MN Governor Mark Dayton is the Man: Another One (Anti-Abortion Bill) Bites the Dust!

Fuck yeah!  This is what I'm talking about - Governor Mark Dayton vetoes another anti-abortion bill.

::throws confetti in the air::

In doing so, he noted that telemedicine is safe and that only about fifty women a year take RU-486 in that manner, anyway.  As I said in my post about the TRAP bill Governor Dayton vetoed, the party of fiscal responsibility* is trying to pass bills of minimal efficacy that would take a lot of money to enforce.  They claim it's out of concern for the health and safety of women, but, frankly, that's a load of bullshit.  The RU-486 pill is safe to take, and, as, there are other more serious procedures that are allowed by law to occur by telemedicine here in Minnesota.

Governor Dayton specifically called out the legislature for intruding on a woman's right to choose.   Of course, since he's a Minnesotan, he did it in an understated fashion, but he definitely called them out. Here is the money quote from his veto letter:

This bill continues the Legislature's attempt to place new regulatory burdens only on certain health procedures. Telemedicine has been a commonly used form of health care service delivery for nearly two decades.  It is now widely accepted as safe, accessible, and cost-effective for patients.  This bill's unique, new regulatory burden for a single procedure would increase the cost of health care and add unnecessary barriers to a Constitutionally protected health care service for women.  Minnesota's laws should not target or restrict the Constitutional rights of women.

Emphasis added by me.  I would have thrown in a, "Fuck you, you misogynist jackholes, with a rusty pitchfork™ sideways ten ways of Sunday for trying to control what women can do with their bodies.  I wish a muthafuckah would", but that's why he's governor, and I'm not.

I am happy that Governor Dayton pointed out that contraception is a right  and that he is serious about protecting said right.  He wasn't wishy-washy or mealy-mouth in his support for women's right to choose.  I believe Democrats have seceded too much ground on this issue, and that's part of the reason the Republicans feel emboldened to whittle away at our right to choose.  Abortion is legal.  Contraceptives are legal.  If the Republicans want to change that, they can do it  by overturning Roe v. Wade** rather than chip, chip, chipping away at our rights bit by bit.

Oh, and voting matters.  I know I'm a broken record on this issue, but Dayton won by 9,000 votes.  9,000 votes is what allows me not to sputter in apoplexy when I read about the anti-abortion bills the MN legislature passes because I am fairly certain the governor will veto such bills.  9,000 votes is why Minnesota doesn't have a horrifying Stand Your Ground law of its own because, yes, the governor vetoed that bill as well.  9,000 votes is why I don't have to contemplate a move out of my home state*** at the moment, either.  Voting fucking matters - don't let anyone tell you differently.

I sent a thank-you tweet to Governor Dayton for his veto - you can, too!  His handle:  @GovMarkDayton.

*Said with tongue firmly in cheek.

**I don't think they actually want to make abortion and contraceptives illegal because it's such a good way to  easily rouse the base - to exhort against abortion, I mean.  Agitating against contraception?  Not such a winning idea, methinks.

***If a Constitutional ban against SSM and/or voter suppression pass/passes in November, I may rethink that statement.

Image provided via Microsoft Office clip art, all rights reserved.