These days Texas Republicans are struggling to explain their antipathy towards the women who are fighting for equal pay for equal work.
Last weekend, Cari Christman, executive director of a Republican PAC for women told a television interviewer that women don't need the Lilly Ledbetter Fair Pay Act because "women are extremely busy."
Huh?When Ms. Christman's response was met with confusion, Beth Cubriel, executive director of the Texas Republican Party, appeared on YNN, a Time Warner Cable news station, and attempted to "explain the explanation." "Men are better negotiators. I would encourage women, instead of pursuing the courts for action, to become better negotiators."
So, Republicans want women to believe that if they are paid less than a man for the same work, it is their own fault? The company that knowingly underpaid them is innocent of any underhandedness?
And these opinions--incoherent as they are--are voiced by two Republican women! Looking at Republican attitudes toward women, I am constantly amazed that there are any females in that party at all.2. Medicaid in Georgia
Roughly one in five Georgians do not have health insurance and rural hospitals across the state are closing for lack of funds. The answer, of course, is to expand Medicaid under the Affordable Care Act--650,000 low income people would be covered and Medicaid money could save many of these hospitals.
Governor Nathan Deal (R) has been a fierce opponent of the ACA. Recently, however, he admitted that the Republican fight against the ACA is a failing effort and it was been rumored that he would support expanding Medicaid if he wins re-election. Up until yesterday, according to Georgia law, that decision was entirely his to make.
But yesterday, the Republican dominated Georgia legislature responded to the rumor and passed a new law removing the decision from the Governors office and putting it squarely within their own jurisdiction. Then, just to make sure they got their point across I guess, they passed House Bill 943 which bars the state from creating a state health care exchange and prohibits any state organization from assisting anyone in negotiating the federal exchange site. The University of Georgia was specifically named in the second prohibition, I imagine because students there were recently in the news regarding the success of student efforts in assisting Georgia citizens in signing up for health care through the federal exchange.
In case anyone still missed the Georgia legislature's anti-ACA sentiment, House Bill 943 also bars any state or local government, agency or employee from advocating for Medicaid expansion. That's right, if you work for the government, you aren't even allowed to publicly say you think ACA-paid Medicaid expansion is a good idea.
Georgia needs a new motto. Colloquially known as the "Peachtree State", their official state motto is "Wisdom, Justice, Moderation"; but I say we forget both of those. Instead, I propose they remake their license plates to read "Peaches Instead of Prescriptions" and re-write their state motto to be a more truthful, "Georgia, Where Everyone is Free to Voice An Opinion--As Long As It's Ours."
3. Guns in Indiana
While Texas was trying to explain why women are worth less in the workplace and Georgia was deciding to keep 650,000 citizens from having health care, the Indiana legislature was focusing its efforts on gun legislation--and not in what I consider a good way.
A new gun bill has been sent to Governor Mike Pence (R) for his signature. The bill gives the people of Indiana the right to carry firearms onto school property. The new gun-toting right is extended to parents, school bus drivers and even students who will now be permitted to lock a gun in their car if they receive permission from their school principal.
Governor Pence has not indicated whether he will sign the bill; but he has previously been supportive of gun laws that loosened gun restrictions.
The NRA supported the bill, saying it was needed in order to protect parents who are picking up their children from being charged with a felony if they "inadvertently" bring a gun with them.
In my eyes, if someone is carrying a gun "inadvertently", then they need a few classes in gun safety. But, oh yeah, the NRA hates gun safety classes too.
While all parts of this new law are distasteful, the part allowing a student, with a school administer's permission, to keep a gun in his car is the most questionable. Did no one in the Indiana legislature see this as a teen-age, hormone driven disaster just waiting to happen?
Anti-gun parents were not given any kind of consideration in the bill. How does a parent who is trying to protect a child from gun violence stand any chance of doing that if Johnny's school bus driver is carrying, if the parent in the car behind them in the pick-up queue is carrying and Johnny's school mate, who is ticked off that Johnny talked to his girlfriend at lunch time, has a handgun tucked away in his glove box?
Where is the common sense here? Where is the responsibility to keep our children safe? Apparently that has been usurped by the need to keep NRA money flowing into Republican coffers.
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