“Black legislators in Alabama House fight for women’s rights. White legislators fight against women’s rights.” So says Rep. Christopher John England, one of Alabama’s most effective voices for progressive causes in Alabama.

Frustrated that the GOP supermajority had invoked cloture 20 times to shut down debate, and then skipped over important bills to bring up an anti-abortion measure, members of the House Black Caucus started singing “We Shall Overcome” to protest indicted Speaker Mike Hubbard’s tactics:

The legislation passed 73 to 18 but members of the caucus expressed anger at the way the House handled the process. Rep. John Knight, D-Montgomery, said they had “tried to work with the Republican majority” on bills they thought were important, but felt the clinic bill and another bill on historic monuments went too far.

The scene was quite chaotic, and Hubbard called for security twice. Protesters were particularly incensed that fellow legislators laughed and shouted during the song:

Moore later said the singing was not “entertainment,” but a reference to the events many black legislators experienced growing up in Alabama. She said she was “embarrassed” to see fellow legislators laughing at the song. “We were not entertaining you,” Moore said in an emotional speech from the floor. “That goes back to the old minstrel shows … We weren’t here to entertain anybody singing. You haven’t walked in my shoes.” House Black Caucus Chair Rep. John Knight called the cloture motions, which limit debate or discussion over a bill, “muzzle tactics.”

Here’s the short video clip that Rep. England posted:

Two bills passed on the last day of the session and both are PSA (Please Sue Alabama) bills.

2,000 foot rule, a bill that prohibits women’s clinics from being located within 2,000 feet of a school. It’s a direct attempt to close Huntsville’s lone clinic and was pushed by the anti-choice protesters who regularly gather outside the entrance to the Academy of Academics & Arts, block the carpool lane, and wave bloody photos at small children. The protesters say they’re too dangerous to be allowed near children , so the clinic has to close.I’ll leave you to figure out that logic.

a bill that prohibits women’s clinics from being located within 2,000 feet of a school. It’s a direct attempt to close Huntsville’s lone clinic and was pushed by the anti-choice protesters who regularly gather outside the entrance to the Academy of Academics & Arts, block the carpool lane, and wave bloody photos at small children. The , so the clinic has to close.I’ll leave you to figure out that logic. Ban of D&E procedures. This is called the “dismemberment bill” and it bans a commonly-used 2nd trimester abortion technique. One that’s safest for the patient. Because Alabama’s legislators seem to think they got elected to play doctor instead of pass workable budgets.

During a session when legislators seriously contemplated never paying back the money they looted from the state savings account to balance the budget and using the BP oil settlement money to prop up Medicaid (for a year – what happens after that, guys?), they just couldn’t help themselves.

We have money for lawsuits (that the state will lose; they know that going in), but not enough to provide even basic medical care to the poorest and sickest people in the state.

It’s not just stupid; it’s mean-spirited.