Thursday, March 7, 2013
Missy Irvin's anti-freedom bill delayed, opposition mounting
Posted by David Ramsey on Thu, Mar 7, 2013 at 3:44 PM
Sen. Missy Irvin's bill to ban certain body-modification techniques was passed over in committee today. Noting that the assembled public had a more punk-rock persuasion than one normally finds at Public Health committee meetings, Chairman John Burris said, "I don’t want to paint too broad of a brush but from the looks of the audience, it looks like some people may be here for SB387." He announced that the committee would discuss the bill on March 21.
I have heard from legislators off the record that there is growing opposition to the prohibition bill and that it may not have the votes to pass the House.
Two Republicans were willing to go on the record with doubts about the bill. Rep. Nate Bell told me he was hoping to come to the House committee meeting to speak against the intrusive bill. He said he would certainly speak against it if it came to the House floor. Meanwhile, Rep. David Meeks tweeted that "I haven't made a final decision on SB387 but I am leaning no." On the other side of the aisle, Rep. Warwick Sabin told me that he will vote against the bill. It will be interesting to see whether other Democrats come out against it.
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The terrible 10 of the 89th Arkansas General Assembly
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How the private option flipped the Medicaid expansion debate
May 2, 2013It took a group of clever and obstinate young Republican legislators who refused to go along with Medicaid expansion but weren't ready to close the door on other ideas. They helped force a crafty veteran Democratic governor who was eager to go forward with expansion to consider alternative approaches. Throw in tireless and creative state health officials who happened to have a cozy relationship with their federal It took a group of clever and obstinate young Republican legislators who refused to go along with Medicaid expansion but weren’t ready to close the door on other ideas. They helped force a crafty veteran Democratic governor who was eager to go forward with expansion to consider alternative approaches. Throw in tireless and creative state health officials who happened to have a cozy relationship with their federal counterparts. Probably some luck. And, among everyone involved, it took a slightly crazy, seemingly unjustified optimism that somehow a solution was possible. /more/
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More Bell bashing
May 2, 2013I am a resident of Massachusetts and the aunt of Lauren Rousseau. You might recognize her name; her body was blown apart by some of the 154 shots of the Bushmaster .223-caliber rifle that Adam Lanza used in his massacre at Sandy Hook Elementary School. There were 20 innocent children and 5 other adults also murdered that day. /more/
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Dumb Bell, etc.
April 25, 2013Arkansans put feet in mouth, then fire. /more/
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Open letters to Nate Bell
April 25, 2013I read your comments about Boston yesterday. YOU ARE A MORON. I'm a gun owning conservative. That did not spare me when the bombs went off in Copley Square. I wasn't home cowering when I read your comments. I was in a hospital bed at Mass General. /more/
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Lyons: Nate Bell doesn't know Boston
April 25, 2013For what it's worth, almost everybody in Arkansas who can find Massachusetts on a road map was appalled by state Rep. Nate Bell's grotesquely inappropriate Twitter post. /more/
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Room in the middle for Arkansas politicians?
April 25, 2013Recent events recommend former U.S. Rep. Mike Ross' plan to emulate Gov. Mike Beebe as a middle-of-the-road Democrat. Moderation is appealing. /more/
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Better thing
April 25, 2013One can easily sympathize with the members of the state House of Representatives who'd like to eject Nate Bell from the chamber. /more/
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