A look ahead to 2013...

Tis December in Missouri and that means we’re in the season of pre-filing. 

Yay.

Anyhoo, pre-filing means that state legislators are filing bills ahead of the 2013 session that will begin in January. 

Let’s take a look, shall we?

Oh look, Representative Gatschenberger (R-108) pre-filed HB31, which seeks to prevent local government from governing locally. 

Pause…re-read…continue.

Yep, this bill would prevent local government from passing ordinances dealing with how folk protest.

Oh, no…not just how anyone protests! 

The people Rep. Gatschenberger feels need extra special extended and enhanced protection from local ordinances, drafted by local government officials who live in the community, are those folk who protest in front of health care facilities providing access to the full range of reproductive health care including abortion services. 

HB31 isn’t even trying to be slick.

I mean, you’ve just gotta love the description of HB31!

“Specifies that the constitutions and laws of the United States and Missouri must protect the rights of an alternatives-to-abortion agency and its officers to freely engage in activities without interference.”

Freely engage in activities without interference?!?

Oh, that’s rich!

How about “freely engage in activities, sans interference, that interfere with other people’s ability to freely engage in activities without interference.”

Cause you know and I know that you know and Rep. Gatschenberger knows that the goal of these “alternatives-to-abortion” agencies is to disrupt or better yet deny people’s ability to access health care.

Let’s continue.

I noticed that members of the Missouri Senate have been busy too.

Just in case you didn’t know, the same gaggle of legislators who like to go on and on about the “good” done by anti-abortion groups camped outside of health care centers are also card carrying members of the We Hate Poor Pregnant Women club.

Behold, Senator Schaaf!

Senator Schaaf pre-filed SB14, which would raise Medicaid eligibility for some folks (elderly, blind, and otherwise disabled) but lower it for…wait for it…pregnant women and children.

SB14’s trigger for lowering eligibility for pregnant women and children would be if tax credits are available in a federal exchange.

Uh huh.

So, the Missouri House is trying to take rights away from local government under the guise of protecting anti-abortion protesters with the hope that relentless harassment will lead to women being forced to continue their pregnancy…

…so that they can then be told that their pregnant ass is no longer eligible for Medicaid because the Missouri Senate lowered eligibility in some legislative tantrum over tax credits in the yet to be created federal health care exchange.

2013 is shaping up to be another five month revival of How Not To Govern financed on the people’s dime.