100 monkeys typing.

Vaginas, Viagra and Dicks.

Janice Rogers Brown. Does this woman actually HAVE a vagina? I have my doubts.

More proof that the gasbags in charge are really, really jealous that those of us without descending genitals can experience multiple orgasms. David Hager obviously has a penis the size of an infants thumb. Ya know what, Dave? All these attempts to suppress women’s sexuality won’t make that teeny weenie any larger. Nor will it make you a SANE individual. And that God you like to pray to? I’m thinking he frowns upon that whole ass-raping your wife thing.

GOOD NEWS for Texas from the 79th Legislative Session. Pro-Choice Texas continues to make progress! To be sure there was some bad news from this legislative session but we’re winning a bill at a time. Our health, our children, our spouses, our significant others and our LIVES demand it. Yes Virginia, “Even Cowgirls Get to Choose!”

Here are some bad bills that didn’t make it.

Birth Control and Your Pharmacist: HB 16, which would have enabled pharmacists to discriminate against women by refusing to fill or provide referrals for birth control and emergency contraception (EC*) prescriptions, died in the House State Affairs Committee after a contentious hearing on April 13. Two other "refusal clause" bills, SB 1016 and HB 2061, also died in committee. All three of these bills would have threatened women's access to other vital health care, including birth control.

Outlawing all abortion in Texas. Representative Warren Chisum’s HB 2907 would have outlawed abortion in Texas in the event that the Supreme Court overturned Roe v. Wade, or a constitutional amendment banning abortion was passed. The only exception to this ban would be to save the life of the mother. This bill would take away a woman’s right to choose, even if she faces severe health risks or is a victim of sexual assault. HB 2907 died in committee.

Intimidating doctors and their patients. Representative Zedler’s HB 702 would have required any physician who believes a patient has experienced “complications” as a result of an abortion or attempted abortion to file a report with the Department of State Health Services. This report would contain sensitive personal information about the woman, and not failing to file the report in a timely manner would subject the physician to fines or up to a year in jail. There is no justification for these additional reporting requirements for a safe medical procedure. HB 702 was reported out of committee and was sent to the House calendars on 4/27/05. The bill died in Calendars.

Medical records privacy invasion. HB 2997, by Representative Jeannie Morrison, would have amended the Health and Safety Code to require that all physicians performing both medical and surgical abortions and physicians treating abortion complications to file reports containing sensitive personal information about the woman. HB 2997 would also require the collection of statistical information about judicial bypasses. Both medical and surgical abortions are safe procedures and there is no justification for additional reporting. The burden these reports place on physicians could discourage them from providing abortions; while the intrusive nature of the reporting could intimidate and frighten women. HB 2997 was voted out of committee on 4/27/05 and was sent to House calendars on 5/4/05. The bill died in Calendars.

License to discriminate. SB 1016 and HB 2061 would have created a sweeping right for health care providers, facilities, and insurers to refuse medical treatment on moral grounds. Texas already has a law that allows health care providers to refuse to participate in abortion procedures; this bill expands a right to refuse to entities which do not have consciences like insurance companies. They would also have allowed providers to refuse to participate in any health care service, including access to birth control and emergency contraception, and even information about treatment options. Both SB 1016 and HB 2061 died in committee.

Posted by lulu at June 10, 2005 10:35 AM | TrackBack