Michigan Republicans say they need to pass a sweeping set of new regulations against abortion -- starting with criminalizing most abortions after 20 weeks -- to help women. If you watch tape from the House hearing last week, though, you can see that it's really about putting the constitutional right to abortion out of reach.
Bonnie Bucqueroux of Lansing Online News put together the video above from the hearing. She reports that the committee chair gaveled the meeting closed with witnesses against the bill still waiting to testify. At the 3:40 mark, you can watch as one of those witnesses gives her testimony anyway.
WOMAN: I am a voter and I am a mother. At 43 years of age, I became pregnant with quadruplets.
MAN: They've got another meeting coming in, so…
WOMAN: I'll be fast. The chances of a woman delivering healthy quadruplets is minimal. I was forced with the agonizing decision of deciding to selectively reduce or risk all four of my babies. Not a one of you has the right to tell me what decision I should have made. My babies, my body, my decision. Thank you.
The woman almost shouts to be heard, and no one listens.
Bucqueroux says the full Michigan House is expected to vote on the anti-abortion bills tomorrow. That gives you time to read them. They're not light reading, exactly, but they are in plain enough language that you can get what's going on: Michigan House Bill 5711, Michigan House Bill 5712, and Michigan House Bill 5713.
(H/t Eclectablog)