Republicans clearly have decided to double-down on their war on women's health care and rights, as well as their slimy, sneaky attacks on voting rights.
I guess I missed the news that North Carolina now has full employment, and no other important business that needs to be done. Apparently the legislators there now have nothing else better to do than deal with this crap.
Just the latest attempt at government intrusion into every woman's vagina comes via a set of amendments to legislation that states North Carolina would not recognize sharia law (yeah, that's something we've really been worrying about). A late-night sneak attack, obviously not something the Democrats were prepared for, involved the GOP legislators adding these amendments to the sharia law legislation: 1) abortion clinics would have to meet the same standards as surgery centers (only one abortion clinic in NC now does, effectively shutting down the others, including all four Planned Parenthood clinics); 2) limits on health care coverage for abortions would be implemented; 3) clinics would be required to have "transfer agreements" to local hospitals; and 4) doctors would have to be present when the abortion medication RU486 is taken.
Rachel Maddow is right, North Carolina is like "Conservatives Gone Wild." Or maybe Conservatives Gone Crazy would be more like it.
Ever since the Republicans took over the governorship and the state congress they've been laser-focused on passing extreme right-wing legislation, including a ridiculous voter ID law clearly meant to make voting harder for minorities (read: blacks) and young people (who tend to vote in larger numbers for Democrats than Republicans). This includes a provision to severely limit early voting, outlaw voting on Sunday -- when black churches have traditionally gotten their folks in buses to go vote -- and to effectively make the parents of college kids pay $2,500 if their kids vote where they go to school. I'm not kidding.
North Carolinians, you know what you have to do. When primaries come up pay attention, find your voting place, and go vote. When it's time to go to the polls on election day, get out and let these Republicans know we're not going to stand for their extremist views in our state. Vote them out!
