4/19/18, Maine First Media Staff Report,

Following swift action from Maine House Democrats on the last day of the legislative session, there will be no Female Genital Mutilation ban in the Pine Tree State.

After months of pretending they wanted to stop the barbaric ritual child abuse of FGM, the Democrat caucus showed their true colors on the issue late Wednesday night.

By a final vote of 77-70, the House killed the FGM ban in a mostly party-line vote. Rep. Cathy Nadeau (D-Winslow) was the only Democrat who crossed the aisle to protect young daughters of immigrants in Maine from this brutal abuse.

You can see a full roll-call vote by clicking here.

Republican Rep. Heather Sirocki of Scarborough points out Democrats voted to kill an FGM Ban in April, which is Child Abuse Prevention Month. And in fact, they did it on the “Week of the Young Child.”

Rep. Sirocki says Maine House Democrats initially decided to table the bill with the intent of letting it cowardly die without the courtesy of a vote. However, supporters of the ban made their voices heard.

“Playing games with a child abuse bill is shameful,” Rep. Sirocki said. “Finally, after hours of phone calls from all over the country and state urging Speaker Gideon to relent, she brought the bill to the Floor at 10:30 pm. The Democrats like to talk about victims’ rights, women’s rights, child advocacy, human rights, and justice — but their votes on this horrific form of child abuse do not back up all of their talk.”

The same FGM Ban bill killed in the House, passed the State Senate 30-5, with only the most far-Left Senators voting against it.

Last week House Democrats passed a toothless bill that wouldn’t actually ban FGM. Rep. Karen Gerrish of Lebanon called the show-vote a sad state of affairs for young, female Mainers.

“It was a feel-good vote that I suppose will make it appear that they voted to ban FGM — they did not,” Rep. Gerrish said.

But late Wednesday night the show was over.

House Democrats threw a tantrum in the wake of Republicans voting against extending the legislative session. The FGM ban was one of several critical bills Democrats killed in a matter of hours. In fact, it was jaw-dropping to watch, after months of little action from the House, Democrat “leadership” managed to pull together votes to kill a handful of good bills in just a matter of hours. The breakneck speed makes one question what “leadership” has been doing all session.

If you’re having a difficult time comprehending how any legislators could be against banning Female Genital Mutilation, the opposition has made their reasoning very clear. They fear offending the immigrant community and being labeled “racist.”

Female Genital Mutilation is the ritual cutting or removal of some or all of the external female genitalia. In some cultures, the vulva is sewn shut, only to be ripped open on the woman’s wedding night.

The practice is designed to curb sexual desire in women.

Along with significant health risk to the young girls, women who suffer Female Genital Mutilation are left with life-long physical and emotional scarring.

To learn more about the horrific abuse, listen to FGM survivor, F.A. Cole’s testimony in front of the CJPS Committee. Cole fights through a panic attack to share her story with Maine Legislators in the hope it would save young daughters of Maine immigrants from suffering through the same terrifying experience.