I Know There Are Other Things Happening in the World Outside of Austin, But For the Life of Me, I Don’t Know Why
I will be at the state Capitol today to sign up to testify before the one hearing the people may be allowed before we get Republican Party primary battles shoved down our throats.
There will be fewer people there today so hopefully bandwidth will be better and they won’t turn off the public wifi.
Thanks to all of you for your encouragement and for the people who found me yesterday, introduced themselves, and asked for a haircut.
If there’s other political news in the world other than us and Ohio, please let me know.
I’ll be back after lunch.
NEW UPDATE: There are between 500 to 1,000 anti-choice people here in the Capitol wearing blue. They are carrying signs and singing church songs.
For reasons that will soon become clear, the chairman of the committee reserved a room for the hearing that only holds 100 people. That information was apparently given to the blue people before the public got it. They have filled the room.
On top of that, the Governor has reserved every damn meeting room in the Capitol for the entire month. So, we have no where to go.
We are told we will get a room eventually.
I got here three hours early and this is the best seat I could find.
meanwhile …. We wait.
other news: Rick Perry has announced that he’s gonna announce his future plans on Monday. I hope it involves a library and a bunch of drugs.
The chairman just announced that 1,600 people have signed up to speak.
The chairman (a Republican) cannot answer why the hearing is being held in such a small room. The only answer he has is that “it was recommended.”
Jodie Laubenberg is the Republican who is sponsoring this bill. She’s the one who thought a rape kit “cleaned out the woman” and took care of that.
Sylvester Turner (good guy) asks the Laubenberg that if this bill truly is for the health and safety of women, can the state finance the changes for the centers that have to close because they cannot afford the cost to meet her standards. Asks her to join with him in an amendment that the state will fund the clinics that cannot afford to meet the standards. She refuses to answer. She calls it hypothetical.
Although Laubenberg continues to say that this is for the health and safety of women but everyone here in a blue shirt is anti -choice.
After Sylvester Turner made a fool of Laubenberg, the Republicans want to change the rules and not let members of the committee question Laubenberg. They say 1,900 people have signed up to speak.
Democrat Jessica Farrar questions Laubenberg about her research for this bill. All Laubenberg will says, “I only filed this bill for the health and safety of women.” She continues to have that as her only answer.
On a very personal note, I want to say that I flat love Jessica Farrar. She rocks.
If you want to watch live, here ya go. http://www.texastribune.org/
It’s 4:45 and the first speaker has started.
Not one speaker for the bill has said, “health and safety.” Every speaker for the bill only talks about abortion. This is not about the health and safety of women.
Okay, tacky observation. I just went in the hall to take a phone call. There are a slew of anti choice people out there. My personal favorite was a man wearing a pre-printed sign that said, “I regret my abortion.” I wonder if he also regrets his sex change operation.
Anyway, these people brought their children to use them for political purposes. I was standing in a small alcove talking to a friend on the phone. A man in blue was watching his four children run wild in the hall. One of the kids, a boy about 5 years old, smashed into me while chasing his brother. I raised boys. I know how they are. However, the second time the kids ran into me and knocked me against the wall while their father watched, I got very tacky. I looked him in the eye and said, “if you’re going to have them, teach them to behave.” I bet you money they were home schooled.
I know. Tacky.
Man testifies by starting with a prayer. He’s upset because his sister had an abortion so he didn’t get to be an uncle. Seriously. An uncle. Makes you wonder who got his sister pregnant, huh?
General counsel for the Texas Hospital Association is speaking against the bill. She says that requiring the doctors to have admitting privileges at the local hospital would be hard to carry out because hospitals only do abortions with several abnormalities or health of the mother. She says that if no doctor could get admitting privileges under current law, then this bill simply outlaws abortion.
Gynecologist speaking against the bill. Endangers women’s health. Great line from the doctor. When asked about fetal pain at 20 weeks, the doctor said, “how about fetal pain at 40 weeks.” Asks, “are we going to keep babies from coming through the birth canal? I’m sure I experienced pain when I came out of my mother’s birth canal but I don’t remember it.”
IRONY ALERT: I just went to the bathroom and had to walk by two men over the age of 65 arguing about abortion. I went to get some young women to see it.
TACKY ALERT: Okay, I hope God forgives me if I am wrong but all these sobbing sisters talking about how they regret their abortions and carrying on about feeling that they are murderers even 20 years later really worries me. I think that the anti-choice people do not want these women to heal. They encourage them to sob in public to make their point for them. They are encouraged to call themselves murderers and that they have to suffer. I saw it today from the people sitting in front of me. I wanted to swat them.
You would not believe some of the improbable stories some women are telling. One woman walked into an abortion clinic wanting information and they forced her to have a abortion which, of course, made her an alcoholic and drug addict.
Guys, we been here from 11:30 until 8:30. I’m running out of oxygen and power on my phone. We are leaving for the night. We will be back next Tuesday.
Thank you, thank you for continuing to fight this battle. Like you, I didn’t think we would still be doing this at our age, but there it is. Keep on keepin’ on…
1Wish I was there, but even if I wasn’t working, I couldn’t come. As my grandmother used to say, I’m “down in the back” and having trouble walking for the pain. Even handicapped parking is a hike at the Capitol.
Please, please, please, let them know you are speaking for the many who had to work and couldn’t be there in person. My momma and her momma fought these fights. They thought it was a done deal.
You’d have loved Grandma. Democrat, through and through. Voted from the time she was old enough until she passed at age 95. She was a pistol and paid attention to what was going on.
2In other news, since you asked: The white, male, elitist, old Republican gard have started their campaign against Hillary. The current party line, “she is too old to be President.” The best summary of the attacks can be found here:
http://www.nytimes.com/2013/06/30/us/politics/republicans-paint-clinton-as-old-news-for-2016-presidential-election.html?pagewanted=all&_r=1&
Sigh, because when you have lost the youth vote, the minority vote, the immigrant’s vote, the women’s vote, and the LGBT vote, it must be time to alienate the elderly!
3I’m with you in spirit today, JJ. Going to the tax office for my class so I can register voters. We are going to turn Texas blue.
4“She’s to old to be president?”
5Hillary was born in 1947, she’ll be 69 if she runs in 2016, where as McCain who was born in 1938 was 70, when he ran in 2008!
Um, Saint Ronald Reagan??
6This is called “focus” JJ! Glad u have it – like a laser!!
7Susan, I’m 85 now and a yellow dog Dem all my lufe. If we girls hang together this war can be won…..so we know what we must do as far as possible. I’m madder’n hell and I know I am not alone so I do have hope yet……. if I don’t blow a gasket! LOL
8We are suppose to know Goodhair’s plans for 2014 on Monday
9http://politicalticker.blogs.cnn.com/2013/07/02/first-on-cnn-perry-to-announce-political-future-on-monday/
As soon as I heard “she is too old to run” I actually fell on the floor cackling!!! Just consider the A Team the Repugs have on the bench now: McCain, McConnell, Sessions et al. Their B Team conversely is too young: Paul, Ryan, Rubio et al. This is the best they can come up with???? Snort!!
As for the small hearing room, JJ, you oughta see the size of some of the hearing rooms in the House buildings on Capitol Hill in D.C. The Committee space is so huge there is hardly anything left for anybody else. The Agriculture Committee Hearing Room is a prime example of this. If you want to get into a hearing, you have to get to the door and stand in line when the cock crows. If you can’t do that, you hire someone to do it for you. Now there’s a way to earn a living! Printed copies of the oral testimony are usually ready and all set out on a table outside the hearing room. If you can’t get in, at least you know what someone is submitting. Very best of luck, JJ, dear! Give ’em hell! They deserve it!
10For you ladies who knit or crochet, here is a site for patterns of various “lady parts”. http://www.governmentfreevjj.com/the-patterns/ May I suggest we all get busy creating these masterpieces and send them to our favorite Congressvarmints, Governators and other political yahoos who insist on controlling our reproductive health!
11Hymn singing? All the rooms reserved for them?
Here is a little section from the Texas Constitution: Article One, Sec. 7. APPROPRIATIONS FOR SECTARIAN PURPOSES. No money shall be appropriated, or drawn from the Treasury for the benefit of any sect, or religious society, theological or religious seminary; nor shall property belonging to the State be appropriated for any such purposes.
If this reservation of rooms isn’t an appropriation of State property for a certain brand of sectarian sanctimonious pains in the arse, I’ve no idea what would be.
12[P]rick Perry, Dirty Deeds Dewhurst, el al, need to have an up close and personal session with a red letter Bible. NO where in mine does Jesus condone cheating to win. NO where. Sweet Baby Jesus would NOT be proud of you Ricky.
@gramiam — thanks for the link! Fabulous idea. I have already shared this with my knitting friends.
13http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=H2r_fwS5AU0
14Do You Hear the People Sing the songs of Angry Men…change it to Women.
Just read on Twitter that the Texas DPS is hauling shields and night sticks into the Capital. If true, thing could get interesting.
15The real issue here has nothing to do with religious beliefs per se and everything to do with some people attempting to force their beliefs on everyone.
Religious freedom does not belong to a church, which is a thing. It does not belong to an organization or to a corporation even if the corporation is providing health coverage.
Religious freedom belongs to individuals and that can never be stressed enough. Your religious freedom stops exactly where mine begins.
16How many have testified so far? Thx, Connie
17Blue shirt guy at the capital might be a little confused:
18http://shortformblog.com/post/54455073510/hmmm-these-signs-were-being-handed-out-by-pro
Those people were not singing church songs, they were making an unjoyful noise.
God is going to get them for blaming themselves on Her.
19BTW, those people need to actually READ the Bible and engage their pea brains. Mary had a choice, my priest said so if they want a religiouos authority. She could have said NO, I am an unwed teenageer and don’t need the pregnancy.
20@ Maggie:
21I have not seen the movie/play Les Mis, so this song is new to me. It’s perfect for us in Texas – and other places. I would love to go to the Capitol with those 5000 people and sing it!
Thanks for posting this!
Jan, thanks go to Pam in College Station who alerted me. She and I are singing together and we are glad to welcome you.
22Is DPS bringing shields and batons or shields and transvaginal ultrasound wands?
23It’s 6:30 and now they’ve got some male, reputedly an ob-gyn, standing up in front of the committee. He’s dressed in a long white medical coat over blue scrubs and says he doesn’t perform abortions. Golly, there’s nothing like dressing in that long white coat to add a note of medical authority. But he looks familiar somehow, maybe one of those guys who once did Preparation H TV commercials. After all, he’d be only one orifice away.
24The ob/gyn was a sensible witness. He had facts to offer.
The religious zealots…. can’t handle. I figure that’s what will go on with this “group” of witnesses.
You are a better person than I am gunga din, that you can sit through that. It’s been interesting, and I do hope Sylvester Turner doesn’t have to pay for his own transcripts on these “proceedings”.
25This “special” session is costing Texas taxpayers $27,300 a day. A DAY!!! Where is this money coming from? Perry should be held at spear point until he answers that question. Is it coming from the education budget, for instance? If Texas, like so many other states, is running on small change from piggy banks, who is paying for this? Is it the Koch brothers? It ain’t just Texans who want to know!
26@Miemaw – The doc I alluded to was speaking in favor of the bill. Two different docs?
27(My home schooled children were very well behaved. And they love this non-blog. To make a very long story short, they started school in Aladamnbama, and I didn’t want them to go to the private (white supremacist) school, or the public (class sizes of 40+) school. In either private or public school, they would have been taught that evolution is a lie and women are supposed to submit to men. I wasn’t having them hear either lie.) I know it’s off topic, but home schoolers are not all alike, and it can work out well. I sent one child to each of Texas’ flagship schools: one summa cum laude and one magna cum laude, both good feminists. I think the anti-choice guy was simply a bad parent.
28Y’all have a lot of support outside of Texas.
JJ you best be behaving yourownself in this heat missy!!
29They can only win if they cheat. They know this. They have no shame.
30Dayum, wish I was with you!
31Elanor, you are correct bad parenting does not discriminate between home schools, parochial schools or public schools. Still it shouldn’t surprise us that a bunch of folks determined to keep women pregnant, with or without their consent, would fail to ride herd on their little male darlings. It is their world, we are merely visitors and these “hearings are all about keeping it that way.
32“One woman walked into an abortion clinic wanting information and they forced her to have a abortion which, of course, made her an alcoholic and drug addict.”
33She might have that confused with an Army Recruitment Station, or Healing Crusade Revival Meeting. That’s where they talk you into stuff.
The woman who had an abortion and then became a drug addict and alcoholic would have become those things anyway, only with a neglected child added to that mix. But we never hear about the those children because once they’re born, they’re no longer relevant to the anti-abortion “cause.”
34So some of these women might as well still be wearing a scarlet letter A. Sex and guilt go so well together in their world.
35Check out the Daily Kos article: What Texas Republicans really think about abortion and birth control.
36Thank you so much for the updates. There were technical difficulties with all of the livefeeds.
37Umpty I think must have been two different docs. The one I heard said he was opposed to the bill, and told them why.
38Article in Washington Post today says 70% of Virginia’s “crisis pregnancy centers” tell lies about abortion causing all kinds of physical and psychological damage. They say nothing about the much higher risk of death from pregnancy and the psychological damage of having a child you didn’t want and can’t care for.
http://www.washingtonpost.com/local/2013/07/01/f5235c88-df43-11e2-b2d4-ea6d8f477a01_story.html
Women are directed to these centers by state listings to get free ultrasounds, but some of them will refuse to hand over copies of the ultrasound images, which the state requires if the woman wants to get an abortion at a real clinic.
They seem to think that any amount of lies told in defense of their “moral values” is okay with Jesus.
JJ, keep up the good fight!
39Just catching up on the news, before calling it a day.
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2013/07/02/north-carolina-abortion-bill_n_3537238.html?ref=topbar
Welcome to the fight, North Carolinians. In North Carolina, they were even more sneaky, than here in Texas.
Both bills sound enough alike, that you can pretty much figure ALEC wrote theirs, also.
40Katherine, it took me a while to find the Daily Kos article as so much had been posted afterward. Here’s the direct link. http://www.dailykos.com/story/2013/07/02/1220599/-What-Texas-Republicans-really-think-about-abortion-and-birth-control
Catch the message at 10:30ish Pacific time about blue shirts being hired at a month’s wages for a day’s work. Susan, is it legal? Can we bust someone for it?
41A couple of witnesses and a democrat on the committee are pointing out the bias of the chair.
42Kyle, you think? It was patently obvious to us at the Thursday “People’s Filibuster.” Jerk. I’ve never wanted to tie someone to his chair and make him listen as I did that night when he closed down testimony saying it was “repetitive.” There were a lot of us with things to say that had not been said yet and our last names didn’t start with A-D. Broken computer my sweet aunt. There was no problem calling out the pro-bill folks from the rest of the alphabet, at one point calling almost no one but pro-bill folks for over an hour (though admittedly that was a substitute chair, as he spent more time out of the room than in).
43Here’s your dude with the sign:
http://img.wonkette.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/07/texas-bortion.jpg
44Right on sister. Was in that hearing listening like you to only A to D last names being called on the pro choice side to speak while on the anti abortion side folks were called A to Z. Like you I find all these melodramatic stories about being forced to have abortions at the clinics absurd. I do clinic defense most every weekend at the Houston Women’s Clinic and the waiting room is standing room only. I’ve probably visited every abortion clinic in Houston at least three or four times and it is pretty much the same everywhere. No abortion clinic needs to force anybody to have an abortion. They’re so stacked up with women wanting procedures they can’t serve all the demand as it is.
45I went on Facebook today and my granddaughter posted a picture of herself in an orange shirt with her arm around Cecile Richards. I’m just so proud! My twin grandgirls Skye and Zoe are Austinites and this protest is SO about them and their young lives.
46