State Senates thread

[onekidanddone]

On 3/1/2017 at 4:32 PM, clueliss said:

There is a move in Missouri to raise the age of consent in marriage.  Bolding is mine.  

http://www.abc17news.com/news/top-stories/bill-raising-age-of-consent-for-marriage-moves-to-house-floor/368324631

 

 

Yea because good parent wants their daughter married to a pervert at 14 years old.  See this is why I really don't like people.

[RoseWilder]

The quest to turn out country into a recreation of The Handmaid's Tale continues: 

http://www.dailykos.com/stories/2017/2/28/1638729/-Texas-bill-would-let-doctors-give-alternative-facts-to-pregnant-women-so-they-won-t-get-abortions

Quote

Today in “government so small it could fit in your uterus” we have a Texas state Senate committee unanimously passing a bill that’d make it legal for a doctor to lie to a pregnant patient — especially if the doctor suspects the patient might get an abortion. From the San Antonio Current:

Committee members, it appears, believe it should be up to the doctor to decide if a pregnant woman should know she's carrying a fetus with severe disabilities — especially if the doctor suspects she'll have an abortion if she finds out. If passed, the law would make it impossible for Texans to sue a doctor for intentionally withholding this kind of information about a fetus' health. 

 

[GreyhoundFan]

"When Statehouse Politics Embarrass the Nation"

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...

Such is the mood that permeates more than a few statehouses as Republican victors settle in for a fresh season’s budget proposals and legislation inspired by partisan regressiveness more than civic good.

In Arizona, Republican state senators recently approved a crackdown on people who, in the senators’ fervid imaginations, are being paid to stir rioting in the waves of constitutionally protected protests directed at the agendas of Republicans and President Trump. There are already anti-rioting laws on the books. But the Arizona Senate’s full 17-member Republican majority approved use of the state’s racketeering conspiracy laws to give the police new power to arrest organizers of protests that become unruly, even if it’s an outsider who stirs a riotous situation.

“You have full-time, almost professional agent-provocateurs that attempt to create public disorder,” insisted State Senator John Kavanagh. “This stuff is all planned.” The proposal, which would also allow the police to seize a protest planner’s assets, was sent to the House for quick action.

Fortunately for the Constitution, Arizona’s Republican House leadership was soon bombarded with public complaints that the measure was a low-road, outrageous attempt to chill free speech. “The people need to know we are not about limiting people’s rights,” the House speaker, J. D. Mesnard, hurriedly announced, killing the bill in an attempt to spare his party further embarrassment.

Unfortunately, Arizona Republicans have not been alone in their feverish attempt to crimp free speech in the name of law and order. The practice has been growing in Republican legislatures in at least 16 states. Some of the measures have made it into law; most so far have not. But the meanspirited edge is sadly transparent and presents a further cause for public protest.

 

[clueliss]

I just turned 53, I don't have kids and I'm not having sex so it is unlikely that I would have them, but these people leave me mentally screaming get the hell out of my uterus.  

[RosyDaisy]

The only good thing the Alabama legislature has done is Carly's Law. It authorized the use of a specific oil or whatever from marijuana for medical use for children with a specific seizure disorder. Carly's parents were friends with a state rep. It quickly passed the house and senate, and Gov. Bentley signed into law.

[Childless]

2 hours ago, RosyDaisy said:

The only good thing the Alabama legislature has done is Carly's Law. It authorized the use of a specific oil or whatever from marijuana for medical use for children with a specific seizure disorder. Carly's parents were friends with a state rep. It quickly passed the house and senate, and Gov. Bentley signed into law.

Ah, so only the children of people who are friends of law makers can get laws passed in their favor.  The rest of the kids are just shit out of luck I guess.

[fraurosena]

What.the.fuck.

Arkansas legislator wants to pack heat at state Capitol

Quote

Republican Rep. Mickey Gates is proposing that lawmakers licensed to carry a concealed handgun be allowed to bring their weapons into the Arkansas Capitol and other publicly owned facilities throughout the state. Prisons would be excluded.

"I have a key to the Capitol and I can go in whenever I want. You can't always be sure that there will be security," Gates said Friday.

He said that because he cannot bring a weapon into the Capitol or even leave it in his car, he's not armed when he travels from his Hot Springs home to Little Rock.

"I feel safer when it's on me rather than in the car," Gates said, noting that someone could break into the vehicle and steal the firearm.

The decisions that lawmakers make can be emotionally charged, and if guards aren't around there could be trouble, he said.

"If you have a right to life, you have a right to protect life," Gates said.

 

[onekidanddone]

12 minutes ago, fraurosena said:

What.the.fuck.

Arkansas legislator wants to pack heat at state Capitol

 

Sure just dandy. What could possibly go wrong?

[candygirl200413]

Was is Arkansas or another sourthern state that was discussing this and someone's gun went off during a hearing I think?

It also reminds me of a 20/20 from years ago where the tried this in a college class and all these guys were like "yeah I need a gun to protect myself on campus, I'm license to carried and I need this". They did a simulation of a gunman coming to class and the guys who said they needed their gun obviously panicked when put in the situation. People talk this game but you don't know how you'll react given in the situation.

 

 

[RosyDaisy]

Ah, so only the children of people who are friends of law makers can get laws passed in their favor.  The rest of the kids are just shit out of luck I guess.

Apparently. At least children with the same disorder will have access to the drug.

[clueliss]

1 hour ago, candygirl200413 said:

Was is Arkansas or another sourthern state that was discussing this and someone's gun went off during a hearing I think?

It also reminds me of a 20/20 from years ago where the tried this in a college class and all these guys were like "yeah I need a gun to protect myself on campus, I'm license to carried and I need this". They did a simulation of a gunman coming to class and the guys who said they needed their gun obviously panicked when put in the situation. People talk this game but you don't know how you'll react given in the situation.

 

 

Close, it was Kansas and discussing weapons carried on college campuses when the gun a senator left behind while carrying concealed went off.  By the way, they decided to allow carry conceal on campus in Kansas I believe. 

[RoseWilder]

It's time for another edition of Republicans are assholes.

Missouri Republicans are trying to block a minimum wage hike: 

http://www.rawstory.com/2017/03/missouri-republican-tries-to-block-minimum-wage-hike-because-pay-wasnt-meant-to-be-a-living-wage/

Quote

The bill contains an emergency clause that would allow it to go into effect as soon as the governor signs it, and the newspaper reported Shaul’s bill is moving quickly through the legislative process.

“The minimum wage wasn’t meant to be a living wage,” Shaul told the Star. “I’m all for family sustainable wages, and I certainly don’t want a family to have to work two or three jobs to get by. But grocery store baggers and fast food work isn’t where you should be working to sustain your family.”

 

[clueliss]

There's a whole battle between Jefferson City (these dorks) and Kansas City/ST Louis on this one.  KC,  in particular,  has a raise the minimum wage thing movement going on that politicians from the rest of the state want to nip in the bud.  Would want folks out on the boonies to get ideas from the evil city folk.  

[Audrey2]

1 hour ago, RoseWilder said:

It's time for another edition of Republicans are assholes.

Missouri Republicans are trying to block a minimum wage hike: 

http://www.rawstory.com/2017/03/missouri-republican-tries-to-block-minimum-wage-hike-because-pay-wasnt-meant-to-be-a-living-wage/

 

So, based on your quote from the article, regarding how grocery store baggers and fast food workers shouldn't be working to sustain your family, my question is this. Who should be working at these jobs during the day? Should grocery stores and fast food restaurants only be open in the evenings and on weekends, si they can be staffed by these minimum wage high school and college workers?

 

I'm so sick of how disingenuous Republicans are. They complain about welfare and about people not working, then they complain when these folks take any job they can, especially if they have children. For those who complain about getting more education, some of these jobs are staffed by college grads, who can't find a job in their field. 

Another related question - if a parent loses his/her job, does that mean he/she needs to give all children up for adoption if a job isn't found immediately, instead of taking any job he/she can find?

[RoseWilder]

Nervous Republicans in Georgia re-gerrymander their districts:

http://www.dailykos.com/stories/2017/3/4/1640112/-Wow-Nervous-Georgia-GOP-re-gerrymanders-state-House-to-protect-vulnerable-Republicans

 

Quote

Late on Friday and without warning, Georgia’s Republican-dominated state House rammed through a bill that would re-gerrymander their districts to protect their lopsided majority. Donald Trump won Georgia by just 50-45, but Republicans captured nearly two-thirds of the state House seats in 2016 thanks to their ultra-partisan gerrymander. Apparently even that 118-to-62 majority isn’t safe enough for Republicans. Redistricting normally only takes place immediately after the census, and redrawing the lines in the middle of the decade simply because they were at risk of losing seats is nothing short of an attempt to nullify elections.

If the similarly GOP-dominated state Senate and Republican Gov. Nathan Deal agree to these changes, Georgia would redraw the lines for eight Republican-held seats and one Democratic district. These changes would reduce the proportion of voters of color in certain districts where these Democratic-leaning voter demographics had threatened to oust Republican incumbents. This new map could even lead to Republicans regaining a veto-proof majority, preventing Democrats from blocking gerrymanders in the 2020s even if Team Blue wins the critical 2018 election to succeed term-limited Gov. Deal.

 

[RoseWilder]

Yeah, I knew this was coming: 

 

[fraurosena]

3 hours ago, RoseWilder said:

Yeah, I knew this was coming: 

 

Look, I'm not American, so I really don't get this. How is this even legal? It boggles my mind that this is even possible. 

 

[PsyD2013]

The Iowa General Assembly is once again going after workers.  This time they are trying to restrict damages for workman's compensation.  Yes, there is fraud in workman's comp, but that should be addressed on a case by case basis.  Gutting benefits for persons with legitimate claims, no.  

Then we have the attempt to restrict access to voting.  I fear if this passes we are stuck with a Republican-controlled executive branch and General Assembly forever.  

There were a couple of bright spots last week, the bills to eliminate licensing for certain professionals,  the fertilized ovum is a person, and school voucher bills died.  

[Cartmann99]

6 hours ago, fraurosena said:

Look, I'm not American, so I really don't get this. How is this even legal? It boggles my mind that this is even possible. 

The secret is to lie about why you want to do things to suppress the vote.

"We're not having fewer polling places open to suppress the vote, we're streamlining the process to save the taxpayers of our state money."

"We're not requiring identification to vote to suppress the vote, we're doing it to reduce voter fraud. No, you can't use your student identification from ABC University to vote, but you can use your gun license to vote."

"Sure, we require identification to vote, but it's just a coincidence that we are closing down or reducing the hours of offices that create said identification in areas of the state with a higher percentage of minority residents. We have to use taxpayer funds wisely."

Because of the attacks on the Voting Rights Act, certain states and parts of other states who had a history of disfranchisement of minority groups, no longer have to get permission before making changes that will affect those populations. As long as you're not dumb enough to come right out and say  "We are doing XYZ so that fewer members of minority groups can vote.", you are probably going to get away with it. 

[fraurosena]

It's still really unbelievable to me though. Whatever the reasons given, it's still incredibly undemocratic. How repubs dare to say they live in a democracy (and the greatest in the world at that) is quite beyond me. 

How different it is in my country. We're having our national elections next week. Everyone above the age of 18 is automatically eligible to vote. We get our election billets sent in the mail a few weeks beforehand. On the day itself, you go to the voting office to which you have been assigned, which is closest to where you live. Most of them are in walking distance. Mine for instance is litterally just around the corner. On election day, the voting offices open at 7.00 am and they stay open until 9.00 pm. If you know beforehand that you are unable to vote on the day for whatever reason, you can nominate someone else to cast your vote for you. At the voting office, all you have to do is hand over your voting billet and show your ID. You get your voting form, go to a voting booth and cast your vote. Easy peasy.

All this doesn't mean that we have a great turnout though. But that's more to do with desinterest in and/or apathy for politics as a whole, and has nothing to do with voter supression. Is our political system perfect? Far from it. But I am glad that the things that are possible in America are wellnigh impossible here.

[clueliss]

A Republican from Great Bend Kansas (and an OB I might add) has stepped in it.   Apparently he believes the poor don't want health care.  What the ever living hell?

 

http://www.kansascity.com/news/politics-government/article137189318.html

Quote

BY BRYAN LOWRY

blowry@kcstar.com

 

U.S. Rep. Roger Marshall is facing a backlash for saying in an interview published last week that the poor do not want health care.

Marshall, a Great Bend obstetrician, was elected to the U.S. House last year after ousting former U.S. Rep. Tim Huelskamp in the Republican primary for Kansas’ 1st congressional district, which covers the western half of the state.

The health care website Stat highlighted Marshall’s role in Republican efforts to repeal the Affordable Care Act in a profile published last week. During that interview, Marshall criticized Medicaid expansion, something that was enabled by the program.

“Just like Jesus said, ‘The poor will always be with us.’ … There is a group of people that just don’t want health care and aren’t going to take care of themselves,” Marshall is quoted as saying.

“Just, like, homeless people. … I think just morally, spiritually, socially, (some people) just don’t want health care,” Marshall continued. “The Medicaid population, which is (on) a free credit card, as a group, do probably the least preventive medicine and taking care of themselves and eating healthy and exercising.

“And I’m not judging, I’m just saying socially that’s where they are. So there’s a group of people that even with unlimited access to health care are only going to use the emergency room when their arm is chopped off or when their pneumonia is so bad they get brought (into) the ER.”

Marshall’s interview has begun to receive national attention, with MSNBC’s Joe Scarborough reading the quote on Wednesday morning’s episode of “Morning Joe” before his co-host Mika Brzezinski cut him off, saying, “Oh my — just stop!”

Scarborough said on the show that he was “absolutely floored” by Marshall’s comments.

“For somebody to talk about Jesus and the poor that way is a complete twisting of everything that the Gospel is about. Everything! Read the Gospel. Read the Sermon on the Mount. … I mean, Jesus was pretty clear,” Scarborough said.

Marshall’s office did not immediately comment on the uproar over his comments.

Kansas Medicaid advocates say Marshall’s comments display a misunderstanding of the program, which provides medical coverage for low-income families and disabled Kansans.

“The folks that are on Medicaid, they’re people with significant disabilities, children and pregnant women and older Kansans who all want health care, and the state has a basic consensus that they deserve it, that they have that right,” said Sean Gatewood, co-administrator of the KanCare Advocates Network, a group that represents people enrolled in the state’s Medicaid program.

“I can’t understand how a physician would not already have a fundamental understanding of that issue, but it doesn’t feel like he does,” Gatewood said.

As of this year, 19 states have not expanded their programs to provide insurance to people in the coverage gap — people who make too much to receive Medicaid but too little to buy their insurance through the federal health care exchange. Neither Kansas nor Missouri has expanded its program.

David Jordan, the executive director of the Alliance for a Healthy Kansas, a group that wants to expand the Medicaid program in Kansas, called Marshall’s comments disheartening.

Jordan said many of the people on Medicaid and in the coverage gap work multiple jobs.

“These are people who are out there, working hard, paying their bills, and to have their elected member of Congress pointing their finger at them I’m sure is disappointing,” Jordan said.

He said Marshall oversimplifies the problem of health care accessibility. Some people on Medicaid, particularly in rural areas like western Kansas, have trouble finding doctors who accept Medicaid, he said.

Denise Cyzman, executive director for the Kansas Association for the Medically Underserved, said many communities in Kansas, including Great Bend, have no dentists who accept Medicaid.

Cyzman said her organization’s 44 clinics throughout the state provided treatment to 77,000 Medicaid recipients in 2015 and to 262,000 people total, including people who fall in the coverage gap and who lack any insurance.

“These are people who are very interested in accessing health care,” she said. “To put the onus back on the individuals saying they don’t want access to health care … is not at all representative of our experience.”

Jordan said federal data show that about 97 percent of children enrolled in Medicaid saw a primary care doctor in 2012.

“To say that nobody on Medicaid benefits … is not supported,” Jordan said.

Read more here: http://www.kansascity.com/news/politics-government/article137189318.html#storylink=cpy

 

4

and I think that should have gone into Congress not here.

[GreyhoundFan]

2 hours ago, fraurosena said:

It's still really unbelievable to me though. Whatever the reasons given, it's still incredibly undemocratic. How repubs dare to say they live in a democracy (and the greatest in the world at that) is quite beyond me. 

How different it is in my country. We're having our national elections next week. Everyone above the age of 18 is automatically eligible to vote. We get our election billets sent in the mail a few weeks beforehand. On the day itself, you go to the voting office to which you have been assigned, which is closest to where you live. Most of them are in walking distance. Mine for instance is litterally just around the corner. On election day, the voting offices open at 7.00 am and they stay open until 9.00 pm. If you know beforehand that you are unable to vote on the day for whatever reason, you can nominate someone else to cast your vote for you. At the voting office, all you have to do is hand over your voting billet and show your ID. You get your voting form, go to a voting booth and cast your vote. Easy peasy.

All this doesn't mean that we have a great turnout though. But that's more to do with desinterest in and/or apathy for politics as a whole, and has nothing to do with voter supression. Is our political system perfect? Far from it. But I am glad that the things that are possible in America are wellnigh impossible here.

Unfortunately, many Republicans don't care about Democracy. They only want to further their pro-gun, anti-abortion, anti-immigration, anti-anything but Protestant Christian agenda.

[onekidanddone]

1 hour ago, GreyhoundFan said:

Unfortunately, many Republicans don't care about Democracy. They only want to further their pro-gun, anti-abortion, anti-immigration, anti-anything but Protestant Christian agenda.

WWJS  Who Would Jesus Shoot?

[GreyhoundFan]

1 hour ago, onekidanddone said:

WWJS  Who Would Jesus Shoot?

Okay, thank you, I snorted out my water at that one! I'm having a crappy day and needed a laugh!

[clueliss]

And the Missouri house drop kicked (blocked) that minimum wage stuff.  As I figured they would.

http://www.komu.com/news/missouri-house-moves-to-block-higher-st-louis-minimum-wage