Anger and disappointment were expressed in the state Senate chamber Wednesday because the Republican majority decided not to hear any Democrat amendments to the abortion ban bill. That bill and the Senate bill to address inflation, are expected to be taken up Thursday.
“We have to have the right to speak and this was an attempt to silence us, and this is unacceptable,” said Sen. Fady Qaddora, of Marion and Hamilton counties.
He spoke after a voice vote that was appealed by Sen. Greg Taylor of Indianapolis, that essentially quashed an opportunity to hear amendments from Democrats. As it stands now the abortion ban bill would put a limit of eight weeks on an abortion if someone were to be raped or was a victim of incest. They would also have to sign an affidavit attesting to either. The limit would be 12 weeks for girls under 16.
Those amendments are in line with what amounts to a ban on the procedure, except under certain circumstances: rape, incest or if the life of the mother is in danger, with the specifications in the adopted amendments narrowing those exceptions.
“I find it extremely disturbing that in a democracy the majority silences the minority on one of the most significant debates in 50 years in the State of Indiana,” said Qaddora, before being admonished by Senate Pres. Pro Tem Rod Bray for breaking parliamentary procedure.
Most of the votes that were taken Wednesday were voice votes, with a majority voting to “put the minority report on the table”.
“I’m offended. I’m offended that my mere motion and my reports was through a parliamentary procedure, was denied in this body,” said Taylor.
Taylor led much of the questioning of people who testified about the bill over the past two days. Those witnesses were lined up, one after the other on both days, with testimony concluding Tuesday morning and both sides being heard. Taylor was upset that state Senators, in his estimation, were not afforded the courtesy of being heard by the full Senate.
Bray said it was done according to the rules.
“This is the body of the people and the people spoke tremendously through the committee that we had the other day, and the chair of the committee decided that he would not hear amendments that we wanted to offer,” said Taylor.
He said that he wanted to give the full Senate an opportunity to “listen to the voice of the minority”.
“Well, this has solidified my opinion on we are doing today and in this special session more than anything I’ve heard in the last two days. You don’t care about the minority. You care about power,” said Taylor. “That’s exactly what you did today by denying my opportunity to speak in this body. You showed your power and control. Congratulation.”
Taylor and his colleagues have an opportunity to be heard not in speech, but in an upcoming vote on the bill, with most people who follow the Senate and its Republican supermajority believing the vote is a fait acompli, a sure thing to pass.
2 comments
In a Democracy as the democrats claim this nation is it is not unusual for the majority to hold sway over the minority. Perhaps if democrats would admit this is a REPUBLIC where the minority rights are protected along with the rights of the majority they might get a better outcome. Beside just take a look at congress. Congress has been run by democrats for a few years. They routinely run the minority out of town to get their own way. They ran republicans off their J6 Committee that were pugnacious enough to ask the hard questions. Instead, they rejected the appointees of the minority leader and put the two biggest RINOs in the house on that committee. Basically I have no respect or do I care about the protestations of state house democrats. Let em all eat cake. Currently you cannot win enough elections to run the legislature. Perhaps if you had better ideas you could win. Your hero, Lord Obama said, “Elections have consequences.” What goes around eventually comes around.
“You don’t care about the minority. You care about power,” said Taylor.
Taylor apparently hasn’t been watching all the dirty underhanded sleazy tactics his party has been pulling at the national level, because he just accused the Republicans of acting the way the Democrats have been acting for years.