So what happened in Michigan?

Late on December 11^th, Michigan’s legislature passes a measure to ban all insurance coverage for abortion even in private health plans. So women who want abortion coverage have to purchase a supplemental rider in case of what is defended as unplanned and unwanted pregnancy…because state sponsored extortion of women amiright?

Now, I’ve heard it called “rape insurance” but Jessica Valenti makes a compelling point not to call this rider “rape insurance.” The term comes because there is no exception for women who are survivors of rape and incest, and there is something rape cultury and sinister in forcing victims of such violence to pay out of pocket for the crimes of the perpetrators. Below you’ll see a video of State Senate Minority Leader Gretchen Whitmer, who shares her story of sexual assault and how this law would have impacted her. However, as Valenti notes, the term “rape insurance” dismisses the needs of women and other persons who are not seeking an abortion due to sexual abuse.

By calling it “rape insurance” we’re creating a binary (and you know how I feel about binaries) of “good” and “bad” abortions. This is the kind of language we can’t give to the anti-choice community. We’ll end up with discussions of the deserving and the undeserving…the US has done this before with poverty relief programs. The current stat is one in three women have abortions, and those choices are not any of our concern, and it should have no impact on whether the procedure is affordable.

This law much like the ultrasound laws that require women to pay for unnecessary procedures to appease the anti-choice zealots, costs women who might not be able to foot the bill for these procedures without coverage from their insurance.

Michigan woman's depiction of representation will make you pull your hair out.

In case the world doesn't end, I wanted to give you a reason to think it should...

Emily Magner accompanied a small group of social work students to speak to their representatives about HB 5711, which was the anti-women/anti-women’s health bill that was pushed through the Michigan legislature’s lame duck session last week.

Naturally, they studied the 60+ page bill and found the following:

• It would regulate women’s health centers out of existence;
• Limit abortion access for women in rural areas;
• Prevent private insurance companies from covering any abortion services;
• Give a tax credit for fetuses, but not children; and
• It would allow medical providers to deny any health service they deem objectionable.

The students concluded the bill was harmful to Michigan women, families, and their communities.

They began their day on the hill with a visit to Senator Howard Walker. I’ll let her say it:

“Our first visit was with Senator Howard Walker. We started our meeting wholeheartedly thanking him for taking the time to meet with us. I talked about the importance of hearing both sides to an issue. I talked about ethical obligations—I believe social workers and politicians have something in common.

“What a mental health professional says to a client has a different weight to it than if a friend or family member were to say something to them. The same goes for a politician. When a politician speaks, they speak for everyone in their district.

“I told Howard that as social workers, in order to preserve the integrity of our profession we follow the National Association of Social Workers code of ethics. This code tells us in order to help our clients achieve self-determination we must leave our personal opinions at the door.

“Howard Walker looked at us blankly. He glanced at his watch. He fussed with his phone.

“We went on to talk specifically about how this bill will harm Michigan women, disproportionately women living in rural areas like ours. After we brought up a few of these points he put up his hands and said that he couldn’t really speak to those topics…he had not read the bill.

“In front of him was a one paragraph synopsis I assume was from the Right to Life special interest organization who drafted the bill.

“Howard Walker had not even bothered to read it.

“We spoke with him for 20 minutes, the whole time he was dismissive, misinformed, and rude. When his handler told him, ‘5 more minutes,’ I told him that I would never has him to change his beliefs on abortion, I would protect his right to believe whatever he wanted, but I did want him to consider the harmful implications that this legislation would have on women and consider his ethical obligation to his field to leave his personal views at the door.

“Before I could finish my sentence, he waved his hand dismissively and interrupted, “THIS ISN’T ABOUT WOMEN! THIS IS ABOUT PROTECTING FETUSES!”

“We were all silent. Shocked.

“I calmly put my palm down on the table, spoke gently, looked him straight in the eye and said, ‘Howard, you do know where babies come from don’t you?’

“I want on. ‘Do not try to tell me that this isn’t’ about women, about families, about communities, and yes, about me, a woman. A woman you represent.’”

Magner is correct in her disgust here. Not only did her representative completely dismiss her, he had the gall not even to be informed on the bills he is voting on. This bill is dangerous for women, and he couldn’t be bothered to read it.

After this gem of an experience the students went to see State Representative Wayne Schmidt. They were able to get an appointment with him after three weeks of trying.  Again, her words:

“Right off the bat, as we sat down, Wayne told us that he did not want to talk about HB 5711. He told us it wasn’t going to come up in lame duck. ‘It’s a bad bill. It is not going to be voted on.’

“Wait—a bad bill? He voted for it! We were stunned.

“The man representing us gave his vote for HB 5711 and then openly admitted to our faces that he believed it to be a bad bill! He even went so far as to point out different aspects of the bill he disagreed with-such as the one million dollars of insurance a doctor would be required to purchase in order to provide Emergency Contraception to a patient, yet Wayne voted yes!

“I had to ask the question, ‘Why?’

“He told us that it was ‘just politics.’ He said that he needs the Right to Life endorsement, so he voted for it.

“Again, we were shocked. Absolutely floored.

“He admitted to five of his constituents’ faces that he supported a bill that he knew to be wrong because he needed a special interest’s endorsement.

“This is criminal."

Magner assured Schmidt he would never get her vote and that good politicians don’t need special interest endorsements. Obviously, Magner does not feel represented between elected officials/men voting their religion or their funders. She did all this only to find out her leaders do not care. Magner has decided to push for qualified women to run for office. Here’s hoping she is successful.

Michigan decided to continue being a tool

Ok, so the Michigan’s House legislature decided to push through a new and “improved” emergency manager law, which you may remember voters overturned one version no November 6, 2012. Yeah, so they just aren’t going to listen to their constituents now.

How did it pass? Oh well according to Paul Egan, the House passed the Local Financial Stability and Choice act in a 63-45 vote with only one Republican (Rep. Kevin Cotter) voting with the Democrats. So this is expected to take effect in March if it passes the Senate and Gov. Snyder, which it will.

Voters repealed Public Act 4, which was the original bill, and this bill is supposed to address the shortcoming in that bill. Public Act 4 gave local officials in financially troubled cities and school districts more input in decisions including in contract disputes.

Incoming House Minority Leader Tim Greimel (D) is calling this legislation the same as the previous, and “another slap in the face to democracy perpetrated by this House.”

The bill allows for an emergency manager to take power to undertake modifications, rejections, terminations, and renegotiation of contracts.

This was perceived as anti-labor and anti-worker law the first time, but what the hell are they doing where they just ignore the will of the people? I’m in that weird place, where I’m thinking I should be surprised by this, but I can’t say that I am.

Lame-Duck Session: Michigan, stop being jerks

The same day the Michigan legislature voted in favor of right to work, they also voted on several controversial women’s health bills. The bills are extreme and could allow doctors to pick and choose patients based on religious or moral beliefs (yeah, choice is important when we’re talking unions, but when we’re talking women fuck choice). Robin Erb wrote a piece on it.

Three state Senate bills would allow insurers on the state’s healthcare exchange (Obamacare provision) from automatically including coverage for abortion in their policies offered by the exchange. An employer or individual purchaser of the plan you have to request and pay separately for abortion coverage. Right now 80% of Michigan insurance plans cover abortion according to Lori Lamerand, president and CEO of Planned Parenthood Mid and South Michigan.

So the bills would ensure that abortion isn’t automatic in the policies provided on the exchange. Opponents of abortions argue that they shouldn’t have to cover health care costs for a procedure they find morally abhorrent (I agree, I’d like to stop funding war), through taxes or participation in health care policies that cover abortion. So abortion would be an add on….because you know when you sign up for coverage if you’ll need one because that makes sense to crazy people.

The bills need to pass the state House, but come on the way they are pushing through legislation, these bills probably will pass. Then onto Gov. Snyder, moderate hero.

A similar measure to make abortion coverage available only through supplemental policy is already closer to being law. It was inside legislation to allow Blue Cross Blue Shield of Michigan to change its business structure. That bill is already headed to Gov. Snyder’s desk.

Rules like these obviously impact poor women seeking abortions, but also women who need abortions for their health or complications during the pregnancy.

Another bill passed by the state Senate on Thursday protects doctors and other healthcare providers who refrain from performing procedures based on their moral and religious objections like vasectomies and plastic surgery abortions. The doctors are given extra special protections if they don’t want to perform abortions, specifically shielding them from civil and criminal actions or licensing repercussions. So doctors get a pass to discriminate based on their religious beliefs. Better hope no Jehovah Witnesses are doctors in Michigan. Some are even arguing that doctors may refuse to treat patients of different faiths. Hmm, nothing like religious persecution. I wonder how Christians will be impacted given all the discrimination they deluded themselves into thinking they suffer from.

So what is Right to Work in Michigan?

Think Progress did a really great summary on what you need to know about Right to Work in Michigan written by Travis Waldron.

Michigan Gov. Rick Snyder (or Walker/Kasich, the new version) had promised avoid the right to work legislation, which were pushed through the Michigan House of Representatives and Michigan state Senate. These bills take aim at unions; there is no other way to look at them. Michigan Republicans claim the bills are going to help Michigan stay competitive with Indiana, but we all know right to work has disastrous consequences for workers.

The legislation that was passed by both the state house and state Senate prohibits private sector unions from requiring members pay dues. This does not mean that before unions could force membership that has been illegal since Taft-Hartley, which no one on the right knows. Now if you benefit from a collective bargaining contract then you have to pay a small fee. The state Senate passed a similar measure that extends the prohibitions to public sector unions, but police and firefighters are exempt…shocking. The state House then included a budget appropriations provision intended to prevent voters from legally challenging the law through ballot referendum (see Wisconsin and Ohio). This all happened on Thursday, and Michigan has rules about how quickly they can fully pass legislation so after five days they were voted on (i.e. today). Needless to say they passed to much dismay. Democracy Now had a clip of Gov. Snyder talking about his change of opinion being all about how people deserve a choice (except when you are female, of color, etc.).

So why is this happening? Because they have to push it through during the lame-duck session. Dems took several seats (no the majority though), which means anti-labor (and anti-choice, but more on that later) have to be pushed through before power changes hands. However, with Republicans losing seats and some Republicans being opposed to the measure they need to push it through now. The state of Michigan was split on right to work, but 78% of voters said legislature should focus on job creation, education improvement, and stay away from state laws and rules.

This means what? Conservatives are calling this pro-worker, which is evident by the lack of inclusion of voters. However, studies show that right to work can cost workers money. See the Economic Policy Institute, they found right to work costs all workers, union and non-union, $1,500 a year in wages, and it becomes harder for workers to obtain pensions and health coverage. Right to work states see decreases in union membership, impact the middle class, and decreases in worker safety that hurt small business.

Unions and worker rights advocates aren’t happy. We’ve heard the police came armed with clubs and tear gas. Also, reports of pepper spraying protestors after the vote. There were some pretty amazing photos on Twitter, particularly @jeffrae's feed. 

Ok, so as previously mentioned the Michigan Republicans attached a $1 million appropriation on the measure attempting to make it repeal proof. Never fear, labor is here. They are looking into ways to repeal the measure through a ballot box or within the legislature.

So the Huffington Post has a list of some of labor’s best options to repeal this madness.

1. Line-Item Veto: Gov. Snyder could sign right to work into law but still throw labor  a bone by using his line-item veto power to strike the $1 million appropriation in the bill, according to Rep. Gary Peters (D-Mich.). That way, the law would be eligible to go on the ballot, putting the ultimate decision on the right to work to the people.

2. Citizens Initiative: This route may be labor’s best route to the ballot box. According to an analysis by the Citizens Research Council of Michigan and first reported by NBC’s Mike O’Brien, labor supporters could need to gather a high number of signatories to force a vote to repeal the law, similar to what was done in Ohio with the repeal of an anti-collective bargaining law. This route does not require the removal of the appropriation in the legislation.
3. Repeal Legislation: Republicans will retain a majority in the legislation in the next session, but their ranks will be reduced after they lost a handful of seats in the 2012 elections. Not all Republicans were on board with right to work in this session, so democrats could attempt to gain some GOP support for a bill to repeal the law.

4. 2014 Elections: Snyder is up for reelection in 2014. There’s little doubt that unions will put their muscle into getting him out of office.

5. Lawsuits: A union activist has already filed a lawsuit in an attempt to slow down the right to work legislation, “alleging violations of the Open meetings Act after the Michigan State Police barred the doors to the Capitol,” according to the Detroit Free Press. The Associated Press recently reported that opponents are considering other possible lawsuits.  

Final thought, I had yet another discussion with a conservative friend of mine about the right wing pulling out racism as though it is an argument. I'm not sold on even the most well put anti-labor argument, but when you resort to these awful statements then your argument will never be taken seriously. Oh, and that doesn't bother me at all.