Leftish

Several Illinois lawmakers expressed frustration last week when the Illinois House Agriculture Committee once again put women’s health issues on their agenda — and now one legislator is fighting back.

The committee, which is supposed to deal with livestock and farming issues, has a history of taking up controversial social issues as a way of pushing conservative policies to the floor. The committee has previously debated gambling, abortion and even state gun laws.

The agriculture group is now looking to amend the Ambulatory Surgical Treatment Center Act to impose strict new regulations on women’s health clinics that offer abortions. They also want to pass the Ultrasound Opportunity Act, which would require all Illinois women seeking abortions to view an ultrasound of the fetus, or sign a statement documenting reasons for refusing. The bill would not allow exceptions for any health circumstances.

Almost all of the lawmakers pushing for the abortion restrictions are Republican men, and lesbian Rep. Kelly Cassidy wants to make it clear that she does not stand with her agriculture committee counterparts on these issues. Cassidy reportedly told LGBT journalist Jamie Royce that she plans on introducing a measure that would require people seeking Viagra for erectile dysfunction to watch a video on potential side effects before receiving it.