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madfloridian

(88,117 posts)
Thu Apr 16, 2015, 11:20 PM Apr 2015

Oregon Democrats Kill Health Bill Because It Included Abortion Provision. Shocked me.

I thought maybe Democrats around the country were learning that compromising with the extremist right was a dangerous thing. But this article mentions that Democrats have a "supermajority", and they still killed the bill.

From RH Reality Check:

Oregon Democrats Kill Reproductive Health Bill Because It Included Abortion Provision

An Oregon bill that would have codified the right to affordable, full-spectrum reproductive health care was killed by the state’s Democratic leadership last week because of a provision that would have increased access to abortion.

Backed by a coalition of progressive lawmakers and activists, SB 894, the Comprehensive Women’s Health Bill, appeared strong coming out of the gate in the Democratic-led legislature.

“I’m proud to be working with such a wide range of legislators and advocates on this issue,” state Sen. Elizabeth Steiner Hayward (D-Beaverton), one of the bill’s chief sponsors, told RH Reality Check when the bill was introduced in February. “We’ve got Republicans and Democrats, men and women, and advocates from across the spectrum who care deeply about this bill.”

The proposal would have required all health insurance plans to cover a wide range of reproductive health services, including contraception, abortion, prenatal care, childbirth, and postpartum care, at low costs. It would also have allowed pharmacies to dispense a 12-month supply of birth control at one time, and reduced cost sharing and deductibles for abortion care.

But the language on abortion proved a sticking point even for the Oregon legislature, which has a Democratic super-majority and a track record of supporting abortions rights. Senators in the health committee failed to even give the bill a hearing date, killing it by default
.


The cowardly way out...why they did not want to vote on it.

Aimee Santos-Lyons, director of programs for Western States Center, told RH Reality Check. The Western States Center backed the bill. “Senators didn’t want to be asked to vote on abortion and have that on their record. They find it a difficult issue to go public on.”


That's just shameful.
29 replies = new reply since forum marked as read
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Oregon Democrats Kill Health Bill Because It Included Abortion Provision. Shocked me. (Original Post) madfloridian Apr 2015 OP
How fucking fantastic we have "two" parties to pick from in this country! villager Apr 2015 #1
Isn't it wonderful? Two choices to reflect all views! Two party theocracies are anti-democratic. Fred Sanders Apr 2015 #5
The new thing is "bi-partisanship" BrotherIvan Apr 2015 #7
And we have to "keep our powder dry," rather than oppose them now! villager Apr 2015 #11
Hey, why do they have to do anything at all? BrotherIvan Apr 2015 #12
"keeping our powder dry"...hate that phrase. madfloridian Apr 2015 #24
Okay is this NARAL page true? Gives Oregon an A on women's issues.?? madfloridian Apr 2015 #2
"They find it a difficult issue to go public on.” Democrats MUST get over that. madfloridian Apr 2015 #3
Forced birth is not ethical, end of story. Zorra Apr 2015 #4
it seems the common belief is that women themselves aren't as important or valuable as a fetus. BlancheSplanchnik Apr 2015 #18
I agree. madfloridian Apr 2015 #19
me too. oregon, where I thought progressive values BlancheSplanchnik Apr 2015 #20
For perspective, please see the chart that goes along with this link... Bluenorthwest Apr 2015 #28
.... madfloridian Apr 2015 #27
Ms. Hayward was my state senator before I moved... I'm going to look in to this. cascadiance Apr 2015 #6
Rural Oregon is probably more conserv than Texas. ErikJ Apr 2015 #8
We have thought about what the right wants for decades now. madfloridian Apr 2015 #10
Who the fuck gives a SHIT what the cons think? AngryDem001 Apr 2015 #14
Agreed, But if the st senators from there want to get re-elected ErikJ Apr 2015 #16
Wrong! They have done that since late 80s. Who controls congress? Not us. madfloridian Apr 2015 #17
https://www.colourbox.com/preview/1465677-stencil-drawing-white-on-black-painted-wall-of-a-handshake blkmusclmachine Apr 2015 #9
WHAT THE FUCK?! AngryDem001 Apr 2015 #13
they are indeed cowards Skittles Apr 2015 #15
For the "compromise on everything" advocates at this site - what exactly is the compromise bullwinkle428 Apr 2015 #21
The bill was killed because the Dems refused to remove language making abortion available. Buzz Clik Apr 2015 #22
They have the majority. So who killed the bill? You need to clarify. madfloridian Apr 2015 #23
Read the fucking story. Buzz Clik Apr 2015 #25
Wow, so rude. I will repost pertinent parts. madfloridian Apr 2015 #26
Gosh, it would be inconvenient for some Democrats to actually stand for something. Tierra_y_Libertad Apr 2015 #29
 

villager

(26,001 posts)
11. And we have to "keep our powder dry," rather than oppose them now!
Fri Apr 17, 2015, 12:43 AM
Apr 2015

Otherwise, people might disapprove...

BrotherIvan

(9,126 posts)
12. Hey, why do they have to do anything at all?
Fri Apr 17, 2015, 12:46 AM
Apr 2015

Loyal followers' jobs are to shout anyone down who points it out. Win win! We gotta keep expanding that tent. Because as long as we win, we don't care what the prize is.

Zorra

(27,670 posts)
4. Forced birth is not ethical, end of story.
Thu Apr 16, 2015, 11:47 PM
Apr 2015

Why is this so difficult for so many to grasp?

If a woman does not want to have a child. she should not be forced to have a child.

Duh.

BlancheSplanchnik

(20,219 posts)
18. it seems the common belief is that women themselves aren't as important or valuable as a fetus.
Fri Apr 17, 2015, 01:41 AM
Apr 2015

A fetus's life is more important than a woman's. That has got to be the belief operating at a deep level for these people.

BlancheSplanchnik

(20,219 posts)
20. me too. oregon, where I thought progressive values
Fri Apr 17, 2015, 09:39 AM
Apr 2015

Such as empathy and respect for people's lives was the attitude there.

Well, women better start getting loud about our own needs. We jump in to support every other cause, help every other person...we better get busy doing it for ourselves.

 

Bluenorthwest

(45,319 posts)
28. For perspective, please see the chart that goes along with this link...
Fri Apr 17, 2015, 05:54 PM
Apr 2015

All states except Oregon now limit abortion access

"Roe v. Wade guaranteed abortion as a legal right across the country. A separate decision two decades later, Planned Parenthood v. Casey, guaranteed states' rights to limit access to abortion, so long as it did not pose an "undue burden" on the woman.

States have, over the past four decades, made no short use of that latter right. Only one state, Oregon, has not layered additional restrictions on top of the Roe decision. At the other end of the spectrum is Oklahoma: With 22 abortion restrictions, it has more than any other state. The chart below, courtesy of Remapping Debate, has the full list. You can also go here for an interactive version of the graphic, which will let you look at what type of restrictions each state has set."
http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/wonkblog/wp/2013/01/31/all-states-except-oregon-now-limit-abortion-access/

 

cascadiance

(19,537 posts)
6. Ms. Hayward was my state senator before I moved... I'm going to look in to this.
Fri Apr 17, 2015, 12:17 AM
Apr 2015

It sounds like there must be a senator that doesn't want to vote for this bill, and yet doesn't want to have it visible that this person is standing in the way of this getting passed. It sounds like we need to find out who this person is.

"Democrat" Betsy Johnson used to be the one that "equalized the vote totals" when she sided a lot with Republicans over the last few years, before we picked up two more seats this last election. I wonder if Johnson was going to vote against this too even though as a woman it might be harder for her to do this, even if she's siding with the Republicans a lot. There must be one more Democrat though that is being a problem to get the new majority to work for them.

 

ErikJ

(6,335 posts)
8. Rural Oregon is probably more conserv than Texas.
Fri Apr 17, 2015, 12:30 AM
Apr 2015

Luckily theyre outnumbered by Portland to Eugene valley. So there are Con Constituents to think about.

madfloridian

(88,117 posts)
10. We have thought about what the right wants for decades now.
Fri Apr 17, 2015, 12:41 AM
Apr 2015

Time to think about what is right. Not what is expedient.

AngryDem001

(684 posts)
14. Who the fuck gives a SHIT what the cons think?
Fri Apr 17, 2015, 12:52 AM
Apr 2015

They DON'T THINK!!

They are INCAPABLE of thought!!

They need Rush Pigman and FOX NOISE to tell them what to think!!!

 

ErikJ

(6,335 posts)
16. Agreed, But if the st senators from there want to get re-elected
Fri Apr 17, 2015, 01:28 AM
Apr 2015

whether GOP or Dem they have to appease the Cons. majority.

AngryDem001

(684 posts)
13. WHAT THE FUCK?!
Fri Apr 17, 2015, 12:48 AM
Apr 2015

“Senators didn’t want to be asked to vote on abortion and have that on their record. They find it a difficult issue to go public on.”

COWARDS! COWARDS! COWARDS! COWARDS!

GODDAMMIT!!! You fucking sniveling little COWARDS!!!!

FUCK YOU!!!




bullwinkle428

(20,626 posts)
21. For the "compromise on everything" advocates at this site - what exactly is the compromise
Fri Apr 17, 2015, 09:49 AM
Apr 2015

position when it comes to women's reproductive health?

Big K&R for this.

 

Buzz Clik

(38,437 posts)
22. The bill was killed because the Dems refused to remove language making abortion available.
Fri Apr 17, 2015, 10:31 AM
Apr 2015

Not sure how this got twisted around...

madfloridian

(88,117 posts)
26. Wow, so rude. I will repost pertinent parts.
Fri Apr 17, 2015, 03:23 PM
Apr 2015
But the language on abortion proved a sticking point even for the Oregon legislature, which has a Democratic super-majority and a track record of supporting abortions rights. Senators in the health committee failed to even give the bill a hearing date, killing it by default.

....Health committee chair Sen. Laurie Monnes Anderson (D-Gresham), who was also a sponsor of the bill, “did not schedule it because she didn’t think she could get the votes from her caucus, and it was absolutely because of the inclusion of abortion in the bill,” Aimee Santos-Lyons, director of programs for Western States Center, told RH Reality Check. The Western States Center backed the bill. “Senators didn’t want to be asked to vote on abortion and have that on their record. They find it a difficult issue to go public on.”


http://rhrealitycheck.org/article/2015/04/15/oregon-democrats-kill-reproductive-health-bill-included-abortion-provision/

They were afraid to take a stand. Your rudeness toward me does not change a thing.

More from the article:

Monnes Anderson told local media outlet the Lund Report as much:

Monnes Anderson said some members objected that the language about abortion be included alongside protections for contraception, pregnancy and post-partum care. Both Monnes Anderson and Steiner Hayward declined to say who opposed this part of the bill.

Monnes Anderson said the abortion language was so toxic that ‘leadership’–her caucus leaders–Courtney and Rosenbaum, would not even allow her to have a public hearing on SB 894, let alone move it to the Senate floor. She said House Democratic leaders were also involved in the discussion over whether the bill could see the light of day…
 

Tierra_y_Libertad

(50,414 posts)
29. Gosh, it would be inconvenient for some Democrats to actually stand for something.
Fri Apr 17, 2015, 07:21 PM
Apr 2015

Something other than being "not as bad" that is.

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