Under a new law signed by Republican Governor Sam Brownback of Kansas late last month, private health insurance plans in that state are no longer permitted to cover abortion unless the procedure is necessary to save a woman's life.
When the proposal was still being debated in the legislature, a Republican state representative asked one of the bill's key proponents to consider women who'd been the victims of rape.
Here's an account of that exchange from the McPherson Sentinel:
Rep. Barbara Bollier, a Mission Hills Republican who supports abortion rights, questioned whether women would buy abortion-only policies long before they have crisis or unwanted pregnancies or are rape victims.
During the House's debate, Rep. Pete DeGraaf, a Mulvane Republican who supports the bill, told her: "We do need to plan ahead, don't we, in life?"
Bollier asked him, "And so women need to plan ahead for issues that they have no control over with a pregnancy?"
DeGraaf drew groans of protest from some House members when he responded, "I have spare tire on my car."
"I also have life insurance," he added. "I have a lot of things that I plan ahead for."
What seemed to be a sexual violence/flat tire analogy earned Mr. DeGraaf some national attention and the Kansas chapter of NOW was quick to act on it -- they launched a PR campaign, asking for five dollar donations to help deliver actual spare tires to Rep. DeGraaf. Kansas NOW's message, they said, was "Keep your spare, women would rather have their dignity.” Kari Ann Rinker, NOW's state coordinator in Kansas, says the organization has already received $3,000 in donations from all over the country to fund the effort to send spare tires to Rep. DeGraaf.
But yesterday was the official adjournment of the Kansas legislature, so Ms. Rinker and the folks from Kansas NOW headed to Topeka to deliver a few of those tires to Rep. DeGraaf in person, at the Capitol building.
And that's when things got interesting.
First, Ms. Rinker and her spare tires were escorted out of the building itself by Capitol police:
Then, Ms. Rinker moved the NOW press conference and the spare tires to Capitol steps and, from the looks of this tape from KTKA and KWCH, it seems as though she had some more trouble with the Capitol police.
What's with all the misunderstandings about where and how the folks from Kansas NOW are allowed to set up and speak? Here's what some of my former colleagues at KWCH are reporting:
Police twice shut down a press conference by the National Organization for Women (NOW) and the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) Wednesday in Topeka. ... espite receiving permission in advance, NOW says they were initially blocked from entering the statehouse with the tires. The group says it was given the go-ahead to bring the tires to the Capitol steps. NOW also says they received permission from the Capitol Police to set up outside the Housechamber.
Police dispute this and say they were deceived about what NOW planned to do in the building. “They went up to the House side and set up their dirty tires,” said Lt. Hatcher.
An officer then came and removed the tires and said told the group they were not allowed to have the tires in the building.
At eleven Wednesday morning, NOW set up their press conference on the South steps as originally planned. Security initially refused to allow the group to set up the tires, but backed down after State Senator David Haley (D-Kansas City) intervened.
Police said they didn’t interfere in the protest on the steps and denied they asked the group to remove the tires. Video from our news partners at KTKA-TV shows police telling NOW leaders to get rid of the tires.
When asked to provide the policy on what items are allowed in the Statehouse and on the capitol steps, the Department of Administration and Capitol Police said they would provide a copy, but later said a formal records request was needed.
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Dirty tires, dirty pillows.
I hope Representative DeGraaf has taken such precautions as always wearing bulletproof armor against random drive by shootings, or has a food taster who protects him against food-borne diseases, or wears a foil helmet in case there are really aliens trying to read his thoughts. Life is a weighing of the possibilities. I'm sure that AAA or NHTSA can tell us the occurrence of flats and blow outs in the US. But I'll be willing to be that the odds are significantly higher for having to use a spare tire than deal with the consequences of a rape. I'm not saying that Republicans as a group view male issues as a bigger priority than female issues, but it sure seems that way.
Ok, Double standard?.....Well, maybe if everyone had 2 or 3 million in Campaign Donations to help out with unexpected pregancies and child births like Jonh Edwards and Company life would be fine......all around.
So if we're comparing life insurance to rape insurance, which insurers offer rape insurance?
And do "abortion only" policies also cover transportation to countries where abortion is actually available?
Well, does he have Lorena Bobbitt insurance? You never know!!
Or, OMG, Monju-'Haq'-Mazi Insurance? I just read this:
Source: Huffington Post
Most likely not - you see when men are the victims of sexual violence, that is already covered by insurance plans... because we are men... and possession of a penis entitles one to be free from other people making decisions about our doctor patient relationships for us... because, you see, we are men. We have penis. Penis = Entitlement.
Thank you for the little reminder, restaurant ref, that the penis appears to trump the vagina. It seems some in the GOP are getting a little insecure about others forgetting this, thus the multiple attempts to enshrine it into law. Can we just have a big dick monument in front of the capital and call it good? Oh, wait -- that would be the Washington Monument.
Xander Harris, Buffy the Vampire Slayer: "NOTHING CAN DEFEAT THE PENIS!!"
"Erect" a big dick monument, that is.... Any ideas, Mr. Weiner?
Isn't that the Washington Monument?
If tires aren't allowed in the Kansas capital, then remove all the Republicans. They are just Rush Limbaugh retreads.
desertfool, your comments are on the mark. The only problem is your comments give retreads a bad name! You are known by the company you keep, etc!
GOP == dumb as a fence post
GOP == lacks prerequisites needed for successful headache
GOP == jack booted government thugs
GOP == if it has tires or t*ts your bound to have trouble with it if it gets raped?
I always thought there was a limited number of stupid things you could say or do, but the GOP always manages to impress with something new every single day.
What would be much more interesting to watch would be if NOW could find someone with a very tall lift bucket so they could quietly put tires all the way to the top of the state flag pole in the middle of the night.
Way funny to watch people trying to tires off of a flag pole.
You might need to cut down the flag pole if you don't know the trick.
Kind of like gluing the top on a bottle of aspirin and labeling it "exercise pills".
If there is anyone with a sense of decency out there then I will see tires on the flag pole tomorrow.
seriously, EVERYTHING the Republicans say should have huge fat asterisks attached to their statements. I'd like to call it the party of "believe what we say, pay no attention to what we actually do."
Why can't roe v wade be trumped over this. Isn't it a Federal Law that the States also have to abide? I guess it falls under the individual state law..I guess my question is why aren't more woman freaking out about this. I really do not think I would have an abortion, but you never know what the circumstance is. If I was raped yes I might. This is not just about abortion this is about womens rights...So does that mean that insurance companies should also be banned from doing vesectomies, and I think the little blue pill should be outlawed and cialis..Why help it along..
No one wants to see Grandma and Grandpa in seperate tubs in the woods anyway :)...Not only Grandparents use these pills its for mens health..I guess the turn and cough physical should be eliminated too, and the prostate exams..No more Condoms..What the hell this is the most disturbing thing going on and you guys are about the only ones talking about it.
To actually imply that a woman needs to be prepared for RAPE like a spare tire is one of the most disgusting chauvinistic things I have ever heard. That is someone who has no respect or regard for women..Seems like most Republicans don't. Even Sarah (scary) Palin said abortion crossed her mind, and her Daughers..We should at least have the choice to decide. To take away womens health care when everyone I went to school with went to planned parenthood for their first exams and birth control is also horrible.
I think we need a FAQ on why Roe v. Wade is effectively off the books until the Supreme Court changes.
Wouldn't it be a surprise if the democratic party achieves super-majorities in both houses next year?
The world would be a very different place if Barrak gets a third or fourth term.
The GOP seems to be making major progress in that direction.
Would be nice if we could stop riding the crazy train for a while.
Yes it would be nice if the Democrats get the House again
Barrak Obama can't get a 3rd or 4th term , That would be unconstitutional.
I am personally not abroad the crazy train. Thank goodness! Even though I really like riding trains. :-)
I have a question for Rep. Degraaf, based on his reasoning that women should "plan ahead" for pregnancies that are a consequence of rape, just as he "plans ahead" for the probability of a flat tire.
Don't you think, Rep. DeGraaf, that it would be more prudent to reduce the probability of RAPE, than require women to carry special insurance against that probability?
I mean, that's his reasoning...we take steps ahead of time to "cover our ass" just in case something goes wrong...but we don't plan for EVERY possibility...only those things that have a high enough probability. Like flat tires (have a spare), and car accidents (auto insurance, life insurance), and illness (health insurance), and tornados (home insurance). We DON'T generally plan, carry insurance for, or even think about getting hit by a meteor, right? Why not? Because the probability of occurrence is so low, that it's not worth the cost of preparation.
So again, Rep. DeGraff, wouldn't it be better for society as a whole to reduce the probability of rape so that women don't have to plan for, buy insurance for, or even THINK about rape? Don't you think that would be a better way to spent the legislatures time than outlawing what private insurance is and is not allowed to cover?
Oh yeah, I forgot, it's not really about effective government...it's about pushing your ideological and moral agenda. Which apparently includes the fact that women should PLAN TO BE RAPED.
Note: If my outrage, disgust, and anger are not apparent in the language of this post, let it be known that I am all three is voluminous quantities.
But you forget that rape insurance could be another revenue stream for insurance companies....that's what Dollar-sign Degraff is thinking.
The chances of a woman getting raped in US are much MUCH higher than getting hit by a meteor! The insurance companies could not make any money on this policy. YES, women DO plan to be raped! That's why we take and teach our daughters self defense, don't walk alone at night, carry pepper spray, look twice before stepping into a hallway or elevator, put locks on our doors and keep large mean dogs...etc... Pretty f***ing sad, eh?
It's all a fundraising campaign/goldmine... check out past clips of RM interviewing Frank Schaeffer, one of the original advocates.
Devon, that's my point...DeGraaf's priorities are completely screwed up.
Any court decision doesn't necessarily result in law, it merely governs how subsequent courts might view the subject matter. Ergo, when the Supreme Court struck down the Texas rule it took the teeth out of the rule and providing a defense to subsequent people affected by the rule. The other states see this as well as Texas and we get a de facto change in law. But right now, with a conservative majority on the Court, and the political ferver spurring it, the Rove v Wade decision is in jeopardy of reversal, and that causes all the conservative states to start tooling up their old anti-abortion rules.
Here is Roe v Wade from Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Roe v. Wade
Supreme Court of the United States
Argued December 25, 1971
Reargued October 11, 1972
Decided January 22, 1973
Full case name
Jane Roe, et al. v. Henry Wade, District Attorney of Dallas County
Citations
410 U.S. 113
(more)
93 S. Ct. 705; 35 L. Ed. 2d 147; 1973 U.S. LEXIS 159
Prior history
Judgment for plaintiffs, injunction denied, 314 F. Supp. 1217 (N.D. Tex. 1970); probable jurisdiction noted, 402 U.S. 941 (1971); set for reargument, 408 U.S. 919 (1972)
Subsequent history
Rehearing denied, 410 U.S. 959 (1973)
Argument
Oral argument
Reargument
Reargument
Holding
Texas law making it a crime to assist a woman to get an abortion violated her due process rights. U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Texas affirmed in part, reversed in part.
Court membership
Chief Justice
Warren E. Burger
Associate Justices
William O. Douglas · William J. Brennan, Jr.
Potter Stewart · Byron White
Thurgood Marshall · Harry Blackmun
Lewis F. Powell, Jr. · William Rehnquist
Case opinions
Majority
Blackmun, joined by Burger, Douglas, Brennan, Stewart, Marshall, Powell
Concurrence
Burger
Concurrence
Douglas
Concurrence
Stewart
Dissent
White, joined by Rehnquist
Dissent
Rehnquist
Roe v. Wade, 410 U.S. 113
(1973),[1] was a landmark controversial decision by the United States Supreme Court on the issue of abortion. The Court decided that a right to privacy under the due process clause in the Fourteenth Amendment to the United States Constitution extends to a woman's decision to have an abortion, but that right must be balanced against the state's two legitimate interests for regulating abortions: protecting prenatal life and protecting the mother's health. Saying that these state interests become stronger over the course of a pregnancy, the Court resolved this balancing test by tying state regulation of abortion to the mother's current trimester of pregnancy.
The Court later rejected Roe's trimester framework, while affirming Roe's central holding that a person has a right to abortion up until viability.[2] The Roe decision defined "viable" as being "potentially able to live outside the mother's womb, albeit with artificial aid," adding that viability "is usually placed at about seven months (28 weeks) but may occur earlier, even at 24 weeks."[3]
In disallowing many state and federal restrictions on abortion in the United States,[4] Roe v. Wade prompted a national debate that continues today, about issues including whether and to what extent abortion should be legal, who should decide the legality of abortion, what methods the Supreme Court should use in constitutional adjudication, and what the role should be of religious and moral views in the political sphere. Roe v. Wade reshaped national politics, dividing much of the nation into pro-choice and pro-life camps, while activating grassroots movements on both sides.
Both supporters and opponents of Roe have sometimes mischaracterized the decision’s effects. For example, a pro-choice claim is that overturning Roe would result in thousands of women per year dying from illegal abortions. A pro-life claim is that the female suicide rate worsened because of Roe. According to FactCheck, neither claim is well-founded.[5]
He doesn't need to apologize. He needs to step down. He refuses to recognize the humanity of half the population of his district because they are female.
He needs to step down.
His mother should grab him by the ear and stand him in the corner until he learns better.
Republicans are like fire-ants. A couple of months ago, for reasons that totally elude me, Americans went to the polls and elected Republican majorities in state houses all across the country, and, like fire-ants, they didn't start biting and spreading their nasty venom until they were all over us. Now the voters are remorseful about letting the vermin infest our country. Well, it's good that people realize they have been stung, and maybe having such an evil foe will unite us and make us stronger, but, I would rather not have been stung in the first place. At least we have the unions and the ACLU to protect us. I hope it's enough.
It's interesting really. I wonder if he'd also suggest that victims of other crimes get special insurance in order to be treated for the injuries they receive. Bullet removal insurance if you get shot? Special insurance if you're beaten? Ridiculous!
In addition, if you have just made a law that private insurance companies are not allowed to do abortions unless the mother's life is in danger, the whole plan ahead suggestion is just flat out stupid, because you just made the insurance you're suggesting unavailable with your ridiculous law.
For all the bitching and moaning that republicans do about Health care reform and how the government should stay out of people's business and not get between people and their medical care team, it's laughable that they're so determined to do the same. But wait, they don't see women as people.
Fetuses are people. Women, apparently not so much.
It goes back to the belief that women cause sin, original sin, which is a stupid idea to begin with. Men are 'victims' of women's sexuality, in this theory. So it's not really the rapist's fault, it's the woman's fault. I know, stupid, superstitious, from the Dark Ages.
Without actually having been to Kansas it's very hard to understand what's going on here. There are really three Kansases. Liberal Kansas is represented by Wyandotte County, the county where Kansas City, Kansas is found. KCK is a suburb of Kansas City, Missouri, and a much smaller town. It is mostly blue collar, mostly democratic, and like a lot of places in Michigan and Ohio, depended on manufacturing and the auto industry for its lifesblood over the last few years. Conservative Kansas is comprised of pretty much the rest of Kansas. It's farmers and ranchers and people who are hard because they've worked hard all their life and depended on the land, and never took (or gave) anything to/from anyone. They are the rugged individidualist type. Then there is the Arch-Conservative Kansas. This is the Sam Brownback Kansas. This is the "you need rape insurance" Kansas. These are the people who rise to power because they play the religion note, but act on right wing nutball agenda, and the people of Kansas have not yet caught on. They think they're voting for family values, when what they've voting for is totalitarian control by Christian wing of the Taliban. And everything in Kansas is just fine as long as KU does well in basketball. No, I'm not making this up.
pretty spot on (from someone whos family has lived in Kansas since forever)
Aldewitt, thank you for this very cogent explanation. It really does make sense- I do have friends who identify as Conservative and/or Republican, but they are not nutballs, they believe people should be able to marry the person they want to marry and be self-sufficient and that government should leave people alone. I disagree with them on many things, agree on some, but they are basically reasonable people. I can see how if someone identifies with a party they will vote for the candidate of that party, without realizing that their whole agenda is based on controlling women and gender outlaws and punishing the poor.
This is pretty spot on except for one thing--the scattered clumps of liberals throughout the state who *do* know what is going on and *do* do our damnedest to educate our neighbors as to the national Republican Party agenda. The entire last election consisted of Republican candidates arguing over who could do the most to block every piece of legislation President Obama endorsed. You also forgot the fact that there is still bigotry in this state. It's mostly hidden and not talked about, but it's there. Since I am white, fair skinned, and blue eyed some people seem to think I must be "one of them" and I have had a few try to recruit me into white supremacy groups. *gags and frantically reaches for the brain bleach* Why they would try to recruit an independent female into a group whose only use for women is to breed more "aryans" I have no clue, other than they must be pretty danged stupid.
Don't farmers get government subsidies in Kansas?
Don't Farmers in Kansas receive farm subsidies?
Restaurat Refugee, you seem to forget I can buy a bigger and better penis in a store. It will do for me all the wonderful things a penis can with the added benefit of not being attached to a man :) For those keeping score, that is vagina trumping penis...Vag FTW!
Brownback and the rest of the Kansas Republicans need their heads examined. Women can plan ahead to prevent rape as much as you or I can plan ahead to avoid getting hit by lightning.
Sounds like Kansas wants to be their own country - I say let them try - and then boycott them.
Most of Kansas doesn't want this.
But this make all people in Kansas look 'backward' like they're from the Dark Ages.
Thank you, Maddow!! Glad someone is giving this whole thing the press it should be getting everywhere!!
Conservatives seem to have such a big problem with Women have sex (especially outside of marriage). I think we should oblige them, From now on NO SEX for Conservative Men. All of them, Married or single. With any luck they will eventually die out.
EXCELLENT idea!! Cut them off!! Literally and literally !! And more sex for Liberal men, they are the Real Men in my book anyway !!
So, let me get this straight: we women are supposed to be good little girls and plan for rapes, but (to keep the car analogy going), we don't need any preventative maintenance - like birth control, pap smears, mammograms, and all those things. And when we're forced to have the child borne from a rape, we don't have any resources (fuel) to maintain the child (health care, welfare, education) because that is entitlement. All we need is that "spare tire?"
Meanwhile, the men can keep buying their Viagra, buying condoms, and getting vasectomies under their insurance.
Remind me to not let this guy borrow my car.
yes... that is exactly right... you've got their general plan figured out... sigh.
Right- Rachel actually made this analogy on her show. Cars need oil changes, tuneups, etc. Just like pap smears, mammograms...you know, the services that are provided by Planned Parenthood. Or as some dumbass on Fox News said, those are the services you can get at Walgreens.
Excellent analogy, M A Boyd,and Rachel Maddow...always remember, If men could get pregnant, abortion would be legal tomorrow. I have always wondered, if every man was forced to take responsibility for every child he sired, would that change womens' attitudes towards abortion?? With DNA testing, this is feasible now. Every man would have to give a DNA sample, by Federal law, to be kept on file. What a great idea !! It would help with solving crimes, too !!
CSI Misogyny?!
How about - "Just say NO! to sex with pro-lifers?"
I'm for them getting pro-life: in a Super Max prison!
Seriously, let's start going after public funds and insurance money being spent on men for vasectomies, Viagra, and treatment of STDs. They wouldn't have STDs or need vasectomies, condoms or Viagra if they had real family values, after all.
Am I missing something or doesn't mean that the government in Kansas just got bigger? That the government in Kansas just became more obstructionist to the existence of free enterprise in that state? That the government can tell private companies (insurers) how to conduct their private business?
Isn't this what the Repug's claim to be against all around this country?
I am more taken with the opening paragraph of the blog than I am about the ridiculous comments of a pea brained lawmaker
You're correct Rep. Gov Brownback compounded the problem. He should resign also.
the implication here is that women are somehow responsible for rape. right? i read a poem recently written by a woman who had been raped, and the police repeatedly asked her if she was wearing anything that may have led to her being raped (disgusting, but a pretty common assumption). no, she asserts repeatedly, no, no, no....then: yes, my vagina. this entire situation goes to show that women are still held responsible for criminal acts committed against them, whether it's rape, domestic violence, etc. this is another example of the highly patriarchal society in which we live, the very system that leads to things like rape. i'm disgusted by this, and by any state that passes legislation that implies such a thing and restricts what a citizen can buy through their private insurance. emily's point is a good one: republicans and tea partiers want the government to stay out of the way of people's choice, unless and until it conflicts with their socially conservative values. hypocritical and disgraceful.
There is a serious problem with people who want to constantly blame the victim for rapes. The issue becomes more dire when its a politician who is doing little more then saying, "If you get raped and get pregnant its your fault." Just grow a spine and say what you mean.
As a navy veteran, 2 tours, I am so grateful I do NOT live in Kansas. Apparently, women have a long way to go in electing representatives that appreciate their vote. Ladies, get him out! This is what we need to do to all reps who refuse to represent our rights. I am quite sure I served this country, and there is no doubt in my mind that certain representatives are systematically making every move they can to take those rights away. This is not just about abortion, this is how important you are as a person in your own right, not simply a baby making factory that your soul purpose in life is to populate the planet. Remember, these are most likely the same reps that don't want to pay to take care of these " unwanted" children, not to mention the ones who are planned for in loving families, once they've actually entered this world. Just look around you, does it make any sense at all? They don't want to give them medical care or want to educate them. Cut, cut, cut! Unless, the real bastard child of the republican party gets cared for...Corporate Welfare! Profit for the few, screw everyone else. Is it really our job, ladies, to supply the worker bees, if they get sick or weak, simply replace them, because there are so many that "need jobs". Most likely jobs that are so low paying you can barely eat, let alone provide shelter for their future work force. Enough! Lift your skirts, and run to the poles and take control of your own life, or people like this will do it for you!
Most Republicans nowadays are jack-booted thugs as a poster mentioned above, imposing their ideological and theocractic dogma on the American People. Reminds of the 1000+ page book I read in the 7th grade: The Rise and Fall of the Third Reich by William L. Shirer.