Activists on both sides of the abortion issue this week swarmed the Indiana Statehouse to rail against or cheer on a bill that would ban most abortions in our neighbor to the west.
In this week's episode of Snollygoster, Ohio's politics podcast from WOSU, hosts Mike Thompson and Steve Brown talk to Brandon Smith, statehouse reporter for Indiana Public Broadcasting, who has been covering the contentious abortion fight.
The Indiana legislature has called a special summer session to consider a bill that would ban nearly all abortion in that state. The bill under consideration in the Indiana Senate would ban all abortions except in cases of rape or incest or when the pregnant woman’s life is in danger.
Sounds simple, right? If you support abortion rights. You vote no. If you oppose abortion rights, you vote yes. But it’s not that simple, and the debate inside and outside the statehouse in Indianapolis gives us a preview of what’s to come when Ohio lawmakers take up the issue - likely after the election.
Snollygoster of the Week
This week our award goes to the Biden Administration and/or Capitol Hill Democrats - whoever suddenly rebranded the Democratic spending bill to fight climate change, lower prescription drugs and raise taxes on the wealthy. This is the bill West Virginia Senator Joe Manchin has waffled on and now supports.
It's been called The Build Back Better Bill, the Democratic spending plan, a reconciliation bill as well as the Climate and Tax package. Suddenly it’s the Inflation Reduction Act of 2022. This on the same day we learn inflation has helped slow economic growth for the second consecutive quarter. Inflation now sits at 9.1% the highest in 40 years.
The branding sends the message that Democrats and Biden are trying to do something about inflation. Since Republican lawmakers surely will vote against this, they will be voting against the inflation reduction act, and if inflation goes down, democrats can take credit…
So for their sudden rebranding of a bill, they have been working on for a year-and-a half, the Biden administration and congressional democrats get our Snollygoster of the week award.
If you have a suggestion for next week's Snollygoster of the Week award, a question or a comment, send them to snollygoster@wosu.org.
