Lawmaker barred from speaking after 'vagina' comment

[acri1]

Lawmaker barred from speaking after 'vagina' comment

By Chad Livengood
Detroit News Lansing Bureau

Lansing - House Republicans prohibited state Rep. Lisa Brown from speaking on the floor Thursday after she ended a speech Wednesday against a bill restricting abortions by referencing her female anatomy.

Brown, a West Bloomfield Democrat and mother of three, said a package of abortion regulation bills would violate her Jewish religious beliefs and that abortions be be allowed in cases where it is required to save the life of the mother.

"Finally, Mr. Speaker, I'm flattered that you're all so interested in my vagina, but 'no' means 'no,'" Brown said Wednesday.

Brown's comment prompted a rebuke Thursday by House Republicans, who wouldn't allow her to voice her opinion on a school employee retirement bill.

"What she said was offensive," said Rep. Mike Callton, R-Nashville. "It was so offensive, I don't even want to say it in front of women. I would not say that in mixed company."

Brown's comments were published in Thursday's Detroit News.

Majority Floor Leader Jim Stamas, R-Midland, determined Brown's comments violated the decorum of the House, said Ari Adler, spokesman for the Republican majority.

"If I can't say the word vagina, why are we legislating vaginas?" Brown asked Thursday at a hastily called Capitol press conference. "What language should I use?"

Brown noted "vagina" is the "medically correct term."

"We're all adults here," she said.

The House tabled a bill Wednesday that would ban all abortions after 20 weeks with a narrow exemption for the life of the mother after passing a bill with new regulations for abortion providers.

House Republicans also wouldn't let state Rep. Barb Byrum speak on the House floor today.

Byrum, D-Onondaga, caused a disturbance on the House floor Wednesday when she wasn't allowed to introduce an amendment to the abortion regulations bill banning men from getting a vasectomy unless the sterilization procedure was necessary to save a man's life.

"If we truly want to make sure children are born, we would regulate vasectomies," Byrum told reporters Thursday.

From The Detroit News: Lawmaker barred from speaking after 'vagina' comment | The Detroit News | detroitnews.com

Lawmaker barred from speaking after 'vagina' comment | The Detroit News | detroitnews.com



And Republicans wonder why they're losing ground with women.

 

[GoddamnyamanProf]

Repressed, Conservative closet-case offended by vaginas

Shocking.

 

[Amare's Right Hook]

Always trying to keep vagina out of people's mouths

 

[Fillerguy]

we in 3rd grade

 

[The Real]

Repressed, Conservative closet-case offended by vaginas

Shocking.

 

[superunknown23]

people are always amazed by some of the nuts that we see in Congress but you should look at State Houses. It's a fukking jungle there

 

[ThatTruth777]

people are always amazed by some of the nuts that we see in Congress but you should look at State Houses. It's a fukking jungle there

I'm saying man... I wonder sometime how these people even got elected to such important positions but then I then I look at the ones who put them in office and I'm like oh yeah...