DENVER — A proposal modeled after sweeping regulations in Texas that shut down roughly 50 percent of women’s health clinics that provided abortions there was rejected by Colorado’s House health committee Thursday night.
HB 1128, sponsored by Sen. Patrick Neville, R-Castle Rock, would have required strict licensing for clinics through the Colorado department of public health and mandated that all clinics have admitting privileges to a hospital within 30 miles.
“What concerns me is people who live in rural communities where there are not hospitals within quite a large proximity,” said chairwoman Rep. Beth McCann, D-Denver. “Under your bill, those folks would be unable to get health care… the clinic would have to close.”
“It’s really not the motive of this specific bill to restrict or deny, it’s just to give overall oversight,” said Neville. “The actual providers might be licensed but the clinics themselves have zero licensing requirements on them now.”
“Emergency room doctors are supposed to be within 20 minutes of the emergency room, that is because an emergency is an emergency. Being 30 miles from a hospital with a doctor who has admitting privileges is not asking too much,” said attorney Michael Norton who testified in support of the measure on behalf of Colorado Family Action.
The health department’s Dr. Larry Wolk testified in opposition to the measure, pointing out that doctors who provide abortions are licensed and that licensing the facilities themselves would be complex due to the broad differences between various kinds of abortion procedures.
“There’s a requirement that clinics must conduct an ultrasound examination. You tell us you’re concerned with women’s health. I’m curious as to how this requirement improves health,” asked Rep. Susan Lontine, D-Denver. “I don’t understand the point of this other than to somehow guilt a woman into changing her mind.”
After lengthy testimony and pointed questions from the Democratic women on the committee, the measure failed on an 8-5 vote. Rep. Gordon Klingenschmitt, R-Colorado Springs, joined Democrats in voting against the measure because it fell short of a full abortion ban.
Pro-choice rally photo via RH Colorado.
“It’s really not the motive of this specific bill to restrict or deny, it’s just to give overall oversight,” said Neville, a lying piece of shit.
I thought I had read somewhere that the Teabaghead/Republikkklan nut-cult Jackass-in-the-Pulpit, Klingenschmidt, had – in total ignorance of, or contempt for, the already established U.S. Supreme Court decision of Roe v Wade – already introduced a bill to totally ban abortions in Colorado. Don’t they teach basic Civics – including essentials of Government, and the Constitution of the United States – down in that part of the State? Or, is superstitious ignorance, and arrogantly stubborn stupidity, now going to take over here in Colorado, and make us into something like the 3rd World colony of Alabama?
If republicans ACTUALLY believed in what they spout off about, they would be AGAINST this kind of REGULATION. But like always, THEY ARE LYING. Republicans don’t seem to be encumbered by things like the TRUTH. Let’s look for an example of this, shall we?
“It’s really not the motive of this specific bill to restrict or deny, it’s just to give overall oversight,” said Neville. “The actual providers might be licensed but the clinics themselves have zero licensing requirements on them now.”
This is CLEARLY a LIE. The ONLY purpose for this kind of NONSENSE is because this MALE want s to STOP WOMEN from having any autonomy. He is an authoritarian schmuck, just like pretty much ALL republicans, now. He has ONE purpose, which is to subjugate and control women in their own country and their own BODIES. You can bet that if ANY woman tried to do NEARLY the same to him, there would be hell to pay.
This type of thing is why some of us will NEVER vote republican. The level of dishonesty and HYPOCRISY is appalling, and that is NOT what I want in my government. It disgusts me to no end that SO many people in this state and country are SO blind that these people can LIE with impunity, and even their support.
Kudos to the committee for rejecting this OBVIOUSLY STUPID PIECE OF CRAP.
TEXAS might like it, but we’re FAR FREAKING BETTER than Texas. Maybe someone needs to remind the REPUBLICANS in this state that WE do NOT want to fight Texas for the BOTTOM the the heap in this country. WHY would ANYONE look at what Texas is putting it’s people through and say “Yep, we NEED THAT here!” NO WE DO NOT!!!!!
Shame on this REPUBLICAN for NOT giving a DAMN about the WOMEN of this state.
“Maybe someone needs to remind the REPUBLICANS in this state that WE do NOT want to fight Texas for the BOTTOM the the heap in this country.”
Dear Will Morrison,
Someone? If not you, who? The democratic have abdicated all responsibility for being the loyal opposition. Granted, this bill has died in the Colorado legislature. But, the democratic have chosen never to answer the republicans each and every time that they say something that is not supported factually. Instead, democrats amuse themselves on blogs, such as this, berating the republicans for being stupid and delighting in how smart the democrats are. Unfortunately, the republicans and most everyone else never read the progressive blogs.
Repubs believe embryos, babies, viable tissue masses, are actually humans and they want to protect them.
Dems believe they are not and therefore cutting their heads off, snapping their necks, or punching a metal rod into their brains is no big deal.
Just two points of view really. But hey, let’s hug a tree and save the Snail Darter….