scott beason
Sen. Beason's Presser on Alabama Health Care Freedom Act
30/03/10 19:39
We had a pretty good crowd at today's press conference for Senator Scott Beason's SB 233 (Alabama Health Care Freedom Act). The AP estimates 250 people. Senator Beason did a great job explaining why he introduced the bill, what it does, and why it's important that Alabama pass it.
Here are a couple of pictures of the crowd:
Democrats put Senator Beason's Health Care Freedom Act on the special order calendar today...after the bingo bill. The Senate Democrats pulled out their bag of tricks and passed the bingo bill around 6:30 PM. They then moved on to consideration of SB 233. Senator Rodger Smitherman began to filibuster. The Senate then decided to adjourn and will take up SB 233 on Thursday.
Here are a couple of pictures of the crowd:
Democrats put Senator Beason's Health Care Freedom Act on the special order calendar today...after the bingo bill. The Senate Democrats pulled out their bag of tricks and passed the bingo bill around 6:30 PM. They then moved on to consideration of SB 233. Senator Rodger Smitherman began to filibuster. The Senate then decided to adjourn and will take up SB 233 on Thursday.
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Birmingham News Editorial Board Doesn't Get It
30/03/10 16:46
Today's editorial in the Birmingham News demonstrates just how out of touch the editors are with the people of Alabama. The citizens of Alabama are against the health care bill passed by Congress. That's not debatable or political--all 7 of our congressmen voted against it. Now citizens are united in call for the state to join 40 other states in considering legislation that will prohibit any person, employer or health care provider from being compelled to participate in any health insurance plan.
Senator Scott Beason dropped the Alabama Health Care Freedom Act at the beginning of the legislative session. On February 2, 2010, the bill passed out of committee. Up until now, Senator Lowell Barron has prevented the legislation from getting on the special order calendar for a floor vote.
The Birmingham News Claims this is just a ploy by Sen. Beason to score political points.
If this was a political ploy Sen. Beason wouldn't have been dropped the bill until after Obamacare passed. If this was a political ploy, Sen. Beason would have stopped after the initial vote to put SB 233 on the special order calender--a vote Democrats did not participate in. Instead, Sen. Beason gave the Democrats a chance to do what the people of Alabama wanted them to do.
Let me say again--40 other states have passed or are considering this legislation. We are beyond politics now. People have reached their limit where the federal government is concerned. Both Democrats and Republicans have signed on to Sen. Beason's legislation to stop enforcement of the health care bill. The Birmingham News' complete dismissal of the legislation as Republicans trying to score political points shows that they just don't get it.
Senator Scott Beason dropped the Alabama Health Care Freedom Act at the beginning of the legislative session. On February 2, 2010, the bill passed out of committee. Up until now, Senator Lowell Barron has prevented the legislation from getting on the special order calendar for a floor vote.
The Birmingham News Claims this is just a ploy by Sen. Beason to score political points.
Beason's bill and the others are nothing more than political grandstanding, with an eye toward the November election. Alabama can't pick and choose which federal laws it wants to follow. We saw how well that worked in the 1860s and the 1960s.But Alabama Republicans have made the political calculation that standing up to the federal government on health care is a winning issue. House Minority Leader Mike Hubbard, R-Auburn, who is also chairman of the Alabama Republican Party, at least was honest about it in a Huntsville Times story. "It's a good issue for us, regardless of whether we pass anything or not," he said. "People are going to take it out on Democrats in Montgomery and Washington."
If this was a political ploy Sen. Beason wouldn't have been dropped the bill until after Obamacare passed. If this was a political ploy, Sen. Beason would have stopped after the initial vote to put SB 233 on the special order calender--a vote Democrats did not participate in. Instead, Sen. Beason gave the Democrats a chance to do what the people of Alabama wanted them to do.
Let me say again--40 other states have passed or are considering this legislation. We are beyond politics now. People have reached their limit where the federal government is concerned. Both Democrats and Republicans have signed on to Sen. Beason's legislation to stop enforcement of the health care bill. The Birmingham News' complete dismissal of the legislation as Republicans trying to score political points shows that they just don't get it.
Update on Sen. Scott Beason's Bill to Protect Alabama Citizens From Obamacare
23/03/10 22:25
Here's an update on the Alabama Health Care Freedom Act from Smart Girl Politic's Marcia Chambliss:
I got a call around noon today from one of our Tea Party members to see if I could join them at the State House regarding Sen. Lowell Barron's holding Sen. Beason's bill, SB 233, from being added to the calendar for the current session. This is a constitutional amendment that will provide cover for citizens of Alabama as protection from Obamacare. I have to add that Sen. Beason is my new hero and please call to thank him for his efforts.
We were able to sit in on a rules committee meeting where the calendar for the day was reviewed and approved. Sen. Steve French requested that the bill be added to the calendar. Sen. Barron told him that he thought that bill still had some things that were "difficult to understand" and refused to add it to the calendar. If it’s difficult to understand, then he’s in desperate need for a remedial reading course. Barron then called for a vote to approve the calendar which was
seconded by Sen. Wendell Mitchell. He then called for a vote to approve the calendar which was seconded by Sen. Wendell Mitchell.
We then spoke to Sen. Mitchell and told him how vital it was that this bill reach the floor and asked that he get it on the calendar. He told us he really liked that bill and that he would definitely vote on it; one of my friends asked just how he would vote and he said that he would vote for the bill, yet he added nothing to the discussion when Sen. French asked that it be added to the calendar. He has the influence to push this to the calendar but it was obvious that he has no intention to do so.
The most telling point of our conversation with Sen. Mitchell was when one of my friends apologized to him for not knowing exactly how the process worked for getting a bill on the calendar. He responded with, "That's okay, you're not supposed to understand how it works." As Sen. Beason told us later, that's probably the most truthful thing he said to us.
I'm still outraged by that statement as well as how he treated us like little housewives that didn't have anything better to do. He was so dismissive of us and it was obvious that he has a deaf ear to his constituents.
Bottom line - the arrogance in D.C. is glaringly apparent throughout every level of government and every bit of that arrogance has a "D" behind their name. Sen. Barron was so proud of himself and almost broke his arm in patting himself on the back for allowing Republican bills on the calendar - he even pointed out to the two Republicans in the meeting that they got first billing on the calendar with one of their bills, which brought laughs from the Democrats in the room.
Please, please, please - if you can get to Montgomery at anytime during the last days of this session - GET HERE!!! We have to fill the halls on Tuesdays and Thursdays for the next 5 weeks. The Tuesday sessions start at 2:00 p.m. and the Thursday sessions start at 10:00 a.m. I will be there this Thursday and as many of those remaining days as possible. There are 2 bills in the House, but Sen. Beason's bill is the best of the 3. I live in the area so let me know if you need info. If you can't physically make it, melt the phones, faxes, and email to the following:
Seth Hammett 334-242-7668 (Speaker of the House)
Lowell Baron 334-242-7858 (Rules Committee Chairperson) He also HAS the power.
Tom Butler 334-242-7854 (Health Committee Deputy Chairperson)
Zeb Little 334-242-7855 (Senate Majority Leader)
I know that the AGs have filed suit but we need to hit this monstrosity from every angle possible.
As a last note, if you've never sat in the Senate gallery during a session, it's quite an education. They spent the first hour today acknowledging their tour groups in the gallery, reading proclamations to honor deceased constituents, and discussing their upcoming softball game between the House and the Senate. And we wonder why nothing is accomplished???
I got a call around noon today from one of our Tea Party members to see if I could join them at the State House regarding Sen. Lowell Barron's holding Sen. Beason's bill, SB 233, from being added to the calendar for the current session. This is a constitutional amendment that will provide cover for citizens of Alabama as protection from Obamacare. I have to add that Sen. Beason is my new hero and please call to thank him for his efforts.
We were able to sit in on a rules committee meeting where the calendar for the day was reviewed and approved. Sen. Steve French requested that the bill be added to the calendar. Sen. Barron told him that he thought that bill still had some things that were "difficult to understand" and refused to add it to the calendar. If it’s difficult to understand, then he’s in desperate need for a remedial reading course. Barron then called for a vote to approve the calendar which was
seconded by Sen. Wendell Mitchell. He then called for a vote to approve the calendar which was seconded by Sen. Wendell Mitchell.
We then spoke to Sen. Mitchell and told him how vital it was that this bill reach the floor and asked that he get it on the calendar. He told us he really liked that bill and that he would definitely vote on it; one of my friends asked just how he would vote and he said that he would vote for the bill, yet he added nothing to the discussion when Sen. French asked that it be added to the calendar. He has the influence to push this to the calendar but it was obvious that he has no intention to do so.
The most telling point of our conversation with Sen. Mitchell was when one of my friends apologized to him for not knowing exactly how the process worked for getting a bill on the calendar. He responded with, "That's okay, you're not supposed to understand how it works." As Sen. Beason told us later, that's probably the most truthful thing he said to us.
I'm still outraged by that statement as well as how he treated us like little housewives that didn't have anything better to do. He was so dismissive of us and it was obvious that he has a deaf ear to his constituents.
Bottom line - the arrogance in D.C. is glaringly apparent throughout every level of government and every bit of that arrogance has a "D" behind their name. Sen. Barron was so proud of himself and almost broke his arm in patting himself on the back for allowing Republican bills on the calendar - he even pointed out to the two Republicans in the meeting that they got first billing on the calendar with one of their bills, which brought laughs from the Democrats in the room.
Please, please, please - if you can get to Montgomery at anytime during the last days of this session - GET HERE!!! We have to fill the halls on Tuesdays and Thursdays for the next 5 weeks. The Tuesday sessions start at 2:00 p.m. and the Thursday sessions start at 10:00 a.m. I will be there this Thursday and as many of those remaining days as possible. There are 2 bills in the House, but Sen. Beason's bill is the best of the 3. I live in the area so let me know if you need info. If you can't physically make it, melt the phones, faxes, and email to the following:
Seth Hammett 334-242-7668 (Speaker of the House)
Lowell Baron 334-242-7858 (Rules Committee Chairperson) He also HAS the power.
Tom Butler 334-242-7854 (Health Committee Deputy Chairperson)
Zeb Little 334-242-7855 (Senate Majority Leader)
I know that the AGs have filed suit but we need to hit this monstrosity from every angle possible.
As a last note, if you've never sat in the Senate gallery during a session, it's quite an education. They spent the first hour today acknowledging their tour groups in the gallery, reading proclamations to honor deceased constituents, and discussing their upcoming softball game between the House and the Senate. And we wonder why nothing is accomplished???