republicans! Hey-oo!)

So, to recap, Senator John Cornyn is standing with Indiana senate candidate Richard Mourdock, who said that pregnancies that result from rapes are a blessing, just as the entire Republican party seems to be embracing pro-rapist anti-women candidates and policies at all level of the ballot.

This public misogyny is making it look more and more like NRSC chairman Cornyn's recruits will fail to recapture the upper chamber, in what was supposed to be an excellent year for them to win a majority.

It's Ok though, John. You can't win every race, every year. And as long as Republicans getting destroyed by women voters for their misogynistic views is inevitable, you might as well just relax and enjoy it.

Feminist Friday: Ryan Gives Women Collective Nightmare by Reminding Us of Stance on Choice

by: Emily Cadik

Fri Oct 12, 2012 at 09:00 AM CDT

Ryan explained that he has an anti-choice stance based in "reason and science."  And in support of his dedication to reason and science, he explained that he's Catholic and his child was shaped like a bean while in the womb.  Sentimental, but not exactly peer reviewed.  And then he tore into Obamacare for undermining religious liberties by forcing coverage of contraception.  It seemed like a generic Religious Right response, but let's unpack it a bit.  

This week a study confirmed that providing free contraception lowers abortion and teen pregnancy rates. From the New York Times:

"Free birth control led to greatly lower rates of abortions and births to teenagers, a large study concludes, offering strong evidence for how a bitterly contested Obama administration policy could benefit women's health... Women's health specialists said the study foreshadows the potential impact of the new health care law, in which millions of women are beginning to get contraceptives without a co-payment."

Unfortunately, this far-right stance is a recent development for Romney.  As with health care and many other issues, Romney was pretty moderate when he was in the nice progressive state of Massachusetts.  In a 2002 gubernatorial debate, he said, "I will preserve and protect a woman's right to choose. I am not going to change our pro-choice laws in Massachusetts in any way. I am not going to make any changes which would make it more difficult for a woman to make that choice herself."

Things took a quick turn for the worse when he got national ambitions. Running for president in the last election, he said in a 2007 debate that he had "changed his mind," wanted to overturn Roe v. Wade, and would be "delighted" to sign a bill as president that would outlaw abortion.  And he kicked it up a notch in this campaign, pledging to cut Planned Parenthood funding and saying he would support a Constitutional amendment banning abortion.

And now that he has right-wing lunatics as his base, he's decided to add one to his ticket. Ryan has out-done his anti-choice peers by opposing abortion even in the cases of rape and incest. And he has made it clear that even Romney's anti-choice platform is something he's "comfortable" with, but clearly a step to the left for him. He has even compared abortion to slavery. From Salon:

"In a 2010 speech called 'The Cause of Life Can't be Severed From the Cause of Freedom, Ryan compared the Supreme Court's Roe v. Wade abortion decision to its Dred Scott v. Sandford decision, which sanctioned slavery. 'Twice in the past the U.S. Supreme Court - charged with being the guardian of rights - has failed so drastically in making this crucial determination that it 'disqualified' a whole category of human beings, with profoundly tragic results,' Ryan said. The first, he said, was Scott, and the second was Roe, 'when the Supreme Court made virtually the identical mistake' it had made in the slavery case."

So props to Martha Raddatz for reminding America that beyond jobs and Libya, there's a lot at stake in this election.  We have a choice in this election, but with a Romney-Ryan victory, some of our most importance choices may disappear.  

Randy Weber - A Record Of Messin' With Texas Women

by: Joe Deshotel

Tue Sep 25, 2012 at 04:53 PM CDT

The event was billed as an opportunity to:

[Hear] Randy discuss his plans to get women in small business working again and share his experience in the Texas House where he passed landmark legislation in human trafficking and fought to balance the budget.

Having worked on legislation that helps to end human trafficking is laudable, but it does not excuse a record of proudly cutting funds for and access to woman's healthcare. When fighting to balance the budget means slashing the two-year family planning budget from $111 million to $38 million and cutting the Medicaid Woman's Health Program by $35 million, you earn the title as "bearer of the flag in the war against women." While Weber touts his success in the battle against Planned Parenthood, real Texas woman suffer. In March of this year the New York Times published an article in which a mother of 5 spoke about losing access to breast cancer screenings, birth control pills and other routine health exams after the cuts shutdown low income clinics. The state's non-partisan Legislative Budget Board estimated 284,000 woman would lose access to health care costing Medicaid about $230 million. The board's recommendation was to actually expand the program to save money.

Weber proudly co-authored Texas' controversial "trans-vaginal sonograms". Women who chose to have an abortion must now undergo a non-voluntary trans-vaginal probe and sign an affidavit stating the doctor attempted to find a heart beat and describe any visible human extremities of the fetus. The new law was described by Rep. Alvarado (D-Houston) as, "government intrusion at its best." Weber also sponsored an Amendment that would take $7.3 million from family planning, and divert it to a program focused on abortion alternatives. Its unclear how diverting the money from preventative care would actually decrease the number of abortions, since its indisputable that only women who can get pregnant have abortions. During debate Rep. Mike Villarreal (D-San Antonio) asked Weber if he thought birth control didn't work, his answer, "Not for those who get pregnant".  When asked if he used contraceptives himself Weber responded, "I don't think I know you well enough to go down this road". Of course, though he has chosen to go down this road with Texas women.  

By law Planned Parenthood can not use tax dollars to fund abortion clinics or even services within clinics that offer the procedure.  According to its website "95% of what Planned Parenthood health centers offer are preventive services that help our communities stay healthy." They test clients for STDs, provide convenient birth control, do adoption referrals and conduct other important treatments. This year alone Planned Parenthood of Central Texas will conduct 31,000 breast cancer screenings and educate about 14,000 teens and parents on preventing teen pregnancy. Even still, Randy Weber and the Republican Party tout fighting Planned Parenthood as its major legislative accomplishment on woman's issues. Texas woman are Independent and prefer to make their own choices about health care and its wise to remember - without choice there is no freedom.

Abortion, NO! But Mercury Poisoning of a Fetus is OK?

by: ProgressiveInTexas

Sat Aug 18, 2012 at 01:42 PM CDT

Donna Campbell is on the stump saying all the ‘right’ things; using all the ‘right’ talking points. If you listen to Donna, she talks a good game to Pro-Life Christians. The problem lies with her stance on other matters that she and her corporate backers refuse to acknowledge as right to life issues.

During pregnancy, the mother and fetus need health care. New born infants need neo-natal care. Children need pediatric care. One would presume the moral imperative for a professed Christian would be affordable care for our Children. But apparently it is not for Doctor Donna. She wants to slash care for millions of Texas infants and their mothers. Why? Is it because the deep pocket donors to her Astroturf campaign refuse to render their fair share unto Washington?

Of course, they claim a moral objection to tax money being spent on medically accurate sex education, pre-conception birth control and of, course, abortions. Donna and her cronies are willing to deny medical care to infants all the while preaching: Abortion, NO!

In virtually the same breath, she vilifies the EPA’s endeavor to reduce environmental Mercury levels as “arbitrary rules and regulations hindering business and industry” (From Dr. Donna Campbell Facebook page; if it has not been scrubbed). Dr. Campbell, if you believe these rules to be arbitrary, what safe levels you would establish? If you believe in-utero exposure to increasing levels of Mercury is not detrimental to embryonic development, please share your research. What is the safe level of Mercury for a second trimester fetus? Please tell us. You are quick to dismiss solutions proposed by others, but slow on offering anything in their stead.

Doctor Campbell, why are you willing to subject unborn children to a greater risk of Mercury poisoning?

Every voter in Texas Senate District 25 deserves an answer to this question before they vote. They deserve an honest answer. After all, honesty is on God’s top-ten list.

My guess: Thirty pieces of silver means more to Donna Campbell than protecting God’s creation.

Supplemental reading: Prenatal Exposure to Mercury From a Maternal Diet High in Seafood Can Irreversibly Impair Certain Brain Functions in Children, Harvard School of Public Health

An image of the Facebook thread is available at my blog (modified 8/20/12)