Two female representatives banned indefinitely from speaking on the House floor.

[livvy]

During yesterday's debate (I use the term loosely) on the abortion bill, several of the female Representatives spoke (or tried to). Today two of them have been indefinitely banned from speaking on the House floor.

Female Legislator Who Dared Say ‘Vagina’ During Abortion Debate Banned From Speaking on House Floor

After offending Majority Floor Leader Jim Stamas by using the offensively medically accurate word "vagina" in an impassioned floor speech opposing Michigan's draconian new abortion law, State Representative Lisa Brown was banned indefinitely from speaking on the floor of the House of Representatives. Her colleague Barb Byrum, another passionate pro-choice elected official, was also served with an indefinite Shut The Fuck Up order from the the male-lead body. Apparently, during Michigan's War on Women, ladies aren't even allowed to serve in combat.

Byrum and Brown joined several of their female colleagues in voicing their vehement opposition to Michigan's anti-abortion bill, a steaming pile of misogyny that would criminalize all abortions after 20 weeks' gestation in all cases (so, if you had some terribly severe birth defects, too bad, sister — you carry that dead baby until that dead baby decides to be born) and contains no exceptions for the woman's health. It also straps abortion providing facilities with new burdens designed solely to make it a pain in the ass for them to operate.

As you might expect, debate's been heated. Hundreds of women have flooded the capitol to protest the bill's careless fast tracking, ham-fisted paternalism, and disingenuous concern mongering. Yesterday, before the bill was passed by the House, several female state representatives stood up to voice their opposition to the proposal. And two of them got a little too uppity for the male Speaker's taste. Want to get mad? Of course you do. Anger is the only way you know how to feel feelings anymore. Read on; it gets worse.

Rather than be a manly man and tell the women to their face that they had upset the Speaker, Bolger acted like a mincing, spineless ninny and relayed the women's speaking ban through their party's House leader. He gave no explanation as to why the women were banned, so both are left guessing (and fuming) today.

more and video of parts of their floor speeches.

http://jezebel.com/5918493/female-legislator-who-dared-say-vagina-during-abortion-debate-banned-from-speaking-on-house-floor

This from Senator Whitmer...
http://whitmer.senatedems.com/news/article/senators-whitmer-warren-denounce-attacks-on-women-release-video-call-to-action

[wendylaroux]

1. So those d!cks wont let her say vagina?

Every woman that speaks on the house floor, from now on, should insert the word vagina in their speech somewhere, everyday. Will they ban them all?

[Horse with no Name]

7. Enlightened men should do it too

However, I doubt sincerely it had to do with the word--just the fact that they have a differing opinion is more likely the reason.

[lastlib]

2. MI House Speaker's contact info:

MAILING ADDRESS
164 Capitol
P.O. Box 30014
Lansing, MI 48909

Phone: [phone]
Toll Free: 877-BOLGER-1

Email: [e-mail]


Let's give this guy the grief he deserves!

[longship]

3. Sorry! This is the first report that it's "indefinite" period.

I think that is clearly hyperbole.

Questions.

1. What are the specific rules in place?

2. What was the specific finding and does it align with the floor rules of the body?

3. If you cannot be specific as to why the ban was indefinite, I don't see that it is the case.

Now. I may be wrong about this. But if it IS as you described in your title, or if it is not, I would say that it's time for women to march on Lansing, en masse.

I have many friends who will join in from rural western Michigan.

[Bjorn Against]

4. Has there been any date given as to when they will be allowed to speak again?

If no one can say how long the ban lasts then it is indefinite and it is not hyperbole to say so.

[longship]

8. Well, there are rules on the floor.

If you don't know the rules, say so.

After all, that was what my question was about. Instead, you merely repeated the original hyperbole that it was indefinite.

I stand by my original response and question and invite somebody who actually understands the rules on the floor of the MI legislature to respond with the facts.

Thanks.

[Bjorn Against]

11. It is indefinite, the Republicans have been asked how long the suspension lasts.

They refuse to give an answer, the Democrats do not know how long it lasts which is clearly stated in the link in the OP. That is fact not hyperbole, if they will not tell us how long the ban lasts and there are no rules which clearly state how long the ban lasts (which there are not) then it is by definition indefinite and that is a fact.

[longship]

12. Then it's time for the women to storm the Bastille.

And I will go to Lansing to stand next to them. We should all be carrying signs with naughty words like vagina, uterus, ovaries, Fallopian tubes, etc.

It has to happen.

[Demeter]

5. Rules? We don' need no steenkin' rules

I love my state, but I hate my legislators. All of them, state and federal. And the Executive, too.

[xfundy]

6. What a bunch of anuses.

(Anii?)

[MrMickeysMom]

9. Jesus... what a tragic joke this is...

Mr. Speaker,

Given we've all gone through the experience of being squeezed into a cold room by a vagina, I'd say you are in denial from when you came.

Meanwhile, say "hello" to all the Venusians for us, will ya?

P.S. Go fuck your mother.

[BlancheSplanchnik]

14. Woa there, don't go recommending incestuous rape!

Violent assault by him against his mother only hurts her---and he would probably enjoy it.

Better to say:

Mr Speaker,

Go fuck a rusty sewage pipe.

[MrMickeysMom]

16. I keep thinking of the movie

"40 Year Old Virgin" when she gets a phone call, thinking it's a pervert, thus using that phrase, which is hilarious.

But, on second thought, I'm willing to think he came into life via a rusty sewage pipe, Blanche...

[BlancheSplanchnik]

17. :)

Ohhh!! I'm sorry!! Didn't realize you were using a movie reference!!!

(I keep meaning to watch that one. Steve Carrell is so fuunnnnneeeeee!)

But, on second thought, I'm willing to think he came into life via a rusty sewage pipe, Blanche...

[babylonsister]

10. Ugh. I hope to gawd this is contested.Rec'd so we know mysogynistic asses abound. nt

[mrmpa]

13. I just sent a email to Bolger............

The word vagina was written about 100 times.

[just1voice]

15. Corrupt bureaucrats hide behind decorum so they can continue to rob people

of every single thing the people want.