Oh look what Rodney Tom’s majority is looking to do now:
SB 5156 would completely repeal RCW 9.02.100, otherwise known as Washington’s abortion law. The law was adopted by public vote in 1991 to shore up state law with the US Supreme Court decision, Roe v. Wade (so that if Roe were ever overturned, Washington women would still continue to have the same rights and protections. It states, among other things: “Every woman has the fundamental right to choose or refuse to have an abortion.”
The bill would also repeal in its entirety 9.02.110, “The state may not deny or interfere with a woman’s right to choose to have an abortion prior to viability of the fetus, or to protect her life or health.”
Allen says that Planned Parenthood’s legal team is still trying to suss out how, exactly, this bill’s passage would affect women’s access to abortion providers in Washington state, given that Roe is still the federal law of the land. Regardless, it’s troubling: Washington voters have repeatedly confirmed women’s right to make their own pregnancy decisions, beginning in 1970, when voters approved Referendum 20 and legalized abortion in the early months of pregnancy.
“We don’t believe it’s an accident,” Allen says.
It’s hidden in a bill that’s ostensibly about parental notification, and you can read at the link why that’s fucked up enough on its own.
Of course even if it passes the Senate, it’ll never see the light of day in the House. And if it somehow got to Inslee’s desk he’d veto it. And even if it somehow became law, Roe is still the law of the land. But still, we were told that this session the Senate would be all about kicking poor people off social services and hating teachers. And that we’d avoid social issue fights. “You are going to see individual members do what they want to do, but what we have said is, we’re not going to let social issues divide our focus.” Whoops.
I think we’ve seen enough of these Republican dime-store Hitlers in state governments of late.
Time to call a spade a spade.
I’m kinda glad the Republican’s took over the senate. The people of Washington state needed a reminder of what a bunch of clueless, dogmatic, assholes they are.
What do you expect from a political party that introduces a bill in the New Mexico legislature that defines a fetus as “evidence” and would make any woman who has an abortion guilty of the crime of “destroying evidence”?
I think I’ll name my next baby bunny Evidence. Why not? I used to be a judge, so it’s appropos, and might give my kid an advantage in law school — he’ll get called on more often.
@2:
I don’t think “glad” is quite the right word, but I can’t come up with a single word that describes the disgust I feel about what Rodney Tom and his assholic friend Tim Sheldon have done to enable the self-righteous anti-human cretins that populate the Republican Party.
Yeah, I suppose abortion can be used as a club on the heads of those who would oppose it.
And I suppose Republican legislatures can try to incrementally limit abortion, on the fringes, primarily.
The real threat to liberal ideals from a Republican legislature isn’t abortion, and we all know that.
The real threat is stuff like this:
http://tv.msnbc.com/2013/01/22.....gislature/
Unions are under serious pressure. Nationwide, 400,000 fewer members of unions over the past two years. After all, things that can’t go on forever, don’t.
@6 You have an interesting definition of “incrementally limit.” Do you think prosecuting a woman who has a legal abortion for “destroying evidence” falls within that definition? Yes or no?
Yeah, I suppose abortion can be used as a club on the heads of those who would oppose it.
Those poor, middle-aged men! Getting shamed for, um, trying to repeal what we all thought was decided twenty-plus years ago. As Carl pointed out, this legislation will go nowhere. It’s a complete waste of time and public money. Senator Tom has to kneel and kiss the ring of the anti-choice losers; it’s just another sell-out for his constituents, no big deal for him.
The real threat to liberal ideals from a Republican legislature isn’t abortion, and we all know that.
The right to control one’s own body is a huge liberal ideal, and that is why sell-outs like Tom line up to assault it.
After all, things that can’t go on forever, don’t.
Like basic human rights for women?
@8
Tensor (welcome from your usual haunt over at the seemingly dwindling (un)SP) – I see you’ve discovered what a jackass Serial Conservative, aka Cap’n Crunch, is.