What’s really behind the abortion bills in Legislature?

[annm4peace]

because MN voters aren't paying attention and calling their state senators and Reps, women can lose their rights..even though there are more women than men in this state.

http://www.minnpost.com/politics-policy/2012/04/what’s-really-behind-abortion-bills-legislature

Just when it appeared the state Legislature had more than enough to squabble about, abortion bills added fuel – and campaign fodder – to the fires.

The House passed two bills Wednesday surrounding the use of abortion pills (RU-486). One of the bills would require physicians to be physically present in prescribing use of the pill. A second, an even more restrictive measure, would require a doctor to be present when a woman ingested the pill. Both measures passed 80-48, meaning they had substantial DFL votes.

Meantime, the Senate was passing a bill that would require annual inspections of clinics which perform 10 or more abortions a year. But, opponents say, there are other far more extreme measures buried in the bill. “A trap bill,” is how it’s described by foes.

Additionally, in the Senate measure, clinics where abortions are performed would be required to pay a $3,712 license fee.

Gov. Mark Dayton has not yet said whether he’ll veto the measures should they pass both bodies. But most DFLers are confident that Dayton, who long has been strongly pro choice, will veto the bills.

.....

[Bjorn Against]

1. What is really sad about this is the number of Democrats who supported it

Thankfully Dayton will probably veto it, I may not always agree with him but I am really glad we have him to stop these things. When you see Democrats pretend to be on your side and then vote for crap like this however it is hard not to get upset.

[annm4peace]

7. Yep They don't care about women's rights

we need to contact Dayton let him know we want it veto'd and we also need to speak out at the Convention against these DFL politicians and let them know how we feel.

[glinda]

2. Do you have the vote list? Wanna see. Boy is our State getting messed up.

[Kalidurga]

3. I thought this was a Red State issue.

If they keep this up how are we supposed to tell the difference?

[dflprincess]

4. Phyllis Kahn (I think it was she) introduced an amendment to the bill that a doctor had to be

physically present whenever a man took a Viagra. Naturally, it failed overwhelmingly but at least she tried.

What's behind these? Besides more of the war on women they are distractions. The Republicans need to get their low information voters fired up over crap like this so that they'll continue to vote against their best interests.

[annm4peace]

5. I wish writers would include the bills # and authors and link to yes/no voters

http://www.house.leg.state.mn.us/hinfo/sessiondaily.asp?storyid=3162

http://www.house.leg.state.mn.us/votes/votes.asp?ls_year=87&session_number=0&year=2011&id=828

H.F. NO. 2341
CALENDAR FOR THE DAY
Passage

80 YEA and 48 Nay

Date: 4/18/2012

Those who voted in the affirmative were:
Abeler Anderson, B. Anderson, D. Anderson, P. Anderson, S.
Banaian Barrett Beard Benson, M. Bills
Buesgens Cornish Crawford Daudt Davids
Dean Dettmer Dill Downey Drazkowski
Eken Erickson Fabian Franson Fritz
Garofalo Gottwalt Gruenhagen Gunther Hackbarth
Hamilton Hancock Holberg Hoppe Hosch
Howes Kath Kieffer Kiel Kiffmeyer
Kriesel Lanning Leidiger LeMieur Lenczewski
Lohmer Loon Mack Marquart Mazorol
McDonald McElfatrick McFarlane McNamara Murdock
Murphy, M. Murray Myhra Nornes O'Driscoll
Pelowski Peppin Petersen, B. Quam Runbeck
Sanders Schomacker Scott Shimanski Smith
Stensrud Swedzinski Torkelson Urdahl Vogel
Ward Wardlow Westrom Woodard Zellers


Those who voted in the negative were:

Allen Anzelc Atkins Benson, J. Brynaert
Carlson Champion Davnie Dittrich Falk
Gauthier Greene Greiling Hansen Hausman
Hilstrom Hilty Hornstein Hortman Huntley
Johnson Kahn Knuth Laine Lesch
Liebling Lillie Loeffler Mahoney Melin
Moran Morrow Mullery Murphy, E. Nelson
Norton Paymar Persell Peterson, S. Poppe
Rukavina Scalze Simon Slawik Slocum
Thissen Tillberry Winkler

[annm4peace]

6. another A.L.E.C. template bill: Abortion clinic licensing bill awaits governor’s action

http://www.house.leg.state.mn.us/hinfo/sessiondaily.asp?storyid=3171

you can see this bill in other states.


Abortion clinics are not subject to the same Department of Health licensing and inspection requirements as hospitals and surgery centers, but that could change under a bill that awaits action by the governor.

Rep. Mary Liz Holberg (R-Lakeville) and Sen. Claire Robling (R-Jordan) sponsor HF2340/ SF1921*, which would require a clinic or health center that performs at least 10 abortions per month to be licensed and inspected by the department.

The House initially passed the bill 81-40, but Rep. Ryan Winkler (DFL-Golden Valley) successfully asked the House to reconsider the motion. He spoke against the bill because it holds clinics where pregnancies are terminated to a different standard than other types of clinics that don’t require licensing and inspection. For example, clinics where gall bladders and cataracts are removed are not licensed, Winkler said, because the professionals who work in the facilities are licensed.

“I see this as a war on women,” said Rep. Tina Liebling (DFL-Rochester).

Before the House voted again and re-passed it 80-47, Rep. Kathy Lohmer (R-Lake Elmo) cited a Philadelphia case involving a doctor who allegedly delivered seven babies alive and then used a scissors to sever their spinal cords as the reason the bill is needed.

The Senate passed it 43-23 on April 18.

Under the bill, inspections would not require advance notice and could be conducted once or twice a year per facility. The annual licensing fee would be $3,712. In fiscal year 2013, $63,000 would be appropriated from the state government special revenue fund to the department to enforce the licensing requirements.

- Sue Hegarty