Republicans turning University of Wisconsin into Swill Hole for Right Wing Politics.

What's wrong with this statement about the UW free speech bill:

Opponents to the bill argue the changes would violate the free speech rights of students who want to protest campus speakers. 

What's wrong? The answer if pretty simple: This is unconstitutional, and violates the First Amendment, not just the rights of students on campus. Framing is everything. Anytime you mention "regulation" in the same sentence with "free speech," free speech is already a goner.

It's funny how the simplest most common sense regulation on handguns is a violation of our Second Amendment rights. But with speech, Republicans have no sense of guilt or hypocrisy. What follows is so broad that it defies logic:

Under the proposal, students who disrupt campus events at UW System schools could be expelled ... new rules for free speech and expression on system campuses. That includes penalties for people who disrupt free expression on campus by engaging in, "violent, abusive, indecent, profane, boisterous, obscene, unreasonably loud or other disorderly conduct ... establish a special council in charge of disciplinary hearings when a student is accused of preventing someone from speaking or restricting their free expression. Anyone can report a student at one of the system's four-year or two-year colleges for violating the policies and a student would automatically be sent to a disciplinary hearing if reported twice.

This mind blowing ironic part...:

New students would be informed of the system's free expression policies and receive First Amendment training.

I know, stunning isn't it?

Have university officials threatened to challenge the law in court? Has anyone? Let me know in the comments section if anyone has stepped forward to challenge this state law.

Off Campus Speech as well: Check out this amazing Scott Walker explanation from Upfront with Mike Gousha from back in April of 2017:

Walker: "Whether it's against me or somebody else say, "I disagree," but disagreeing and even protesting is one thing ... But the minute you shut down a speaker, no matter whether they're liberal, conservative, or somewhere in between, I just think that's wrong." To me a university...anywhere free speech should be upheld...but disrupting and shutting down as we've seen here in Wisconsin, but elsewhere across the country, shutting down the ability for someone to actually be heard is not free speech."

Where does it say that in the Constitution?

The right to be "heard" is not protected by the Constitution. But Walker wants to go beyond the Constitution, with "I just think that's wrong" as a standard, which is pretty much all it takes under an oppressive government. And who knew we could specifically select "anywhere free speech should be upheld?" Where are those other areas? I found a few in a previous post, here.

Republican Attack on the Left: Pure and simple, this is a politically motivated attack. The absolute arrogance of power allowed for this slip-up by the author of this bill:

Rep. Jesse Kremer, of Kewaskum, said ... the "elitist media" of "losing their minds over someone with a different opinion." Kremer said the "left's unhinged attacks" on his perspective — which he said included death threats and profanity-laden messages — demonstrated the need for his legislation. 

Associate Professor Dave Vanness tweeted:

Conservative Guest Speaker Con Game: As I've mentioned before, here, here, and more recently here, speaker controversies and protests are the best way to bolster that persons reputation and fees, so it's in their best interest to play it up and to feed their legend.

Plus with this bill, Republicans are conning us again, this time seeking taxpayer cash funding for conservative whack jobs via frivolous lawsuits brought by these "offended" speakers:

"Speakers who believe free speech rights are violated by UW could take school to court under Assembly bill."

Turning the University of Wisconsin into a Swill Hole for Right Wing Politics: The Journal Sentinel offered this incredibly insightful look at why this is happening in the first place, and it has nothing to do with free speech or their current rules for dealing with disruptive behavior:

Conservative foundations that for years have quietly given money to help student groups bring speakers to college campuses recently have been under scrutiny in the wake of speaker protests, suggesting the push for conservative views is from off-campus.

The Milwaukee-based Lynde and Harry Bradley Foundation in recent years has given Young America's Foundation tens of thousands of dollars for such activities as increasing the number of conservative-leaning campus events it sponsors, including in Wisconsin ... Young America's Foundation was making efforts to reach more students in the Midwest."

"This is balancing of the scales," said Donald Downs, who in the fall of 2006 co-founded the UW-Madison Center for the Study of Liberal Democracy.

"Liberal Democracy?" Here's a thought, see if you find anything "liberal" in the following description of Downs Center for the Study of Liberal Democracy:

The second mission relates specifically to the University of Wisconsin. It is to advance intellectual diversity at the University by taking ideas seriously that we believe have not always enjoyed sufficient respect on campus. Such ideas include the various strands of conservative political thought and libertarian thought, in addition to thought addressing religious liberty, foreign policy, and the role of the military in American society and on campus.

Wow, the role of the military in society and on campus, really?

I'll give this Democratic press release the final word:

State Representative Melissa Sargent (D-Madison) blasted Assembly Republicans Unconstitutional Bill Addressing Republican-Manufactured Crisis: 

“Once again, Republicans are making it abundantly clear that they only care about what’s happening on University of Wisconsin campuses when it suits them: when they’re a sounding board for what Republicans want to do, when they teach students what Republicans want to have taught, and when they promote values Republicans want to have promoted.”

"We Won" Republicans Blame Criticism of Trump by Democrats for Baseball Shooting!!!

State Rep. Jesse Kremer, the guy who believes the earth is 5000 years old and college students should carry guns on campus, must be completely unaware of the internet's ability to historically archive everything. Which makes his recent comment below, repeated ad nauseam by every Republican, all the more nasty.

AP: A Wisconsin state lawmaker says the shooting at a congressional baseball practice outside of Washington "could probably have been predicted" given "disgusting commentary" about President Donald Trump. A top House Republican, Steve Scalise of Louisiana, was among those shot by a rifle-wielding gunman.

Kremer cites comedian Kathy Griffin's posing with the likeness of Trump's severed head, Madonna's comments about contemplating blowing up the White House and a New York City production of the Shakespeare play "Julius Ceasar" that portrays a Trump-like dictator who gets knifed to death on stage. Kremer says, "This media frenzy and absurdity MUST STOP! There are people crazy enough to carry out these heinous acts."

Yea, what's with all these empty attacks on our helpless millionaire narcissist Trump?

The insecurity of the "we won" crowd is incredibly personal, because they've invested so much of themselves in Trump, and they remember their own brutal hate filled rants against Obama. So how can liberal criticism be any different.

Shootings like this happen every minute of everyday, painful and destructive for every victim, but it wasn't supposed to happen so close our pampered NRA voting elected lawmakers.

Will we hear talk of treating the mentally ill, bash anyone trying to exploit the shooting by bring up gun regulations, or just insist it never really happened?

So How Did We Get Here: Blame the Liberals? It's their fault now, the hate, divisiveness, the name calling...because nothing happened over the last 8 years that fostered the rise of homegrown armed militia groups threatening to occupy public lands or take down their own government with Second Amendment remedies. Right, it's Kathy Griffin, Julius Ceasar, and Madonna?

My conservative friend in Milwaukee emailed me link to a right wing site that spun liberal criticism as something ruthlessly cold. No, just the truth:

Here's what I wrote back to my friend:

No, you might want to be a sucker for the writers spin, but not me. Gee, I was told by Scott Walker a divided nation is healthy. And Republicans didn't expect this to happen, as they vilify fellow Americans as people who don't count because, "we won." More guns...use them against the government...Where did you think that was going? I told you that liberals can take up guns too, and if they do we're all in deep trouble. So keep playing the victim, pretending you didn't have a hands in this. "We won?" Don't think so.

A now frightened Republican Party has a few thing to work out. Let's see how long their reaction is to this shooting and compare it to how quickly they moved on from Sandy Hook. 

Paul Ryan had the nerve to say this after doing nothing about Sandy Hook's 20 massacred 6 year olds:

Ryan: 'An attack on one of us is an attack on all of us'

Right Wing Campus Speaker Disruptions and Free Speech Laws all part of the Plan.

I never understood this whole shouting down guest speakers on campus thing. A more effective approach would include groaning, laughing or holding a sign in the audience. And since this has been going on for decades, right wing authoritarians who are now in charge of every branch of state government, found an opening to strike back.

Money making Scam turns Conservatives into Famous Victims: Conservative campus speakers profit more from trumped up "security concerns" and cancellations than just showing up to speak.

Nationwide Republicans are slowly taking over public colleges, booking conservative guests, playing the victim of the now vilified liberal educators, and writing a regime of campus censorship laws that turns actual free speech into a punishable offense.

Rep. Jesse Kremer, of Kewaskum, said in a May 11 legislative hearing that it was a fact that Earth was 6,000 years old. Kremer sits on the Assembly’s universities committee, which votes on bills affecting the state’s colleges and universities … the blowback he's received for his beliefs demonstrates the need for legislation regulating speech on college campuses ... he released a statement on Thursday accusing the "elitist media" of "losing their minds over someone with a different opinion." Kremer said the "left's unhinged attacks" on his perspective — which he said included death threats and profanity-laden messages — demonstrated the need for his legislation, which he says would protect speech by punishing protesters who shout down controversial speakers. Critics of the legislation say it could favor speakers' rights over protesters.

Dave Vanness, an associate professor of population health sciences and past-president of the UW-Madison chapter of American Association of University Professors, said: "Faculty have an obligation to respect students' rights to expression; they are under no obligation to treat all beliefs as equally valid," Vanness tweeted. 

Public Colleges to morph into Think Tanks? Yes, their ultimate goal:

The new crop of bills is broadly based on a model designed by the Goldwater Institute, a conservative think tank: punish students who take part in disruptive protests; requires universities to launch an investigation and hold discipline hearings if they get two or more complaints alleging someone violated the policy; System institutions must “strive to remain neutral” on public policy controversies.

Right Wing Authoritarians Ultimate Takeover Scheme: These aren’t just random invites, they’re carefully planned events to poison thepublic on colleges in general, while turning them into institutes of right wing indoctrination. That’s right, after years of accusing colleges of liberal indoctrination, it turns out it was just another extreme example of projection: 

(Conservative speakers) Ben Shapiro and Steve Forbes were invited to campus by the UW-Madison chapter of Young Americans for Freedom, an affiliate of a national student organization attracting attention for its success in placing conservative speakers on college campuses.

The national organization, armed with a $16 million bequest from a California orthodontist, has doubled its programming, including campus speeches, over the past two years, the New York Times reported. This past academic year, the organization helped put 111 speakers on 77 campuses, including what the Times called “heat-seeking” speakers.

And while this insidious plan rolls out, duped conservative voters will once again make fun of liberals blaming the Koch brothers for everything…oh wait: 

The foundation helps pay for speakers, trains student event organizers and provides promotional materials as part of its mission of grooming future conservative leaders, the Times said. Funders include billionaire brothers David H. and Charles G. Koch, and the Amway billionaires Richard and Helen DeVos, although Betsy DeVos, their daughter-in-law and secretary of education, is not a donor, the group says. 

And Republicans say they're working hard to save you money...except when they don't? Not only did Ben Shapiro's legend grow along with his speaking fees and book sales, he's getting you to foot the bill:

Marc Lovicott, spokesman for the UW-Madison Police Department, said this week that YAF had not paid a $450.08 bill for security at the Shapiro event. That amount reflected the typical cost of security for a campus speaker, Lovicott said, not the $4,938.47 actual cost of services to the event, for which the department beefed up its coverage.

“After they were billed, the group informed us via email that they did not plan on paying. They said they could not afford it, and they didn’t feel they were liable for security costs,” Lovicott said in an email.

Watching Oppressive Republicans dismantling free speech and freedom of the Press!!!

End of the First Amendment; Free Speech and Freedom of the Press: This says it all about what the Republicans Party has become.  

"Republican Greg Gianforte declared victory in Montana's special congressional election, barely a day after he was charged with misdemeanor assault following accusations that he (body) slammed a journalist to the ground. Gianforte: “It's unfortunate that this aggressive behavior from a liberal journalist created this scene at our campaign volunteer BBQ" ... it's another example of a candidate being rewarded by voters for behaving badly. So what's the incentive for good behavior?

Security Protection for the Press? Why not? Have you heard what Trump has said about them?

Meanwhile Trump racks up Security Costs:

Congress would allocate more than $120 million in additional money to help cover the escalating costs of protecting the Trump family and Trump Tower.

Shoot the Democratic Enemies of the State: And woe to anyone who disagrees with the Republicans authority; protests will not be tolerated, resistance is futile:

A Texas Republican threatened to “put a bullet in one of his colleague’s heads” during a scuffle on the House floor over the state’s new anti-‘sanctuary cities’ law. Representative Matt Rinaldi, R-Irving, made the comment to Democratic Representative Poncho Nevárez during a dispute that began when Rinaldi told two Hispanic lawmakers that he called Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) on Senate Bill 4 protesters at the Capitol.

“I made it clear that if he attempted to, in his words, ‘get me,’ I would shoot him in self defense,” Rinaldi said. “I would shoot him in self defense. I am currently under DPS protection.” 

"Populist" Right Wing Authoritarians now need Protection from the Public? This isn't a new idea. Scott Walker played up "threats" (even created a few) during the massive protest in 2011, resulting in the elimination of open public forums. He now appears at closed corporate speaking engagements with captive employees:

The Milwaukee Journal Sentinel reported that in 2013 taxpayers spent $2.23 million for the 10 state troopers who protect Walker and his family, GOP Lt. Gov. Rebecca Kleefisch, and dignitaries from other states and countries who visit Wisconsin … up from $657,457 paid out by Walker’s predecessor, Democrat Jim Doyle during his last year in office in 2010. Walker’s security bill inched higher in 2014, to $2.3 million. A large part of the increase came because Walker had added five members to what is officially known as the Dignitary Protection Unit in the wake of the Act 10 protests. 

Security Protection for Right Wing Authoritarian Campus Speakers: The rise of white supremacist groups, gun rights militias, and anti-liberal Republicans are now getting the speaking time they've demanded for years, thanks to a Walker Republican bill to threaten severe punishment for University of Wisconsin campus student protests. Their work since the 60's might just pay off this time around:

A Republican campus speech bill requires University of Wisconsin System institutions to punish students who take part in disruptive protests … requiring universities to expel any student who violates the policy three times … students who engage in “violent or other disorderly conduct that materially and substantially disrupts the free expression of others.”

Outright admission that conservatives deserve extra protections: Despite dominating government, our talk radio outlets, and churning out large numbers of conservative college students:

Republican members argued that their ideas are under fire on college campuses from left-leaning students and faculty, saying the legislation was needed to preserve open debate at UW institutions and protect the free speech rights of controversial speakers. Rep. Joan Ballweg, R-Markesan, said the bill would ensure “there is no idea or issue that will be shouted down in a public forum.”

It would chill free speech on campus and infringe on regents’ authority to govern their institutions themselves. “The very bones of this legislation are diseased,” said Democratic Rep. Jimmy Anderson.

“Don’t you see a concern about two left-wing or two right-wing students raising an issue with perceived activity by students attending an event?” Rep. Gary Hebl said. “Don’t you see the floodgates opening?” Republican Rep. Jesse Kremer asked Hebl if he had a better idea. Hebl responded that he couldn’t see any way to make the bill better.

Republican Rep. Travis Tranel told the committee he had heard from college students in his district that they’re afraid to express conservative views in class for fear the professor could dock their grades. Hebl and fellow Democrat Terese Bereceau both cut him off, challenging him to prove his anecdote was true. Hebl accused Tranel of making things up without any evidence, comparing him to Joe McCarthy.

Even Unconstitutional Repressive Laws can't be Criticized: If Republicans decided tomorrow to shred the Constitution and arrest every known liberal, UW system professors would be banned under penalty of law to say anything:

It also states that System institutions must “strive to remain neutral” on public policy controversies. 

Conservative groups could organize and systematically eliminate their opposition with ease:

Another amendment requires universities to launch an investigation and hold discipline hearings if they get two or more complaints alleging someone violated the policy.

Cities Next: Portland Republican says party should use militia groups after racial attack: 

The top Republican in the city said he is considering using militia groups as security for public events. James Buchal said: “Yeah. We’re thinking about that. Because there are now belligerent, unstable people who are convinced that Republicans are like Nazis.”

The Oath Keepers are described by the Southern Poverty Law Center as “one of the largest radical antigovernment groups in the US,” recruiting current and former military and law enforcement personnel. They have recently appeared at rallies from Berkeley to Boston. The Three Percenters are described by Political Research Associates as “a paramilitary group that pledges armed resistance against attempts to restrict private gun ownership.” They were a highly visible presence in Burns, Oregon, before and during the occupation of the Malheur wildlife refuge by rightwing militia early in 2016.

James Buchal issued a statement in which he bemoaned a “criminal conspiracy to commit crimes of riot” ... lament(ing) “rising lawlessness” in Portland ... a video of Buchal addressing a Multnomah County Republican Central Committee meeting depicts Buchal making a fiery pro-Trump speech. He says of the President, “His enemies are my enemies and his enemies are all our enemies. Our enemies are more dangerous than ever. We are really in a life and death battle for the future of our society. And these globalist people are not going to give up. If we don’t tell out fellow citizens that there are these dark forces in the government, like the CIA and the shadow government, who are trying to take Trump down with lies, who is going to tell them?” 

Spencer Sunshine, an associate researcher at Political Research Associates who last year co-authored a major report on the growth of the far-right Patriot Movement in Oregon, said: “Consideration of the use of unaccountable, private paramilitary groups by one of the main political parties is a dangerous lurch to the far right.”

Republican's Ann Coulter Law Attacks free Speech on Campuses, Threatens Student Expulsion, part 2

The previous blog post introduced us to Ann Coulter's Berkeley University speaking demanded...

Some have criticized Coulter's own approach to the issue: she demanded that the university expel any student who engages "in violence, mayhem or heckling to prevent an invited speaker from speaking." 

Ann Coulter's Law introduced by Republican Rep. Robin Vos: Oddly similar, you have to wonder how Republicans do this, making what is normal and a founding principle of our Constitution into something repellent and repressive:

Assembly Speaker Robin Vos, R- Rochester, and Rep. Jesse Kremer, R-Kewaskum, proposed legislation (that) would set new rules for free speech and expression on University of Wisconsin System campuses. That includes penalties for people who disrupt free expression on campus by engaging in "violent, abusive, indecent, profane, boisterous, obscene, unreasonably loud or other disorderly conduct" … Students could be expelled under a bill.

The broad categories and up for interpretation expressions listed above wouldn't just chill free speech, it would discourage it under threat of punishment. Vos' fascist idea may play well for Ann Coulter and David Horowitz, who want to energize and play the political victim, but a government official
pushing...this is jaw dropping.

"The worst part of it is this incredible litany of categories, most of which, as I say, are clearly unconstitutionally vague or imprecise or undefined," said Robert O'Neil, professor emeritus of law at the University of Virginia, where he specialized in the First Amendment law. O’Neil is also a former University of Wisconsin System president.

A Tangle of Big Government & Big Brother Bureaucracy: Like voting, getting food stamps, receiving unemployment, and applying for BadgerCare, Vos and Kremer have created a maze of hearings, a "jackpot justice" system of costly lawsuits, and disciplinary procedures to endlessly navigate:  

Speakers who feel their free speech rights were violated at a UW campus could sue the institution for damages under the bill. And the legislation would create a council of UW officials that would report to lawmakers on the outcomes of discipline proceedings.

It's hard to imagine how Vos and Kremer never seemed to get the First Amendment thing, that this didn't raise any red flags. It did for readers:

Scared sh**less, Rep. Jesse Kremer wants guns in schools to fight....terrorism!!!

The effort to coerce "soft targets," people like you and me who don't carry a gun, into carrying out of fear for our lives, continues abated.

While violent crime has skyrocketed since concealed carry passed, and gun deaths in Milwaukee increased by 40% over last year, Scott Walker continues to perpetuate the myth that Wisconsin is now safer.

If not in UW classrooms, at least in our elementary, middle and high school buildings: Two Republican extremists have oddly made arming people in and around schools an idea who's time has come.

Even worse, the bill's creators admitted it was a way to protect supposed "responsible gun owners" from accidentally breaking the law in schools zones. You know, irresponsible behavior made legal:

Senate President Mary Lazich (R-New Berlin) said the measure is intended to make sure weapons permit holders aren't inadvertently committing crimes when they drop their kids off at school. "I don't want to see that happen to well intentioned law-abiding people," she said in an interview.

Apparently one guy forgot about his gun and was arrested. So the natural reaction...is make bad behavior legal?

This reminds me of time Rep. Joel Kleefisch tried to change the states child support law because one guy didn't like the amount he had to pay.

Not just the 2nd Amendment, we're fighting terrorism in schools: Even worse than worse, Republican Rep. Jesse Kremer said his sponsorship of the bill was based on fighting terrorism...in our schools? Watch in utter disbelief folks. Kewaskum is so proud. WISC:

Kremer: "The biggest concern I have isn't necessarily the nut-job, it is a terrorist attack. And right now we are ripe for a terrorist attack...it probably won't be in the big city, it'll be in a small rural area where no one expects it because they know those are soft targets."

Coincidentally, Kewaskum is a small rural area that could be attacked. Kremer's fear mongering might be your typical GOP get-out-the-vote effort for 2016. Ya think?

Rep. Kremer's Divide and Conquer strategy: Rural vs Urban Wisconsin Taxpayers.

It's almost laughable to hear Republicans deny they have it out for Milwaukee while constantly doing everything they can to take it down. Just off the top of my head...

They killed economic growth via high speed rail that would have provided to a regional business hub that included Chicago, killed high speed train manufacturing in the city, a residency requirement, sick leave, the Bucks new arena...there's more but you get the point. 

Times have changed: Republicans are now deceptively making it look like they are boldly "sabotaging" development in Milwaukee to please voters at home, despite the fact that the planned streetcars they want to deny funding, weren't in line to get it in the first place. This is all a dog and pony show for duped constituents who instinctively hate Milwaukee:

Kremer wants you to hate city folk.

JS: GOP lawmakers circulate bill to block state money for Milwaukee streetcar: Republican state lawmakers are circulating a bill that would block state transportation money from being used to operate a Milwaukee streetcar. Reps. Jesse Kremer (R-Kewaskum) said, "I am proud to support economic development and growth in the City of Milwaukee, and many of us did just that through our challenging Bucks arena vote earlier this year. The state transportation fund and rural, mass-transit issues are major concerns for my constituents.

"As such, I do not feel that taxpayers outside of the City of Milwaukee should be responsible for any future operational costs that may arise."

Kremer wants to send the message that state taxpayers are on their own. As you might remember, Scott Walker branded the "I'm not paying for that" attitude when he defunded our state parks and instead said only users should pay for their upkeep. Kremer now wants to pit rural interests against urban interests, a real job creator:

A spokeswoman for Assembly Speaker Robin Vos said, "Speaker Vos supports the bill as it protects state taxpayers from runaway costs associated with the Milwaukee streetcar project."

State Republicans want Campus Carry, weeks after the Oregon Community College Shooting.

Is this really Wisconsin anymore, or just a backwater state of thugs? Will travelers be afraid to even drive through America’s Dairyland paradise? Correction, make that “Carryland” paradise.

I swear, if “Stand with Walker” voters don’t react to this, it’s all over. WSJ:

Campus Carry: GOP lawmakers want to allow concealed weapons in public college buildings: Analysis by the Legislative Reference Bureau This bill exempts any college or university in the University of Wisconsin System and any technical college from the law that allows a university or college to prohibit a person from carrying a firearm in any building on its grounds if the person holds a license to carry a concealed weapon.

You won’t even believe this mind numbing and irresponsible inclusion:

This bill also repeals the provision in the administrative code in which the University of Wisconsin System generally prohibits persons from carrying, possessing, or using any dangerous weapon on university lands or in university buildings or facilities.

Seriously? It's a WTF right wing moment of shear hostility.

The bill … comes less than two weeks after a gunman killed nine people at an Oregon community college.

This same GOP action is taking place in Texas, and students are holding a "Cocks not Glocks" protest, carrying dildos to class. (I'm posting this soon.)

Blame the same guy trying to vilify and keep transgender kids out of restrooms in our schools; State Rep. Jesse Kremer, R-Kewaskum. Along for the ride, state Sen. Devin LeMahieu, R-Oostburg.

Elections have consequences, agreed, but I don't believe anyone expected this:

Kremer (said) that allowing students and others to carry weapons would be a "deterrent" to crime on and around campuses.

Summing it up....

Several UW-Madison professors weighed in against the proposal on Twitter Monday. Professor Don Moynihan said, "(It's) hard to think of a policy that would make me feel less safe at work."

The worst way to respond to this outlandish idea? God this is so disappointing and so typical of the Democratic Party:

State Rep. Melissa Sargent, D-Madison, whose district includes the Truax Campus of Madison Area Technical College: “I don’t see how this adds to the safety on campus,” she said. “Having folks walk around with concealed carry doesn’t make me feel safer.” 

Rep. Kremer: no exceptions for 20 week abortion ban, even for Fatal Fetal Abnormalities. Suggests Perinatal Hospice.

Wisconsin Republicans are about to go the full distance reigning a women’s right to choose. Get familiar with the term, “perinatal or prenatal hospice.” It’s another right wing excuse to intimidate and torture women victimized by a 20 week abortion ban.

  

There’s nothing wrong with perinatal hospice services for women dealing with fatal fetal abnormalities. For personal reasons, prenatal hospice might be one person’s answer. But in Wisconsin, it’s being used to justify a 20 week abortion ban and to appear sympathetic, all the while forcing women to carry their pregnancy to term.

From WPR News, this jaw dropping story and grotesque comment from Rep. Jesse Kremer.

“It’s assistance for the family…from the time that the diagnosis is made, through the entire rest of the pregnancy, through the eventual probable death of the child.”  

Brutal. Extending the sadness and helplessness for days and many weeks is beyond cruel and unusual punishment. 

Think Progress wrote about this trending anti-abortion twist of torment:

Two obscure abortion proposals are currently advancing in Oklahoma and Alabama that would target women during some of the most emotionally painful moments in their lives. Both bills seek to prohibit women from having an abortion based on fatal fetal abnormalities unless their doctor provides them with “alternate options” first — essentially, information about perinatal hospice centers … some women and their partners decide that it is too emotionally painful to continue the pregnancy, or want to spare their unborn child future suffering outside of the womb. Those people make the extremely difficult choice to terminate a wanted pregnancy because they decide it’s the most compassionate option for their family.

Makes sense, right? But republican politicians know what’s best, not women:

State lawmakers are ultimately suggesting that the women … should hear more information about perinatal hospice care. State-sanctioned language about carrying the pregnancy to term would simply insinuate they’re making the wrong decision, potentially putting them under even more emotional strain. Elizabeth Nash, the states issue manager for the Guttmacher Institute, told ThinkProgress, “It revisits painful issues that have already been decided. A woman has already ridden the roller coaster — she got a diagnosis, talked it over with her doctor, and made her decision… It doesn’t make sense to re-open these wounds.”

It’s easy to follow the slug like slim that trails former and current republican administrations:

In 2006, Minnesota was the first to enact a law requiring women to receive information about perinatal hospice centers. Then Kansas followed in its footsteps in 2009. Arizona passed its own version in 2012 … thanks to Americans United for Life (AUL), an anti-choice organization that typically shops around draft legislation for state-level abortion restrictions. AUL produced a legislative guide for the 2014 session to encourage more lawmakers to introduce “perinatal hospice information” bills.

Is there ever an original idea from these freeloading big government one-size-fits-all republicans? 

Is this getting ridiculous or what? Photo ID for Food Stamp Purchases?

Yea, let’s keep dumping on the poor lower paid worker using food stamps. It feels so good.

They've always said, “busy hands are happy hands,” and nowhere is that more evident than in our own “small government” republican legislature (it’s small “r” republican now because they’re not a legitimate party anymore, just a bunch of taxpayer supported petty bullies too weak to make in the private sector).

And GOP voters continue to betray their “small government” credentials (assuming this myth was ever true in the first place), by not asking why they’re seeing an array of convoluted regulations when government was supposed to get out of the way. 

I've got a feeling it has more to do with conservative voter envy over "the lifestyles of the poor and downtrodden." These dummies are still getting mad over “large screen plasma TV’s,” despite the fact no one’s made a tube TV for decades. Here's another retreaded unoriginal idea from the right wing:

Rep. Jesse Kremer, R-Kewaskum, says the proposal is an effort to crack down on waste, fraud and abuse and to make programs like FoodShare more efficient. But detractors say it would shame those living in poverty, with no discernible benefit.

The only thing stopping republicans right now are federal laws preventing these onerous added layers of “special scrutiny.” It’s all about equal treatment under the law. If charge or debit card customers don’t have to show a photo ID, why would someone on food stamps?  These idiotic ideas would be on the fast track if the GOP ever turned programs like this into state run block grants, free of government fairness “strings.”

Rep. Jesse Kremer is a sick paranoid.  

Penalize the poor, deduct $3.50 worth of food. 

"It sickens me to see all of the fraud and abuses … From some of the tenants in our rental homes that make more than I do and can't afford rent to the people using Quest cards at Potawatomi or using these benefits to purchase steaks for their dogs because dog food is not covered. They are there as a crutch and a lifeline, not a lifestyle."

Let me see if I've got this right; government always screws things up and can’t do anything right, but it can do a great job running big government food stamp pantry outlets?

Kremer also wrote in his "term paper" … limiting the use of QUEST cards to privately-run food pantries overseen by the government. " 

Heck, republicans want to create a federal regulation requiring the photo ID for Foodshare. The argument is this: It would crack down on the sales of cards on social media or the black market. But that's a lot of BS too: 1.3 percent in 2009-11.

And this will blow your mind: Talk about irresponsible public policy. Kremer is willing to make this malicious change, knowing the law is flawed and unworkable:

The central problem is that an EBT card is issued to the head of a household, but all members of that household are allowed to make purchases with it, per federal law. Kremer acknowledges that the ability for other household members to use a card presents a problem for his bill. "The way we’ve drafted the bill is it would still be head of household getting the card with the photo ID on it, but everyone else in the household still would have to be able to use that card," Kremer said. "So it’s kind of, yeah, a double-edged sword. It works in some cases and won’t in others."

But screw it, right Kremer, because that's just too much work to try and solve.

But we know what this is all about really. And this feigned "we're just worried about fraud" thing has gone beyond credulity:

A 2013 move to put photo IDs on EBT cards in Massachusetts prompted complaints from the USDA that the state was using the requirement to improperly cut benefits and similar concerns were raised when Maine implemented the requirement in 2014.

Scot Ross, executive director of the liberal group One Wisconsin Now, flagged the bill as an "appalling" move … He said Wisconsinites are struggling financially in large part due to policies passed by Gov. Scott Walker and the Republican legislative majority. "Shaming a mother in poverty who's trying to feed her kids isn't going to make her less poor. Basing policies on ridiculous allegations isn't going to solve any real problems," Ross said. "Jesse Kremer needs to provide the evidence to back up his call for this despicable policy, and if he can't, the first thing he should do after apologizing to the people of Wisconsin is resign."