Tag: veto
Governor Signs 20 Week Abortion Ban – in Mississippi
Posted on April 4, 2014 in Life by Nathan Cherry
Fox News: “Mississippi Gov. Phil Bryant said Tuesday that he looks forward to quickly signing a bill that would ban abortion at 20 weeks, the midpoint of a full-term pregnancy. ‘This measure represents a great effort to protect the unborn in Mississippi,’ Bryant said in a statement after House Bill 1400 passed the House 91-20 and the Senate 41-10.”
Just days after West Virginia governor Earl Ray Tomblin decided to veto a 20 week abortion ban because his legal team said it was “unconstitutional,” Mississippi governor Phil Bryant is preparing to sign one into law. Apparently Gov. Bryant did not consult Gov. Tomblin’s legal team to know such bills are unconstitutional. Apparently the other dozen states and the U.S. House of Representatives did not consult Gov. Tomblin’s legal team to know such bill are unconstitutional.
Or maybe Gov. Tomblin is playing political games to protect vulnerable Democrat lawmakers up for re-election in 2014.
Perhaps Gov. Tomblin is is signaling to national Democrats that he is with them on this issue in order to gain favor as he seeks federal office.
It could be that Gov. Tomblin’s claim to be “pro-life” is nothing more than empty words since his voting record does not reflect such a claim.
Whatever the reasons, one thing is clear, Gov. Tomblin’s legal team gave bad advice, and Gov. Tomblin should have signed the bill in order to show West Virginians that he truly is pro-life. The fact that he vetoed the bill while claiming to be pro-life is hypocrisy at its worst and West Virginia can do better.
West Virginia Lawmakers Making National News for All the Wrong Reasons
Posted on April 3, 2014 in Life by Nathan Cherry
Over the last few days West Virginia governor Earl Ray Tomblin has been in the news quite a bit. His claim to fame is that he vetoed the 20 week abortion ban last Friday. Tomblin, a “pro-life” governor said the bill was unconstitutional. I guess the other states and the U.S. House of Representatives that passed similar bills should have consulted with Tomblin’s legal team.
Joining Gov. Tomblin in the halls of shame this week is West Virginia Senator Joe Manchin. Manchin is also a self-proclaimed “pro-life” politician that is coming under fire for not becoming a sponsor of the federal 20 week abortion ban. An article at LifeNews.com explains:
“To put pressure on Manchin to support the bill, the SBA List today informed LifeNews of a $20,000 radio ad buy encouraging Senator Joe Manchin of West Virginia to become the first Democratic senator to cosponsor the federal Pain Capable Unborn Child Act. The legislation would protect unborn children beginning at 20 weeks – more than halfway through pregnancy. Similar laws have been passed in 13 states. The federal bill passed the U.S. House and has more than 40 Senate cosponsors.”
Having more than 40 co-sponsors in the Senate is encouraging and gives hope for the bills hearing and passage. But it does not guarantee anything will come of it. Gov. Tomblin proved that when the West Virginia bill gained an overwhelming bi-partisan support only to have Tomblin veto the bill.
Once again West Virginia finds itself in the un-enviable position of having lawmakers in the news for all the wrong reasons. Republicans and Democrats came together to pass a life saving bill only to have our “pro-life” governor veto it. And our “pro-life” Senator won’t sign on to another life saving bill in the Senate. At some point we have to stop listening to what our candidates say and start paying attention to what they do. The next time Tomblin and Manchin claim to be pro-life the audience needs to laugh and remind them of their voting records.
Why Did “Pro Life” Gov. Tomblin Veto a Bill Banning Abortion?
Posted on April 3, 2014 in Life by Nathan Cherry
Governor Earl Ray Tomblin will have a hard time convincing anyone that he’s pro-life from this point forward. News broke late last night that Gov. Tomblin vetoed the Pain Capable Unborn Child Protection Act after he doubted the bills constitutionality.
This bill, HB 4588, also known as the 20 week abortion ban, would have made it illegal to perform an abortion after 20 weeks gestation. That is the point at which most doctors and scientists agree that an unborn child can certainly feel pain. This fact means that abortion after 20 weeks is nothing short of torture as the pain capable unborn child is being torn limb from limb and can feel everything.
It was a surprise that the bill even made it out of committee and found a hearing in the legislature considering the Democratic majority and the hurdles placed before it. Nonetheless HB 4588 was voted on and passed in the house and senate by overwhelming bi-partisan majorities. This should have made the bill very easy for Gov. Tomblin to sign, considering the super-majority of state senators and delegates that supported it.
Daily Roundup: Arizona Religious Freedom Bill Vetoed by Governor
Posted on February 27, 2014 in Public Policy, Religious Freedom by Nathan Cherry
In a surprising move by outspoken conservative Republican Governor Jan Brewer, the Arizona religious freedom bill that has caused so much controversy in the last week has been vetoed.
Unfortunately mischaracterizations and outright lies from opponents seemed to have overwhelmed public opinion about this bill and contributed to its demise. While many claimed the bill would encourage and allow discrimination, the truth is that it simply would have brought Arizona law up to the level of federal law regarding religious freedom. It would have also protected any person of faith from being sued for living according to their religious convictions.
While I can’t begin to speculate on Gov. Brewer’s motives, the fact that she has been so outspoken and firm in her beliefs in the face of opposition leas me to believe there was something greater at stake for her here. In my opinion, Gov. Brewer was the victim of economic bullying. This opposed to this bill, including the NFL, made sure the governor knew that they would harm Arizona financially should she sign the bill into law.
Welcome to the new America. A place where your beliefs are protected, so long as they align with what the federal government deems acceptable. If they don’t, expect persecution and threats until you either change your views or shut up. Personally, I feel bad for Gov. Brewer. She seems to have been between a rock and a hard place and it appears she suffered from the tight squeeze.
The following articles serve as a roundup following the decision to the veto the bill: