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?
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.