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Personhood
Stinker Quote of the Week: 'Without'
Rev. Mychal Massie seems to suggest that the racism and lack of opportunity that African Americans face on a daily basis is nothing compared to the issue of abortion, and …
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The Senate Unloads
The Mississippi Senate went hog wild passing bills Wednesday, passing a voter ID bill and three bills that restrict abortion. Whether these bills stand a chance in the House remains …
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Personhood
'Crucial' Win for Clinic
Federal Judge Dan Jordan handed down a ruling moments delivering "crucial temporary protection" to the Jackson Women's Health Organization, the state's only abortion clinic
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Abortion, Immigration Bills Die in Committee
Two of the most contentious bills of the current legislative session--an anti-abortion "heartbeat" bill and an anti-undocumented immigration measure--won't become law in Mississippi after all.
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Wicker Seeks to Deny Funding for U.N. Agency
Yesterday, Mississippi Republican Sen. Roger Wicker announced in a release that he has introduced an amendment to bar U.S. funds from the United Nations Population Fund. The Obama administration's $410 …
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Crime
Is 'Forcible' Better than 'Legitimate'?
Unless you've been hiding from everything electronic this week, you've heard about Rep. Todd Akin, a six-term Republican from Missouri, making comments about rape last weekend.
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Trump Action on Health Care Could Cost Planned Parenthood
One of President-elect Donald Trump's first, and defining, acts next year could come on Republican legislation to cut off taxpayer money from Planned Parenthood.
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National
Justice Kennedy Retiring; Trump Gets 2nd Supreme Court Pick
Supreme Court Justice Anthony Kennedy announced his retirement Wednesday, giving President Donald Trump the chance to cement conservative control of the high court.
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State
Firing Squads Out, But ‘Spice’ Regs, Execution Secrecy, Planned Parenthood Limits Headed to Governor
The state’s one Planned Parenthood clinic will lose Medicaid reimbursements if Gov. Phil Bryant signs a bill headed to his desk.
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Politics
Women’s Rights, Safety Again at Issue
Sen. Joey Fillingane, R-Sumrall, knows his anti-abortion "heartbeat" bill likely will not survive the current session of the Mississippi Legislature, but he introduced it anyway.
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How To Be Pro-Life
It was peaceful in Fondren this week, the "no public restrooms" signs gone from store windows, locals lunching outside Basil's without worrying about their children's growth being stunted by horrifying …
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Anti-Abortion Duo Behind Planned Parenthood Videos Cleared
A Texas judge on Tuesday dismissed the last remaining charge against two California anti-abortion activists who made undercover videos of themselves trying to buy fetal tissue from Planned Parenthood.
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Domestic Violence
Mississippi Reps Vote 'Nay' on Violence Against Women Act
All three Republicans in Mississippi's Congressional delegation voted against renewing the Violence Against Women Act on Thursday.
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Factchecking Mississippi Governor Comments on Clinton, Abortion and Religion
By adreherGov. Phil Bryant says Constitutional rights are at risk this presidential election, in an email sent from the Mississippi GOP. "The next President will fill Justice Antonin Scalia’s vacancy and will likely appoint three or four additional Justices to the U.S. Supreme Court. Putting liberals on the court could set back the conservative movement by decades," the email says.
"We know what kind of Supreme Court Justices Hillary Clinton would appoint if she were elected President," the email continues. "And she has not been bashful about it either when she’s said."
The email then lists the following three quotes from Clinton:
1) “The Supreme Court is wrong on the Second Amendment [referring to the Supreme Court’s decision in Heller, which affirmed individual gun rights]. And I am going to make that case every chance I get.”
2) “The unborn person does not have constitutional rights.”
3) “Deep-seated religious beliefs have to be changed.”
For some fact-checks and context around those quotes, see below:
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2nd Amendment, Thoughts on Heller Clinton does think Heller was decided wrongly, for specific reasons. One of her aides told Bloomberg that "Clinton believes Heller was wrongly decided in that cities and states should have the power to craft common sense laws to keep their residents safe, like safe storage laws to prevent toddlers from accessing guns." Clinton does not support abolishing the 2nd Amendment, however, and while she advocates for gun control like expanding background checks and banning the sale or use of military-style weapons, she is not advocating to repeal the 2nd Amendment.
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'Unborn Person' Comments In an April interview on NBC's "Meet the Press" Clinton said that "the unborn person does not have constitutional rights," infuriating both anti-abortion and pro-abortion rights activists alike. Anti-abortion rights activists praised her rhetorical error as a recognition of a 'person' not yet born, while pro-abortion rights activists were equally upset because she neglected to use the word 'fetus.' In her policy plans, Clinton has vowed to repeal the Hyde amendment and support Planned Parenthood
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On Changing 'Deep-Seated Religious Beliefs' This quote needs some ellipses in it for starters, but for better context here's what Clinton actually said at the 2015 Women in the World Summit:
"Far too many women are still denied critical access to reproductive healthcare and safe childbirth. All the laws we've passed don't count for much if they're not enforced. Rights have to exist in practice, not just on paper. Laws have to be backed up with resources and political will, and deep-seated cultural codes, religious beliefs and structural biases have to be changed. As I have said and as I believe, the advancement of the full participation of women and girls in every aspect of their societies is the great unfinished business of the 21st century."
The deep-seated cultural codes, religious beliefs and structural biases Clinton referenced in this speech had everything to do with …
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As The Conventions Fire Up, Women Loom as Undecideds in Key States
A nation at war, crippling joblessness and a looming budget standoff that could wreck the economy have been overshadowed in recent days by an issue that polls show doesn't even …
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Personhood
Mississippians 'Confused' About Personhood?
Not satisfied with taking "no" for an answer from the state's voters, Personhood Mississippi has teamed up with the Christian ultra-conservative American Family Association to take another shot at changing …
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Personhood Stalled in Nevada, Arkansas
As Mississippi voters rejected a proposed personhood amendment last November, Personhood USA and other supporters of the measure already had plans underway to promote similar initiatives in other states.
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Rape Is Not A Political Weapon
The last week has been a tough week for women, especially rape victims. And it's been a very revealing one.
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Learn from History: Change the State Flag
Now, our elected leaders should get on the right side of history, listen to the will of the people and embrace progress. Change the flag.
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Another GOOD Idea: Improving Pregnancy Care
In a state with so many restrictions on sexual education and abortion, ostensibly to protect the health of women, the conventional wisdom should hold that Mississippi's pregnancy statistics should be …
