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The Koch Republic of Pope (formerly North Carolina) stooped to a new anti-democratic low in its attack on women’s reproductive rights.

Perhaps they learned to out sleaze Republicans in Texas, or they simply went straight to the Koch Brothers for instructions on how to rule like a Tin pot dictatorship.

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In a surprise move, Pope owned Republicans are pushing through an attack on women’s reproductive rights though a law banning Sharia law. Yes, things have gotten that wing nut crazy in North Carolina.

WRAL reports

It just took a while for there to be a consensus of support for it within our caucus,” said Sen. Buck Newton, R-Wilson, the chairman of the Judiciary 1 committee. “Sometimes these things come together at the last minute.

Sure, it’s amazing how boilerplate Koch/ALEC law just comes together at the last minute. The NC version of attacking women’s reproductive rights emulates the Texas, Ohio and Mississippi versions of a nation wide attack on women’s reproductive health that is more important to Republicans than anything else.

This bill is coupled with an earlier TRAP law that requires abortion providers to have admitting privileges with local hospitals. It’s a given that hospitals tend to avoid allowing such privileges because they are so sensitive to protests and political pressures over funding. Translation: they’re subjected to the political version of high school bullying tactics.

If the tactic sounds familiar, it should. Mississippi used this very tactic to try to close down the last clinic in that state. However, the provider is fighting back in Federal Court. Texas also has the admitting privileges provision.

The latest version in NC requires clinics to have transfer agreements with hospitals, but the hospitals can be pressured into refusing those agreements.

Naturally, the bill’s advocates say this requirement is about providing fast treatment for patients who suffer from complications. In reality, hospitals must accept emergency patients regardless of whether they have a transfer agreement or not.

Another provision in the KRP’s attack on women’s health requires the physician to remain with the patient throughout the procedure. From a medical perspective, this would make it all but impossible to provide abortion services. Some procedures involved administering drugs over a three-day period. It’s clear that the doctor would be required to be present when each drug dose is administered. Less clear – if this proposal requires the doctor to be present throughout the entire three-day period.

The KRP chapter of Teatopia is borrowing from other Tea Party ruled states. It isn’t like this was something that took some creative thinking or legislative drafting.

The only original thinking involved was adding it to a bill to ban Sharia law. Some may argue that’s efficiency Tea Party style. Two nutty and extremist laws wrapped up in one. It’s also amazing that pro-birth lobbyists were in the committee room at the time this just happened to come together. Also by coincidence, pro birth lobbyists had notice of the bill and its contents ahead of time. Democratic members of the Judiciary committee were not afforded the same respect. They had all of 10 minutes notice for the late night meeting to pass a bill that seeks to take away women’s rights and independence the day before Independence Day.

The Republicans on the Judiciary committee didn’t extent the same courtesy to the people of North Carolina. With no public debate, they pushed the bill through committee in the dead of night and rushing it through the Senate today.

Having open debate during day light would mean doing things the way they are done in an open, civilized and democratic society. It also means the bill would meet the sort of criticism that this barbaric piece of legislation deserves.

In short, it means that opponents of the law don’t have time to respond or protest such as the people in Texas did. After all, putting government between women and their doctors is because the conservative white men of North Carolina care so much about women’s welfare.

Sarah Preston, Policy Director of the ACLU of North Carolina issued a statement on the developments.

This attempted sneak attack on women’s reproductive rights is absolutely shameful. Issues as vital and personal as access to comprehensive health care and doctor-patient relationships deserve to be debated in an open, public process – not hastily pushed through without notice and under the cover of night during a holiday week. These loathsome restrictions and the deceitful method through which the Senate tried to pass them are an obvious effort to not simply prevent women in North Carolina from having comprehensive access to much-needed health care, but to not even give them an opportunity to weigh in on legislation that will have wide-ranging impacts on women and doctors all across our state.

The Senate is expected to vote on (and pass) this bill today.

Any Koch owned lackey who thinks that women and men who live in this century are just going to go back to the kitchen or clean something instead of being heard have another thing coming.

NARAL started organizing via Facebook last night, with the following post. I suspect North Carolina’s General Assembly will hear an earful.

By now, you’ve probably heard about the sneaky attempt by anti-choice lawmakers at the NCGA to pass last minute, omnibus bill that would effectively eliminate access to safe and legal abortion care in NC. Join us July 3 at 9am at the NCGA to let them know we are watching! Can’t make it, send a message to the Governor at www.SheDecidesNC.org or call your Senator NOW. http://ncleg.net/representation/WhoRepresentsMe.aspx

UPDATE:

Amid shouts of “Shame on you!” from the gallery, the Pope bought Senate passed their version of an attack on Women’s reproductive rights combined with banning Sharia law bill. Happy Independence Day ladies and enlightened gentlemen from this century.

Image: NC Policy Watch