This morning I attended a Legislative Forum, must admit - this is the first one I've ever attended. I've attended a lot of events, even spied on some Tea Party events - but not the "you have two minutes, talk to us" kind of forum. There were so many concerned citizens there - that time was running low by the time I was able to speak. I am not a good public speaker and kept editing my thoughts for time. There was a lot more I wanted to say....so good thing I have this medium for that! So...without further ado! This is what my brain was really thinking when I spit out my 45 second rambling on SB 142 LOL
Representatives and Senators - Thank you for being willing to spend your Saturday morning listening to your constituents. And also thank you for scheduling this before the first NCAA game of the day.
As a woman of childbearing age (for a few more years, barring medical intervention), I am flattered by all of the attention the legislature has been paying to me and others like me. However, I have to say I think your concern is misplaced. I mean, I wish you cared as much for me as you do my potential reproductive capacity - that's really kind of Handmaid's Tale creepy... Instead of being worried about preventing me from having access to abortion (if I should ever need it), or making doctors tell me bogus info or hell letting them lie to me all together - how about making this state hospitable again. Stop your assault on the very services that women and families need to have families - maybe then I wouldn't think your concern was something out of a book that was required reading in high school.
HB 2253 has so many bad parts to it. Punishing medical providers that provide abortion care by taking away their sales tax exemption, requiring abortion providers to tell women that abortion is linked to breast cancer - which is FALSE! More needless regulation from a party and a state government that loves the fetus, but hates the child.
Don't get me started on SB 142 - I expect to have an adversarial relationship with the Brownback administration and with many of you - I do not however expect to have an adversarial relationship with my doctor. I find it amusing that the same people that are so proud of crafting "women's right to know" requirements (most of which is information that is scientifically dubious at best), somehow thinks it's okay for a doctor to lie to a woman - if the doctor thinks the truth will cause a woman to have an abortion. Doctors are not mind readers - they have no way of knowing who will choose abortion and who will not - all this legislation does is allow ideological driven zealots to prevent women from even considering their constitutionally protected right to choose abortion. If a doctor is morally uncomfortable with the concept of treating women that may use the information they provide to opt for abortion - maybe they should find a new specialty. Please vote NO on HB 2253 and SB 142, oh and that heartbeat bill too!
I appreciate my chance to speak here today. All I ask is for this state to return to reason. We have been derailed by blind ideology for far to long.
Thank you.