UPDATE: FOX 31’s Eli Stokols:
“I appreciate how women feel about this but this is about religious freedom,” [GOP Sen. Ellen] Roberts said, venting about the tenor of the debate that, in her view, has been “twisted” into a partisan fight…
“This issue is important in accommodating religious liberty in health care. Government has moved into the health care industry. And the question now is how to do we continue to recognize the freedom of religion?”
Roberts also noted that the 12 Republican men in the chamber were “super-glued to their seats”, admitting that the party had decided to let only its women speak on the memorial. [Pols emphasis]
If you’re curious why Republicans didn’t let the men speak about this, watch them invoking the Nazis over the same resolution a few weeks ago. You won’t be curious anymore.
—–
In dramatic style, a photo from earlier this morning:
Tempers and props ruled the Colorado Senate during a debate urging Congress to adopt the failed Blunt Amendment that would allow insurance plans to deny contraception coverage on moral and religious grounds.
Republicans were furious that Democratic women unfurled a banner in front of the podium spanning nearly the length of the Senate chamber showing several stop signs to indicate instances in which birth control could be denied. The symbolic measure has no chance of passing the Democratic-controlled Senate but was surprisingly let out of committee.
We can confirm this report that Republicans are apoplectic, even calling for the firing of legislative staffers who were involved in the production of the banner or who helped display it.
That seems kind of silly. In fact, we’d say the biggest reason Senate Memorial 12-003 made it out of committee at all, instead of quietly meeting its end, was a desire on the part of Democrats to make this resolution a very public “war on women” embarrassment for its GOP supporters.
Pictures being worth a thousand words, we declare this mission accomplished.
You must be logged in to post a comment.
BY: JohnNorthofDenver
IN: Monday Open Thread
BY: JohnNorthofDenver
IN: Boebert Damns Her Would-Be Successor With Faint Praise
BY: Meiner49er
IN: Boebert Damns Her Would-Be Successor With Faint Praise
BY: ParkHill
IN: Monday Open Thread
BY: Genghis
IN: Threats From The Right, Relief From Clerks After Tina Peters Goes To Jail
BY: ParkHill
IN: Monday Open Thread
BY: spaceman2021
IN: I’m Gabe Evans, and This is the Worst Ad You’ve Seen in Years
BY: JohnInDenver
IN: Threats From The Right, Relief From Clerks After Tina Peters Goes To Jail
BY: 2Jung2Die
IN: Threats From The Right, Relief From Clerks After Tina Peters Goes To Jail
BY: davebarnes
IN: Monday Open Thread
Subscribe to our monthly newsletter to stay in the loop with regular updates!
Thank you for standing up for all of the women of Colorado, Senate Democrats!
For turning every debate of conscience into character assassination!
Pray tell, why didn’t the three women Republicans go along? Be careful, they just supported you on civil unions! You can’t just demonize them like you would normally…
They can’t make the Republican men look like assholes every day. They have to pick their battles.
You, on the other hand, manage to make the GOP look bad every time.
You might be careful where this stand takes you. It provides a powerful argument for a government-run health care system that doesn’t discriminate based on religion.
Mississippi Gov. Phil Bryant accused Democrats of having one mission in life: “to abort children.”
Democrats also want to kill old people with their death panels.
Don’t forget the Islam.
Just can’t keep up with the memos.
The Senate GOP definitely put their best face forward that they could on the measure, but people should just realize that what this measure does is allow any insurance company, any employer, any health care provider to deny any health care service for any (undefined) moral or religious belief without notice or disclosure to patients. While the bill is spun as respecting religious freedom it actually encroaches on personal and religious freedoms. And 100% of the public examples of the care that might be denied are those impacting women, even though it really could impact anyone and everyone. I am glad I live in a state that respects women, privacy and religious liberty and defeats extreme measures like this.
They could then say no healthcare.