North Carolina "Pulls a Texas"

[GeoBQn]

A North Carolina state senate committee approved the addition of several anti-abortion amendments to a bill (one that would ban Sharia law, no less) during a meeting last night. Pro-choice advocates were caught completely off guard because there was no mention of the amendments on the senate committee's official schedule, yet representatives of NC Values Coalition, NC Family Policy Council, and NC Right to Life were at the meeting.

In addition to banning the recognition of Sharia law in family courts the bill will:

-Prevent insurance plans on the Obamacare health marketplace from covering abortion

-Ban "sex-selective" abortions

-Impose restrictions on doctors administering the abortion pill

-Require the state's abortion clinics to follow new regulations that will cause most of them to close

This bill is likely going to close all Planned Parenthood clinics in the state. Because these measures were tacked on to an anti-Muslim bill, the state Republicans are saying that "a vote against the abortion restrictions bill is a vote for Sharia law." The state Senate has approved the measure with a preliminary vote, and a final Senate vote is expected Wednesday. The bill will then head to the House, and it is possible that it will be able to pass without the governor's signature.

newsobserver.com/2013/07/02/3006634/senate-to-vote-tonight-on-bill.html

[laura oz]

So if I understand this right they're trying to ban Sharia law by denying women agency with their own bodies? Fucking Classic. Sneaky snakes.

ETA NC needs a Wendy Davis

[Ms Lucy Fur]

I live in NC and have been on the phone this morning. Motherfuckers!

[doggie]

Nothing like banning Sharia law while enacting it.

[pamplemousse]

So wrong on so many levels. I'd seriously considered moving to NC in a few years, as I've made several trips there, really liked it, and thought I could get a job and live well there. But with this and the other craziness I've heard, I'm rethinking doing so.

[RachelB]

I live in NC and have been on the phone this morning. Motherfuckers!

Thank you for fighting the good fight.

[curlytoes79]

Every time I think NC is going to pull itself out of the bog of backwards bigotry, something like this happens. Thank god my parents moved us up north when I was a kid...

[RandomTrivia]

Is this the same mess that will require high school sex ed to teach that an abortion now will prevent you from ever having a child in the future? Some state is considering that pack of lies, but my browser crashed and I lost the page.

What the fuck is wrong with these legislators, and how do we get them to back away from the stupidity?

[merrily]

Can the citizens of NC protest this?

[salex]

A North Carolina state senate committee approved the addition of several anti-abortion amendments to a bill (one that would ban Sharia law, no less) during a meeting last night. Pro-choice advocates were caught completely off guard because there was no mention of the amendments on the senate committee's official schedule, yet representatives of NC Values Coalition, NC Family Policy Council, and NC Right to Life were at the meeting.

In addition to banning the recognition of Sharia law in family courts the bill will:

-Prevent insurance plans on the Obamacare health marketplace from covering abortion

-Ban "sex-selective" abortions

-Impose restrictions on doctors administering the abortion pill

-Require the state's abortion clinics to follow new regulations that will cause most of them to close

This bill is likely going to close all Planned Parenthood clinics in the state. Because these measures were tacked on to an anti-Muslim bill, the state Republicans are saying that "a vote against the abortion restrictions bill is a vote for Sharia law." The state Senate has approved the measure with a preliminary vote, and a final Senate vote is expected Wednesday. The bill will then head to the House, and it is possible that it will be able to pass without the governor's signature.

newsobserver.com/2013/07/02/3006634/senate-to-vote-tonight-on-bill.html

Kansas passed nearly the same if not worse bill, though the Anti Sharia Law bill was a completely seperate stand alone bill that I think passed sometime last year. The irony of our pope governor pushing for a bill aimed at keeping religion out of the courts makes me want to laugh or scream or both at the same time. I am currently a Blue Dog anti Brownbackian. If they ran a literal blue dog against him, I'd vote for it. :angry-banghead:

[Emkay]

Ohio doesn't want to be left out- the budget the governor signed this week put Planned Parenthood to the back of the line for funding (but funds crisis pregnancy centers). The budget also includes such goodies as making a doctor find a fetal heartbeat (showing it to the woman/having her listen to it), and bans emergency transfers from abortion clinics to public hospitals- and most of the private hospitals in my area are religiously affiliated. My favorite, though, is the part that tries to negate science by redefining pregnancy as beginning at conception. I'm just waiting for someone to use that portion to limit birth control.

Why, why, whyyyy did no one listen to Kasich during his campaign? He said he was going to break the unions, he tried SB5, and now this- except since it's in the budget, I think it's impossible to get a referendum like the people did for SB5. I need a new place to live!

[Stephanie66]

Although most of the rules are ridiculous, what's wrong with saying an MD has to perform an abortion and physically see the women take the RU-486? I would want an MD performing my (or my daughter, niece, etc) abortion.

I confess to leaning a little pro-life personally, but always vote pro-choice. (And I vehemently disagree with the pro-life movement, as they are doing it wrong. If we want fewer abortions, have liberal birth control access and promote progressive legislation that assists families and children so women feel like they CAN raise a child. I think Obamacare will result in a huge reduction in abortions.) It's not like women WANT to get abortions.

All of that said, glad I live in MN. Medicaid funds abortions here, and we have a fairly low abortion rate. Which proves that even if insurance did cover it, it wouldn't be an abortion free-for-all. So the insurance thing is ridiculous.

[uber frau]

Although most of the rules are ridiculous, what's wrong with saying an MD has to perform an abortion and physically see the women take the RU-486? I would want an MD performing my (or my daughter, niece, etc) abortion.

.

Is just any MD allowed to prescribe or will these services only be available from a limited number of doctors? And can NPs do D&CS in the US? If they're restricting practitioners from practicing certain procedures because they really believe it is in the best interests of health and safety, it's one thing. If they're restricting access in the hope it will reduce the rate of terminations, it's wildly unfair and only serves to put women who most need them at a greater disadvantage. If you can afford the cost (and the time) of seeing one of a small group of select doctors, then good for you. But what about the women who can't afford to travel to the other side of the state, to find childcare for other children, to take several days off for multiple appointments, to pay for a private doctor who can set a premium price(not coverable by insurance for those who are fortunate enough to have it) because the services is so limited?

[apple1]

... can NPs do D&CS in the US?

In a word, no.

[LostSamurai]

PA's pretty conservative, but thank god they haven't pulled shit like this yet.

It's stuff like this that seriously makes me , i dont want to say embarrassed exactly, but not happy, to be an American....no one wants to focus on real issues like jobs, education, the economy but would rather spend tax my hard earned money on making damn sure that I can't do what I want with my body.

[ladybug]

Although most of the rules are ridiculous, what's wrong with saying an MD has to perform an abortion and physically see the women take the RU-486? I would want an MD performing my (or my daughter, niece, etc) abortion.

Forcing a woman to take the pills for a medical abortion in front of a doctor is wrong because it puts undue hardship on a woman for no medically necessary reason. The pills have to be taken 24 hrs apart, so she would pay for two office visits, have to take additional time off work, and if she lives far from the clinic might have to pay for lodging she may not be able to afford. Also, within and hour of taking the second pill many women experience heavy cramping and bleeding. If she has to take it in front of a physician, she will be driving or travelling during this emotionally and physically difficult time.

Oh, and Hi! I've been lurking for many years but rarely post. Delurking because this is a pet cause for me and I live in NC, so it's very close to home...

Edited because I screwed up the quote and to introduce myself.

[2xx1xy1JD]

Love, Joy, Feminism did a good overview of why these laws have absolutely nothing to do with protecting women's health:

http://www.patheos.com/blogs/lovejoyfeminism/

One of the logical consequences is that more women will simply order the pills online and not have ANY medical supervision.

[lizziesmom]

The attacks on any kind of birth control have been going on for decades. I had an argument with a friend of mine the other day who thinks it's so easy to get an abortion about this. The number of facilities available to women have been greatly reduced, and I think in the south you would be really hard pressed to find help. Pretty soon the Supreme Court isn't going to have to address Roe vs. Wade because the states are going to legislate our bodies.

[FlorenceHamilton]

I think that the real push to end abortion state by state, forcing it to eventually reach the supreme court has become so very high pitch because the religious right lost big time on gay marriage.

The tactical error is that gay marriage does not affect half the population of the United States. The majority of homophobes lacked any real motivation to do anything meaningful to oppose same sex marriage. They just spewed their thoughts in bars and at the dinner table. In the case of reproductive rights, the people who have a uterus in their body make up half the population and (with the exception of folks we snark on at FJ and their ilk) we like to have ownership of our organs. TYVM.

[crazyforkate]

Somewhat OT: Still do not understand the Sharia Law bans that keep getting passed. I mean, seriously, is any state in the Union in danger of being taken over by fundamentalist Muslims any time soon? To me it's less of a law and more of a "Let's confirm we're racist asshats" thing. Waste of time and highly offensive.

[doggie]

Somewhat OT: Still do not understand the Sharia Law bans that keep getting passed. I mean, seriously, is any state in the Union in danger of being taken over by fundamentalist Muslims any time soon? To me it's less of a law and more of a "Let's confirm we're racist asshats" thing. Waste of time and highly offensive.

Yep just stupid racist Christian idiots at work.

[longskirtlotsakids]

Love, Joy, Feminism did a good overview of why these laws have absolutely nothing to do with protecting women's health:

One of the logical consequences is that more women will simply order the pills online and not have ANY medical supervision.

QFT. Lutalyse and GNRH are very easy to get your hands on...they are veterinary drugs used to get herds of animals cycling at the same time. They reduce the corpus luteum needed to maintain a pregnancy in any mammal.

You'd be surprised at the number of rural women who have resorted to this.

[Three and Done]

Once again, I am VERY happy to live in NY state.

It is completely incomprehensible to me that unqualified men are permitted to push a religious agenda into women's health care.

I would like to see bills punishing MEN for causing an unwanted pregnancy - sounds logical to me.

[GolightlyGrrl]

Fuck you, Scott Walker!

http://jezebel.com/wisconsin-is-the-lat ... -686422731

What happened to my state's long history of progressiveness? I am just so sick and tired of this shit.

[ThatSnark]

Can the citizens of NC protest this?

This citizen did. I went to the Planned Parenthood/NARAL sponsored protest at the General Assembly this morning. We held signs, marched, chanted, and got updates about what was going on in the building. This "Anti-Sharia" law passed the state Senate, but still has to go through the House and the Governor. Gov. McCrory stated that he would not sign any abortion legislation while he is in office, and he's been reminded.