Ohio's Pontificating Conservatives

Few things are less credible and more nauseating than the fantasyland "beliefs" of right-wing social conservatives.  And when a group of them have a gerrymandered super-majority in the legislature, cruel and ugly ideas often result.

Abortion-ban sponsor
Rep. Sarah LaTourette (R)

Yesterday, the Ohio House of Representatives voted to ban all abortions of Down Syndrome fetuses.  Doctors performing such a procedure would be committing a felony and would have their licenses automatically revoked.  The bill now goes to the Ohio senate, where it will probably pass.  Will Gov. Kasich have the wisdom and character to veto this clearly unconstitutional POS?  Doubtful.  If he allows this awful idea to become state law, it'll be tied up in the courts for years and will cost the state a ton.  But the holy roller anti-abortion nuts don't care.  In their minds, if only one woman is must endure the punitive, forced delivery and birth of an unwanted, physically and mentally disabled child, it will all be worth it.  

SNAP photo-ID sponsor
Rep. Tim Schaffer (R)  

Citing the need to reduce fraud, fight the opioid crisis and save money in the food stamp program, the Ohio House also OK'd a bill to require all SNAP card recipients to obtain a separate state-issued photo ID card.  Independent non-partisan analysis has found that there is virtually zero fraud in the SNAP program, that it has nothing to do with drug abuse, and that the bill would not save the state a dime.  In fact, it found that issuing these photo ID's and administrating/enforcing the ID program would cost us about $5 million.  But there exists that pack of culture warriors who thrill at the thought of using photo ID's to prohibit certain people from doing certain things -- usually stopping poor people and Democrats from eating and voting.  The Senate or Kasich needs to put this miserable bill out of its misery.

My home state can be such a pontificating embarrassment!