#1
Wisconsin’s “John Doe” law gave prosecutors the right to obtain search warrants and order people to testify in investigations of corruption. The law was often used to investigate bribery and malfeasance in office.
Under the law six of Mr. Walker’s aides or or supporters were convicted of various crimes.
Yesterday Scott Walker, boy wonder of Wisconsin, signed a bill to limit such investigations. The bill had passed on party lines, with Democrats opposed. Earlier the legislature, overwhelmingly Republican, also loosened campaign finance laws.
#2
The Texas state health department ordered the Planned Parenthood health centers in Houston, Dallas, San Antonio, and Brownsville to turn over patients’ records and employees’ home phones and telephone numbers.
Who uses Planned Parenthood services? Is it rich women? Is it middle class women with good health insurance? Of course not. It is women who can’t afford doctors who use the services provided by Planned Parenthood. And why does the state of Texas want these records? To intimidate patients and employees.
I found the information for both of these items on page 13 of today’s New York Times. There were more examples–on Carson, on Trump, on the Benghazi Committee–but these seemed the most blatant examples of evil Republican behavior. And it is evil.
The Wisconsin issue doesn't surprise me. In regards to Texas, I thought that HIPPA laws should supersede anything that the state wants to do with these records. It is none of the states business who uses any health facility for anything. I don't know if they resisted but if they didn't they should have on that basis alone.
ReplyDeleteI'm pretty sure that Planned Parenthood will not give up those records without a fight.
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