Where have all the good men gone and where are all the gods ?
Where’s the street-wise Hercules to fight the rising odds ?
– Bonnie Tyler
Women in Florida are asking, “where is the leadership on women’s rights?”
The women of Florida are asking for some leadership and support in their efforts to fight back against Republican attacks on women’s health and rights. A recently posted online petition calls upon Democratic House Minority Leader Representative Ron Saunders to stand up for women against the extreme bills filed during the 2011 legislation.
A total of 18 anti-choice bills were heard by the Florida Legislature this year. These eighteen bills before the Legislature threaten to make it harder for women to access the full range of reproductive health services, including preventative health services. The bills included the following:
HB 97 which will deny women access to private health insurance coverage for abortion even when a woman experiences a health complication during pregnancy or discovers a serious fetal impairment.
HB 1397, the Targeted Regulation of Abortion Providers (TRAP), which is a backdoor attempt to deny women access to a legal health care procedure. If passed, this bill will hurt women and cause health centers that provide abortion to close leaving women with no where safe to turn for medical care.
HB 1127 which will force a woman to undergo an ultrasound prior to an abortion even when it is not medically appropriate or is against the professional judgment of her physician. The bill would also force women to hear a description of the fetus prior to an abortion.
Throughout session, several Democratic state elected officials have consistently been vocal supporters of women’s rights, including Sen. Nan Rich, Rep. Scott Randolph, Rep. Dwight Bullard, Rep. Lori Berman, Rep. Mark Pafford, Rep. Richard Steinberg, Rep. Rick Kriseman and Rep. Jeff Clemens.
These Democratic legislators have argued that their colleagues should be tackling the budget – not attacking women.
They are right – these bills are an offense to mainstream Floridians and pose a serious threat to women’s health and rights.
Rather than attacking women’s access to health care services — including lifesaving cancer screenings, birth control, and testing and treatment for sexually transmitted infections, our legislators should be working with us to improve women’s health and to reduce unintended pregnancies.
Last week, the day before six anti-women, anti-choice bills were to be heard on the floor of the House, Representative Campbell (D- Miami) was expected to vote against the Democratic caucus and the women of Florida after she was heard suggesting that Democrats should be jailed for supporting abortion rights.
During floor debate, Miami Rep. Daphne Campbell then backed one of the Republican abortion bills and quoted the Bible on the floor of the Florida House.
A Democratic backlash against Representative Campbell ensued. In response, Representative Ron Saunders, Leader of the Florida House Democratic Caucus, made the following statement regarding Representative Daphne Campbell’s anti-choice votes in the Florida House:
“The abortion issue is deeply personal and emotional. The Florida House Democratic Caucus did not take a position on any abortion bills and all members, including Representative Campbell, were free to vote any way that they wished on those bills.”
On May 4, an online petition was launched, calling for Representative Saunders to show leadership in defense of women’s rights:
Representative Saunders, Don’t Abandon Women!
By Susan Smith
To be delivered to: Representative Ron Saunders
“We urge Representative Ron Saunders, Leader of the Florida House Democratic Caucus, to stand with the women of Florida whose reproductive rights are under unprecedented attack, and to strongly encourage his Caucus members to do the same.”
Recently Representative Ron Saunders, Leader of the Florida House Democratic Caucus, made the following statement regarding Representative Daphne Campbell’s anti-choice votes in the Florida House:
“The abortion issue is deeply personal and emotional. The Florida House Democratic Caucus did not take a position on any abortion bills and all members, including Representative Campbell, were free to vote any way that they wished on those bills.”
This statement is UNACCEPTABLE to the women, men, and organizations, across political party lines, who support comprehensive women’s health care and the Constitutional right for women to choose to have an abortion. And it is even more outrageous because it was made by a leader of the Democratic Party, the party whose national platform strongly supports choice and access to reproductive health services.
http://signon.org/sign/representative-saunders?source=s.fwd&r_by=48457
Meanwhile, the Legislature released the proposed state budget yesterday. The Legislature’s final budget weighs in at 406 pages and $69.7 billion in spending. It eliminates nearly 4,500 state jobs.
Instead of politicizing health care, the Legislature should focus on passing legislation that would strengthen our economy, create jobs and balance the budget.
No problem…just take voting rights away from women and all problems will be solved.
Thank you Tallahassee; I