Gov. Rick Perry proved he is dumber than a fencepost in his bid to be the Republican presidential nominee. Unfortunately for women in Texas, he is as mean as he is dumb:
The State of Texas plans to move forward with a wholly remade women’s health program on November 1 that excludes Planned Parenthood’s clinics from receiving state funds, prohibits doctors from discussing abortion with patients and refuses health services entirely if the patient happens to be pregnant.
In doing so, Gov. Rick Perry and the Republican-controlled Texas legislature will forgo nearly $40 million in federal assistance, placing the program’s financial burden upon Texas taxpayers instead, all because federal law that requires states not discriminate against health providers when distributing federal funds…
I don’t understand how it is legal to prohibit doctors discussing abortion with their patients.
Any silly idea can become a law. Whether the law is constitutional or not is the question. Some doctor will sue. The case will eventually be brought before the Supreme Court who will strike it down on free speech grounds. Unless Mr. 1% becomes the president and sticks more fascists on the court. In that case forget about the right to free speech for any of us.
I’m confused about refusing health care entirely if the patient is pregnant. WTF?? So if a pregnant woman contracts German measles, nobody can treat her?
The State of Texas’s compassion for the poor runs out when poor women get pregnant; the state won’t pay for medical care for poor women if they get pregnant.
Some doctors and hospitals will care for these women out of compassion and pass the cost on to other patients, and some poor women just won’t get medical care at all.
@ dcblogger: I don’t get this either but the whole Eighth Circuit sitting as a panel just ruled that doctors in South Dakota have to read the State mandated script to a woman seeking services including risk assessments that are not medically supported. So the question is going up under an unfavorable ruling.