Quote of the Day

"I'd like to praise the Governor for working to completely turn off the spigot of taxpayer funds to Planned Parenthood."—Tennessee Lt. Gov. Ron Ramsey (R-Ealpieceofwork), praising "the work of Gov. Bill Haslam and the Tennessee Department of Health for moving to administratively defund Planned Parenthood." No vote. Full-tilt fiat.

The hat tip goes to Aunt B., who emailed (which I am publishing with her permission):

Tennessee Republicans just maneuvered to completely defund Planned Parenthood in Tennessee through backroom machinations. It's not up for a vote. It's not being legislated.

But it's done.

I can't see that they're breaking any federal laws, since they're claiming to offer the same services through county health departments.

I'm in complete despair.

It's hard to live in a place that hates you, you know?

I do know, because I live in fucking Indiana, which has also defunded Planned Parenthood, although at least Mitch Daniels and his merry band of miscreants had the decency to pretend they still care about our democracy and its legislative process before ramming it through.

I'm sorry, Tennessee.

To my sisters across this nation, where it is getting to be a very scary place to be a woman, I reach out my hand in solidarity. We've got a real goddamn fight here, and we're going to need each other.