Civil & Human Rights

Kavanagh changes his bathroom bill; scraps jail for transgender people in favor of protection for bigots

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By Craig McDermott, cross-posted from Random Musings

 

Wow.  It seems that Rep. John Kavanagh is mellowing with age.

Last week, he wanted transgendered people to go to jail for daring to go to the bathroom.  This week, he just wants to protect people who discriminate against the transgendered.

He has amended the agenda for this week's meeting of the House Appropriations Committee to include a proposed striker to SB1045 –

Well this should be fun . . .

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Posted by AzBlueMeanie:

U.S. Supreme Court Chief Justice John Roberts’ lesbian first cousin, Jean Podrasky, will be attending Tuesday’s and Wednesday’s arguments before the Supreme Court on gay marriage. She should wave and blow a kiss to her cousin, "Hi Johnny!"

John Aravosis posts, Justice Roberts’ lesbian cousin will attend Tuesday’s Supreme Court gay marriage arguments:

Podrasky,
who lives in the San Francisco Bay area with her partner Grace
Fasano, announced the news in a blog post at the National Center for
Lesbian Rights.

I know that my cousin is a good man. I feel confident
that John is wise enough to see that society is becoming more accepting
of the humanity of same-sex couples and the simple truth that we deserve
to be treated with dignity, respect, and equality under the law. I
believe he understands that ruling in favor of equality will not be out
of step with where the majority of Americans now sit. I am hoping that
the other justices (at least most of them) will share this view, because
I am certain that I am not the only relative that will be directly
affected by their rulings.

Historic civil rights arguments in the U.S. Supreme Court this week

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Posted by AzBlueMeanie:

GavelThis week historic civil rights arguments will he heard in the U.S. Supreme Court regarding the rights of gays and lesbians to marriage equality. On Tuesday, the Court will hear Hollingsworth v. Perry, the challenge to California’s Proposition 8, and on Wednesday the Court will hear United States v. Windsor, the challenge to the federal Defense of Marriage Act (DOMA).

Spectators started camping out in front of the U.S. Supreme Court on Saturday for the handful of public seats available to these historic arguments. You can be certain that both pro and anti gay marriage demonstrators will be out in force in front of the U.S. Supreme Court on Tuesday and Wednesday to create a circus atmosphere for the Beltway media villagers.

Anti-abortion Christian Taliban waging a crusade in Republican-controled state legislatures

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Posted by AzBlueMeanie:

TalibanEalier this month, the state of Arkansas passed the most restrictive abortion law in the nation — a 12-week ban that prohibits most abortions when a fetal heartbeat can be detected using an abdominal ultrasound.

Arkansas' action touched off a race to the bottom among Republican-controled state legislatures where the Christian Taliban is firmly in control.

The state of North Dakota passed two anti-abortion bills last week, one banning most abortions if a fetal heartbeat can be detected,
something that can happen as early as six weeks into a pregnancy (before many women are even aware that they are pregnant).
Another measure would prohibit women from having the procedure because a
fetus has a genetic abnormalities, such as Down syndrome. Lawmakers urge governor to veto North Dakota abortion bills:

If the governor signs the measures, North Dakota would be the only state with those laws.

North
Dakota is one of several states with Republican-controlled Legislatures
and GOP governors looking at abortion restrictions, ranging from
denying funding under the federal health care law to requiring women to
get an ultrasound and teenagers to get parental permission before having
abortions. Just days before North Dakota lawmakers approved the ban,
Arkansas instituted a 12-week ban that prohibits most abortions when a
fetal heartbeat can be detected using an abdominal ultrasound.

A
fetal heartbeat can generally be detected earlier in a pregnancy using a
vaginal ultrasound, but Arkansas lawmakers balked at requiring women
seeking abortions to have the more invasive imaging technique. North
Dakota’s measure doesn’t specify how a fetal heartbeat would be
detected.

Update: Hearing on the ‘show me your papers before you pee’ bill rescheduled to next Wednesday

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Posted by AzBlueMeanie:

I posted yesterday about what Brahm Resnik of Channel 12 News in Phoenix has labeled the "show me your papers to pee" bill, Corrupt Kavanagh's disdain for democracy, abuse of power:

Rep. John Kavanagh, R-Fountain Hills, wants to create Arizona’s first law governing restroom privileges. Under Senate Bill 1432, someone would be guilty of disorderly conduct if he or she uses a bathroom, locker room or dressing room that’s not designated for the sex listed on his or her birth certificate.

* * *

SB 1432 would make it illegal to enter a bathroom if signage indicates it is exclusively for the opposite sex. Authorities could charge violators with a Class 1 misdemeanor, punishable by a $2,500 fine and up to six months in jail.

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The corrupt Kavanagh has an ulterior motive for submitting his "striker" and putting this discriminatory bill on his committee's agenda today — he is stacking his committee hearing agenda to screw with public testimony on Governor Jan Brewer's Medicaid (AHCCCS) Restoration Plan also scheduled for an informational hearing today.

It turns out that the corrupt Kavanagh screwed up, and testimony was not heard yesterday.