Here are some bills being proposed this legislative session in the Virginia General Assembly. There may be others, I did not search on terms relating to reproductive health, these bills were found through a search of various legislators.
A preface to those who go to read the full text of the bills -- from my vague understanding, regular type indicates statutes that already exist and italics denotes what is being proposed. If you're interested, check out the LIS to learn more about the bill and how to contact your delegate or senator (http://conview.state.va.us/whosmy.nsf/main?openform).
Some of these bills may set the stage for outlawing abortion. E.g. if a fetus is given anesthesia during an abortion, perhaps the next step is to find that the fetus is being murdered, not aborted...
Anesthesia for fetal pain. Observes that fetuses over the gestational age of 20 weeks feel pain and provides that failure, subject to exceptions, of a physician to administer anesthesia to such a fetus prior to an abortion is a Class 1 misdemeanor. HOUSE BILL NO. 1524
Full text
Emergency postcoital contraception. Provides that public two- and four-year institutions of higher education are not immune from civil liability resulting from injury sustained from exposure to emergency postcoital contraception, commonly referred to as "morning after pills," prescribed or dispensed by the medical or nursing staff employed or contracted by the institution to provide student health care services. House Bill 1813
Full Text
Gruesome...
Execution of pregnant inmate. Proscribes the execution of an inmate while she is pregnant. The bill requires the Department of Corrections, if it finds that such female inmate is pregnant, to petition the sentencing court for a new execution date, which is at least 10 months later than the original execution date. The bill does not give the court discretion to determine the accuracy of the Department's finding but only the authority to set a new execution date.
House Bill 1812
Full text
Sale of or other traffic in fetal body parts; civil penalty.
Summary as introduced:Sale of or other traffic in fetal body parts; civil penalty. Makes the sale of or other traffic in fetal body parts a prohibited business practice. Violators of the statute may be assessed a $1,000 civil penalty per fetal body part sold or otherwise trafficked but are not subject to criminal prosecution. House Bill 1809
Full text
Sale of post-abortion fetal tissue unlawful; penalty.
Summary as introduced:Sale of post-abortion fetal tissue unlawful; penalty. Provides that any physician who performs an abortion and sells or offers for sale fetal tissue resulting from the abortion is guilty of a Class 1 misdemeanor. House Bill 1810
Full Text
Sunday, January 09, 2005
Kicking and Screaming
Okay, Elizabeth on Half-Changed World and Suzanne (not my daughter, but shares the same beautiful name), whose comments I've seen on my friend Anne's blog (boy, I need to figure out how to do a blogroll...), have inspired me to dip my toes into state politics. Well, to following bills proposed by our state General Assembly at the very least.
I'm a legislative monitor on homeschooling issues. This is my first year doing this and I'm slowly learning the ins and outs of the Legislative Information System and a bit about state politics. I've seen lots of bills that I find interesting but I have no action steps. I figure I'll start posting them and adding some of my feeble commentary and links to those whose commentary is not feeble.
Oh, and check out Maura's blog, she knows more about politics in Virginia than I do.
I'm a legislative monitor on homeschooling issues. This is my first year doing this and I'm slowly learning the ins and outs of the Legislative Information System and a bit about state politics. I've seen lots of bills that I find interesting but I have no action steps. I figure I'll start posting them and adding some of my feeble commentary and links to those whose commentary is not feeble.
Oh, and check out Maura's blog, she knows more about politics in Virginia than I do.
My Soul, as Revealed by On-Line Quiz
Many thanks to PoeticMermaid for posting this on her blog.
Well, I'm not sure I have a 'quiet nature,' but I'd like to think everything else is true!
|
You Are a Seeker Soul |
You are on a quest for knowledge and life challenges. You love to be curious and ask a ton of questions. Since you know so much, you make for an interesting conversationalist. Mentally alert, you can outwit almost anyone (and have fun doing it!). Very introspective, you can be silently critical of others. And your quiet nature makes it difficult for people to get to know you. You see yourself as a philosopher, and you take everything philosophically. Your main talent is expressing and communicating ideas. Souls you are most compatible with: Hunter Soul and Visionary Soul |
Well, I'm not sure I have a 'quiet nature,' but I'd like to think everything else is true!
Sunday, January 02, 2005
Ebb and Flow
I'm still thinking about Akilesh's post Coming and Going. I'm reading a book for a women's discussion group, Enduring Grace by Carol Lee Flinders, which gives portraits of seven women mystics from the Middle Ages, all Catholics, most saints.
In the chapter on Mechthild of Magdeburg, Flinders writes:
p.62
In the chapter on Mechthild of Magdeburg, Flinders writes:
The forgetting of self that must take place, the emptying of all personal
desire, cannot happen all at once. We only let go by degrees -- as little, in any one round of the upward spiral, as we are absolutely sure we have to! On the path to God, light gives way to darkness, and darkness to light, at intervals. A measure of integration takes place, and we enjoy a moment of peace and joy, but the longing sets in again, and we must again exert the terrible effort.
p.62
Cream Cheese Chicken
Since my Dinner Ennui post got several comments, I'm inspired to share a recipe with you. Perhaps it will even encourage me to view dinner in a different light -- a challenge and not a drudgery.
Tonight I made Cream Cheese Chicken which I developed from a Cooking Light reader recipe I saw years ago. It violates my rule of cooking right before serving, thus its mainly served on the weekends when my DH is around to play with the kids.
Pardon the annoyance, but I feel like doing this in narrative. I use frozen boneless chicken breasts (or tenders) that I buy by the bag -- this way I don't have to plan, they are there on a whim. I poach the chicken in a saute pan (maybe about a pound of chicken) in water with some salt and pepper and Old Bay seasoning. I splash in any kind of white wine thats on hand. I cover and poach for 15 to 20 minutes, until cooked through. Meanwhile, I cook about a cup of rice, I really like Mahatma Jasmine rice (and it only takes 15 minutes, so I don't have the start the rice in advance).
After the chicken is done cooking, I remove it and cut it into bite-sized pieces. The poaching liquid becomes the base of the sauce, so if it looks like too much, I let it boil down for a few minutes (yes, I practice a method called 'faith cooking,' I used a recipe the first time and departed so far from it that I just sort of eyeball it now). To the liquid, I add half an 8oz tub of onion and chives cream cheese and half an 8 oz. tub of fat free cream cheese. I heat it to a boil and let simmer for a couple of minutes to thicken to my liking and then I add the cut up chicken to warm it. I serve it over the rice. We really like it, its rich and flavorful but not too fattening.
Tonight I made Cream Cheese Chicken which I developed from a Cooking Light reader recipe I saw years ago. It violates my rule of cooking right before serving, thus its mainly served on the weekends when my DH is around to play with the kids.
Pardon the annoyance, but I feel like doing this in narrative. I use frozen boneless chicken breasts (or tenders) that I buy by the bag -- this way I don't have to plan, they are there on a whim. I poach the chicken in a saute pan (maybe about a pound of chicken) in water with some salt and pepper and Old Bay seasoning. I splash in any kind of white wine thats on hand. I cover and poach for 15 to 20 minutes, until cooked through. Meanwhile, I cook about a cup of rice, I really like Mahatma Jasmine rice (and it only takes 15 minutes, so I don't have the start the rice in advance).
After the chicken is done cooking, I remove it and cut it into bite-sized pieces. The poaching liquid becomes the base of the sauce, so if it looks like too much, I let it boil down for a few minutes (yes, I practice a method called 'faith cooking,' I used a recipe the first time and departed so far from it that I just sort of eyeball it now). To the liquid, I add half an 8oz tub of onion and chives cream cheese and half an 8 oz. tub of fat free cream cheese. I heat it to a boil and let simmer for a couple of minutes to thicken to my liking and then I add the cut up chicken to warm it. I serve it over the rice. We really like it, its rich and flavorful but not too fattening.
Choice of Religion
I saw an acquaintance of mine yesterday who I hadn't seen in awhile. Her appearance was strikingly different because her hair was completely covered with a scarf. Since I hadn't seen her in months, I figured that she had become a Muslim. I wasn't quite sure how to approach it, but I'm generally blunt, hopefully I'm gently blunt, so I noted that I'd never seen her before with a head covering. She was quite open in discussing her conversion. I was curious as to what she found in Islam that she found lacking otherwise. Its always interesting to truly listen to others, what they say and what they don't say.
One of the first things she noted was that she is a former Catholic and that she knows of many former Catholics who chose Islam. She talked a lot about the community she had found in Islam and her friends. I found it interesting that the first thing she spoke of in her draw to Islam was not anything religious but the community, but I can certainly understand why. It seems that the church fails, at times, in establishing community. I can't speak of all Catholic churches, but some of the Catholics I know have noted that their church experience is an on the clock, in and out experience where they don't know their fellow parishioners. It sounds a lot like punching the clock and I can honestly say that I don't get it. It addresses the 'love your God' part but seems a little lean on the 'love your neighbor as yourself.'
After speaking about the community ties she has in her community (sorry, I don't remember the term for community center/church, I know there is one, I just don't know what). She noted the absence of an authority structure within Islam, there is no priesthood, all seekers are on equal grounding. She spent a fair amount of time discussing the differences between the religion of Islam and the Arab culture and that its often hard to determine what practices stem from which.
She eventually talked about the religious beliefs. She likes that Islam does not lose Jesus, he is valued as a prophet and his teachings are respected. This was the reason she gave for not becoming Jewish, she was glad to keep Jesus. She said she was also more comfortable with the idea that salvation comes through faith and works and said that this was in keeping with Catholic teaching.
I found this encounter very interesting, partly because I was able to listen to her without judgment of any sort -- this is vastly different that I would have felt a year ago. I was genuinely interested to listen to her reasons without forming arguments in my mind. I no longer have any arguments to make. If she has found something in Islam that she could not find in Christianity, who could say she's wrong? Not me.
Strangely, I think that witnessing her bold choice of religion, one that requires that she learn much about a culture so unlike our own and that inspires her to learn a language that does not even have the same alphabet has affected me. Its a niggling feeling, but I'm not afraid.
One of the first things she noted was that she is a former Catholic and that she knows of many former Catholics who chose Islam. She talked a lot about the community she had found in Islam and her friends. I found it interesting that the first thing she spoke of in her draw to Islam was not anything religious but the community, but I can certainly understand why. It seems that the church fails, at times, in establishing community. I can't speak of all Catholic churches, but some of the Catholics I know have noted that their church experience is an on the clock, in and out experience where they don't know their fellow parishioners. It sounds a lot like punching the clock and I can honestly say that I don't get it. It addresses the 'love your God' part but seems a little lean on the 'love your neighbor as yourself.'
After speaking about the community ties she has in her community (sorry, I don't remember the term for community center/church, I know there is one, I just don't know what). She noted the absence of an authority structure within Islam, there is no priesthood, all seekers are on equal grounding. She spent a fair amount of time discussing the differences between the religion of Islam and the Arab culture and that its often hard to determine what practices stem from which.
She eventually talked about the religious beliefs. She likes that Islam does not lose Jesus, he is valued as a prophet and his teachings are respected. This was the reason she gave for not becoming Jewish, she was glad to keep Jesus. She said she was also more comfortable with the idea that salvation comes through faith and works and said that this was in keeping with Catholic teaching.
I found this encounter very interesting, partly because I was able to listen to her without judgment of any sort -- this is vastly different that I would have felt a year ago. I was genuinely interested to listen to her reasons without forming arguments in my mind. I no longer have any arguments to make. If she has found something in Islam that she could not find in Christianity, who could say she's wrong? Not me.
Strangely, I think that witnessing her bold choice of religion, one that requires that she learn much about a culture so unlike our own and that inspires her to learn a language that does not even have the same alphabet has affected me. Its a niggling feeling, but I'm not afraid.
Saturday, January 01, 2005
Be It Resolved
Have I made it clear on this blog that I'm not a fan of the holiday season or have I only been grumbling in the comments sections of other blogs?
Anyway, to continue with my dim view of the holiday season, I roundly reject the idea of the New Year's Resolution. Why? I think its arbitrary to set aside one day as the start date for any hopes or plans of improvement one has. I also feel it sets you up for failure -- opps! blew that New Year's Resolution, oh well, I'll just give up on that effort. A resolution can be made at any time, broken at any time, reconsidered at any time, and renewed at any time. The idea of one day on which to put all the pressure of a list of resolutions on oneself seems destined to failure, worse, it seems like a self-destructive urge under the guise of a self-improvement plan.
Over on Graceful Presence, Akilesh posted Coming and Going, which speaks of spiritual awareness, mindfulness, but which I see as applying to everything we undertake. Akilesh says, "Everyone does this. Give yourself a break. Everyone loses it, and discovers it again. We lose it and rediscover it. Of course it doesn't go anywhere." The subject is awareness but it could be taking care of oneself, eating right, exercising, being patient with your children.... Your abilities and effort come and go, you lose it and rediscover it. A resolution feels to me like shackles, acceptance and understanding feel like freedom and growth will result.
Happy New Year.
Anyway, to continue with my dim view of the holiday season, I roundly reject the idea of the New Year's Resolution. Why? I think its arbitrary to set aside one day as the start date for any hopes or plans of improvement one has. I also feel it sets you up for failure -- opps! blew that New Year's Resolution, oh well, I'll just give up on that effort. A resolution can be made at any time, broken at any time, reconsidered at any time, and renewed at any time. The idea of one day on which to put all the pressure of a list of resolutions on oneself seems destined to failure, worse, it seems like a self-destructive urge under the guise of a self-improvement plan.
Over on Graceful Presence, Akilesh posted Coming and Going, which speaks of spiritual awareness, mindfulness, but which I see as applying to everything we undertake. Akilesh says, "Everyone does this. Give yourself a break. Everyone loses it, and discovers it again. We lose it and rediscover it. Of course it doesn't go anywhere." The subject is awareness but it could be taking care of oneself, eating right, exercising, being patient with your children.... Your abilities and effort come and go, you lose it and rediscover it. A resolution feels to me like shackles, acceptance and understanding feel like freedom and growth will result.
Happy New Year.
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