Insurance Covering Abortion

Ms. Hernandez's article about insurance covering abortion was interesting. Women's healthcare is a hot topic in Texas government. Law makers have gotten creative in limiting women's access to abortions and women have lost more and more of their reproductive rights. This isn't just an issue in Texas. Many other states have similar bans, restricting women's access to abortions and limiting control of their lives.

Whether or not abortion should be covered on insurance should be an issue left to the insurance provider and handled in the same way any other medical issue would be addressed. Women would be able to choose insurance based on their own personal needs, regardless of the beliefs of their workplace, state, doctor or current healthcare provider.

Maybe it's time to start looking at the root causes of many of the reasons for abortion.

Some women choose abortion for financial reasons. It's a sad reality that not everyone can afford to raise a child, even a wanted child. It might be a good idea to socialize childcare. Offering free childcare would make it much more affordable for families to raise their children. Of course that isn't the only expense to consider in raising a child, but it would take the focus off of finances.

Some women choose to have an abortion because they are not prepared to have or raise a child. They should not be forced to endure a pregnancy they don't feel ready for, regardless of their personal reasons. If they do decide to go through the pregnancy, they should have their medical needs taken care of and a secure family placement for their child. This would help many women who are pregnant decide whether or not to carry the pregnancy to term based on their personal needs instead of fearing for the well-being of the child.

Some women choose to have an abortion because their child will be born with severe medical issues. Those are some of the saddest cases, because there is not much than can be done other than offer palliative care to the newborn and counseling to the family. In these cases, it seems like the most humane option is to abort as soon as they know the fetus cannot survive.

To the people who are actually concerned about abortion and would like to see it become rare, please consider supporting comprehensive sex ed classes in high schools and public classes that inform people on their contraception options. Help make those contraceptive options available to all who need them.

Don't limit women's access to medical care. We have a right to chose what happens to our bodies.

If you need any more reasons to keep abortion as available as possible, read Abortion Wars or The Story of Jane

Double Standards

Our Texas government is poorly organized. From our state constitution to the legal system, there are very shaky guidelines on how our government should be operated. We have a basic structure, consisting of courts and public offices that give us the illusion of a justice system, but our laws are unevenly enforced. Minorities, women and poor people are most affected by unjust laws and double standards.

Why is this a problem?

The system can be easily exploited and favors large businesses who know how to work the system

The people who are currently in charge don't want to give up their authority.

How can we fix this?

Take money out of politics.

Keep elections simple and state-funded.

Currently our Texas senators are paid ___ per year and will accept bribes and favors from lobbyists, even though it is technically illegal to accept contributions.

Our judges are allowed to accept campaign contributions from people who are being tried in their courts.

Lighten the load on the criminal courts

Most of our law enforcement resources go towards prosecuting for victimless crimes

Lend Me Some Sugar

In 2003 the Texas legislature passed HB 3015. The bill was intended to help level out college costs by setting aside a certain percentage of the tuition of students who could afford college and putting that money toward students who have a greater financial need. The idea behind this was that higher education could be funded without dipping into tax payer's money. HB 3015 deregulated college tuition prices, leading to a huge spike in student loan debt and making school less affordable for the average student. Before tuition was deregulated, the legislature required all public schools to charge a flat rate tuition regardless of income. Students who needed financial assistance could still receive aid through federal funding (FAFSA) or through grants and scholarships based on merit or financial need.
 

Deregulating college tuition in Texas has had some big, unintended consequences. Tuition has gone up steadily since 2003 and is currently 83% higher than it was 12 years ago. The competitive job market still requires a degree pushing many young people to find alternate means to fund their education. The University of Texas is especially affected by rising tuition and has seen an alarmingly large increase in signups on websites designed to match young women with rich old dudes to fund their college in exchange for... Ummm... Yeah.

Here are a few more reasons Texas should regulate college tuition and bring it back to a more affordable rate:

We are part of a global economy- and we are being out-ranked by countries that provide free higher education.

We are forcing young people to take on more student loan debt than ever before and sending them off into a competitive job market where having a degree doesn't guarantee a job.

http://www.nytimes.com/2015/04/05/opinion/sunday/the-real-reason-college-tuition-costs-so-much.html?fb_ref=Default&_r=0

http://www.dailytexanonline.com/2015/01/21/in-state-of-the-union-address-obama-emphasizes-college-accessibility




 

 

 

Hate Cake

The Texas legislature celebrated 10 years of denying same sex couples equal marriage rights at Faith and Family Day on Tuesday, Feb. 24, 2015 at the Texas Capitol Auditorium. The capitol was full of religious organizations and generally well-meaning people who believe that to protect their traditions they should deny others equal legal protections and benefits offered to married couples. Sounds like a win-win, right? (Sarcasm)

The Texas Definition of Marriage Amendment (Prop 2) was passed on November 8th, 2005, but the legislature decided to celebrate early... Nine months early. Perhaps it was in response to the recent marriage between Sarah Goodfriend and Suzanne Bryant, a same sex couple who have been together for over 30 years.

Sarah Goodfriend and Suzanne Bryant were a rare exception to the ban and were allowed to be married on February 19th, after petitioning a state district judge for an emergency marriage license. Their marriage has spurred a state-wide discussion on marriage laws, stoking the fast growing flames of change.

Brint Crockett writes frequently on LGBT issues, addressing his work to a more progressive audience. He writes with a clear liberal bias, which I believe encourages people who have already adopted a liberal mindset, but may not do much to persuade more conservative readers. His article includes a video taken from the event that shows the alternate point of view. In it, a man expresses his dismay at how things are "suddenly upside down" and a woman briefly describes her view of marriage and says that she believes same sex marriage is a "sin" equal to other sins, but that she will fight for what she thinks is valuable. Brint claims that these organizations are fueled by hate, but really what I see is fear of change and pressure from an established belief system. Though I agree with his stance on the issue, I don't believe he is familiar enough with his opponent's viewpoint to understand why they believe what they do and that may weaken his point for those who aren't already on board with the idea of expanding marriage to all consenting adults.

Viva la Tradición!

You're on Your Own, Texas

In 2012 the Affordable Care Act was upheld in the supreme court and ever since then it has stirred controversy over who should be able to have health insurance and who should cover the costs. The Affordable Care Act was introduced to make healthcare more accessible to the public by providing insurance to the poor and people with preexisting conditions through state-governed marketplaces. It is also intended to make healthcare more affordable for the average working adult by providing insurance benefits on a sliding scale according to income and ability to pay.

Each state is responsible for setting up and maintaining their own insurance marketplace. Insurance companies then offer their product at competitive rates, allowing people to have a range of options to suit their healthcare needs. The people who become insured through the marketplace are entitled to federal subsidies that cover a large portion of the cost of their insurance. Citizens of states who have not set up their own marketplace have been able to obtain insurance through a federal marketplace, but that may backfire.

The Affordable Care Act has come under scrutiny lately because the legislation is worded so that it allows federal subsidies to be offered through the state marketplaces, but does not explicitly cover subsidized healthcare through the federal marketplace. The lawsuit brought to the supreme court, known as King v. Burwell challenges the document, claiming that it is only allowed to subsidize insurance purchased through the state.

Texas was one of 34 states that decided not to create its own insurance marketplace. Texans who have signed up for insurance through the federal marketplace may lose their health insurance and federal subsidies. Our current governor, Greg Abbott, intends to keep federal funding out of Texas healthcare, but has not been nearly as outspoken on the subject as our former governor, Rick Perry.

Also, please watch this video:

Oh, and read this.