Governor Doobadd Asks For another $1 Million To Defend Anti-Abortion Law In Court (H/T – Helga)

by

No money for books and healthcare but plenty for frivolous lawsuits. When are these clowns going to figure out a majority of South Dakotans are pro-choice;

This year the GOP-led South Dakota legislature passed a law requiring women seeking abortions to face a three-day waiting period – the nation’s longest – and undergo counseling at pregnancy “help centers” that discourage abortion. Recognizing that the law is an assault on women’s constitutional right to an abortion under Roe v. Wade, a federal judge granted an injunction in September to prevent the law from taking effect while it’s being challenged in Court. U.S. District Chief Judge Karen Schreier noted that the law creates an undue burden and would humiliate and degrade women.

Now South Dakota’s Gov. Dennis Daugaard is requesting more than $1 million in additional funds to defend the state’s anti-abortion law:

Next year’s South Dakota budget calls for more than a million dollars in supplemental funding for the state’s legal fund, including small fees for several high-profile cases but the potential for big expenses defending a controversial abortion law.

Gov. Dennis Daugaard’s budget proposal asks for the Legislature to add $1.043 million to the state’s Extraordinary Litigation Fund, which pays for legal costs above and beyond the ordinary.

Most of the Legislature’s projected costs come from two lawsuits: the 2005 Planned Parenthood vs. Rounds case over the state’s “informed consent” law, and ongoing “diligent enforcement” legal disputes with tobacco coverage. The state Office of Risk Management predicts the Planned Parenthood case to cost South Dakota $750,000 in Fiscal Year 2012, which runs through the end of June 2012.

Additionally, if South Dakota loses the lawsuit, it could be required to pay Planned Parenthood’s legal fees. When South Dakota lost another abortion case against Planned Parenthood several years ago, the state paid around $410,000 in legal fees.

As states are facing their worst budget crunches since the Great Depression, Republican-led governments have insisted on pushing conservative social agendas instead of focusing on pressing economic needs. In fact, they’ve exacerbated state budget deficits by passing anti-abortion laws that can cost millions for the state to defend but are rarely upheld in court. Kansas, for instance, has spent $2,180 of taxpayers money every daydefending its anti-abortion laws.

 

Imagine that, the Feds put a stop to stupid anti-choice laws

by

This doesn’t surprise me one bit;

“Nothing in the text of the statute permits physicians to use their medical judgment to avoid disclosing information that is untrue, misleading or irrelevant,” she (U.S. District Judge Karen Schreier) wrote.

Oh, but this truly becomes ridiculous;

In arguments over the law on Monday, lawyers for Attorney General Marty Jackley argued that legislators simply intended for Planned Parenthood to provide a checklist for mental health risk factors.

Checklist? This isn’t Jiffy Lube. This is a place that provides many low income & younger single women health services (besides abortion). I think Planned Parenthood knows what they are doing. Nothing to see here, please move along.

What’s a life worth to Anti-Choicers in the state? About $20,000.

by

Doesn’t anyone find it ironic they have only raised $20,000 to combat HB 1217 lawsuits against the state?

Bill sponsor Roger Hunt, R-Brandon, has said private donors will step forward to cover legal expenses through the Life Protection Fund, which was set up in 2006 to help the state pay to defend previous abortion laws.

“I don’t think it’s a surprise to anyone that they’ve filed a lawsuit,” Hunt said. “We’ve been expecting this and preparing for it.”

In late March, the fund had a balance of just under $20,000.

About the same amount the average single mother makes in a year in SD, if that. They of course know that the state will have to pony up the money, which is mostly from sales tax revenue, on things like food, from these same mothers. If the anti-choicers were so concerned about LIFE they would be concerned about these children after they are born and the mother’s who have to raise them by themselves, through education and worker training programs. Nope, the same clowns who vote for this crap slash education, slash medicade, and vote against ending a food tax. I’m starting to believe more and more that the neo-cons never want abortion to be illegal, because they couldn’t use it as an issue anymore.

So the GOP is going to shut down government over abortion and global warming?

by

The GOP wants to stop military pay over free condoms. Well, kinda.

I will admit, I haven’t really paid much attention to this until yesterday. Our MSM is so freaking awful, that I often ignore there cackling of crisis until the last minute. Disaster will ultimately be averted and either the Dems or the Repugs will come out the heros. But what shocks me is what the argument is all about;

Instead, the major obstacle was Republican insistence on including provisions that would strip Planned Parenthood funding and prevent the Environmental Protection Agency from regulating greenhouse gas emissions, he said.

That’s right kids, the GOP wants to shut down most of the federal government because they are upset PP gives out free condoms and the the EPA believes in global warming.

They got their way with ACORN, it’s time to put an end to the insanity. If the GOP wanted to reign in spending on the Pentagon, Medicare and Social Security (our biggest budgetary expenditures), I might understand there stance. But providing affordable healthcare to women and protecting our environment (both of which take very little of our total budget) as excuses to shut down government seem as weak arguments. Don’t agree with abortion? Get Roe vs. Wade overturned. Abortion is legal in our country. Don’t believe in global warming? Fine. Give us scientific proof it doesn’t exist. Otherwise STFU!