Update: OK, I don't have the recording or a news article yet, but I have it from three different sources who are live-blogging the Texas legislature proceedings:

Thanks to Binders Full of Women for first alerting me to it.

Second source (original one I'm guessing) is a tweet from @ClinicEscort

Finally, a Shelby Cole on Facebook replied to my request for a source by stating simply "I'm sitting in the room. She said it."



And, Texas Republicans being Republicans, they just defeated the amendment to exclude rape/incest survivors from their abortion ban.Whoa. This is a bit surreal in a meta-self-referencial way...19 minutes ago UniteWomen.org just referenced this diary (posted only 70 minutes ago) when posting a graphic depicting the quote by Laubenberg.

Update x2: Big shocker: Laudenberg is on the Texas House Public Health Committee, and apparently used to be the Chair of it. Lovely.

--Womantrust just added a 4th confirmation of this quote in the comments. With that in mind, I'm formally adding it to Volume VII of the Chart (see below)

IMPORTANT UPDATE x3: I finally have a more official source for the quote...and in context, it's far, far WORSE than you'd think:



The bill's sponsor stopped answering questions about her bill after the first two hours after she got into trouble denying Democratic amendments. When Rep. Senfronia Thompson, D-Houston, called for an exemption for women who were victims of rape and incest, Rep. Jody Laubenberg, R-Parker, explained why she felt it was unnecessary. "In the emergency room they have what's called rape kits where a woman can get cleaned out," she said, comparing the procedure to an abortion. "The woman had five months to make that decision, at this point we are looking at a baby that is very far along in its development." Her apparent confusion about "rape kits" — a phrase generally used to describe the equipment used by medical personnel during forensic examinations to gather physical evidence following allegations of rape or sexual assault — sparked widespread ridicule on social media sites. Laubenberg, who has difficulty debating bills, then simply rejected all proposed changes to her bill without speaking until the end of the debate.

@brainwrap @karltm That's right. One of our strongest #prochoice Reps was walking around the House Gallery handing out copies to the public. — Julie Montgomery (@juliamontgomery) June 24, 2013

Wow. Apparently this diary was being printed out and distributed to the public last night!