Thom Tillis has a clear record when it comes to women. And it’s not good.
Tillis supports a personhood amendment that could make some forms of birth control illegal. He passed legislation that threatened to close women’s health care clinics in North Carolina. And he even believes states should have the right to make birth control illegal entirely.
So it’s no surprise when Tillis’s attacks on women extend beyond his legislation and into his personal comments and behavior. Coming under fire this week after a film tax credit that supports North Carolina was killed in committee, Tillis let his true colors shine though. While he previously supported the credit, Tillis was notably quiet after the Koch brothers’ Americans for Prosperity railed against it–a group that has also poured millions upon millions into false advertisements attacking his Senate opponent. So when a female legislator, Susi Hamilton, called Tillis out for betraying North Carolina’s film community, he brushed her criticism off as being “born out of emotions.”
Thom Tillis. No friend of women.
Background:
Tillis Said That State Representative Susi Hamilton’s Criticism Of His Position On The Film Tax Credit Was “Born Out Of Emotions.” According to the Star News, “State Rep. Susi Hamilton Wednesday said the film community was ‘double-crossed’ by House Speaker Thom Tillis, whose staff she claims actively worked to defeat a budget amendment to keep film incentive talks alive in the General Assembly. ‘Rep. (Ted) Davis was given the green light to run the bill in Finance and the best we could tell during the committee, the speaker’s staff and other leaders from the Republican Party went around and whipped votes against the amendment,’ Hamilton said after the Wednesday morning failed vote in the House Finance Committee to extend film tax credits. In a rare interview with the StarNews, Tillis retorted that Hamilton’s comments were likely ‘born out of emotions’ but that this ‘sort of behavior’ makes her the ‘single greatest threat’ to a compromise on film incentives in the state House.” [Star News, 6/11/14]
Tillis Passed Abortion Regulation Bill That Would “Impose Stricter Regulations On Abortion Clinics, Require More Contact Between Abortion Clinic Doctors And Patients, And Limit Insurance Coverage For The Procedure.” According to the Raleigh News & Observer, “Waiting until the last full day of the session, the state Senate on Thursday approved the abortion bill that it had been holding for nearly two weeks. The Senate voted 32-13 to approve a House-written version of the sweeping bill. It would impose stricter regulations on abortion clinics, require more contact between abortion clinic doctors and patients, and limit insurance coverage for the procedure. Senate Bill 353 was a House rewrite that took into account concerns raised by the state Department of Health and Human Services. The bill now goes to Gov. Pat McCrory, who has said he would sign the House version but not the Senate’s, over concerns that the Senate’s bill imposed undue obstacles to abortions rather than acceptable health safeguards.” [Raleigh News & Observer, 7/25/13]
Abortion Restrictions Bill Raised Standards For Abortion Clinics To Make Them Consistent With Outpatient Surgical Centers, And Required A Doctor To Be Present For The Entirety Of A Surgical Abortion And The Initial Stage Of A Chemically Induced Abortion. According to the Associated Press, “The bill directs state regulators to change standards for abortion clinics to bring them in line with more regulated outpatient surgical centers. It also requires doctors to be present for an entire surgical abortion and when a patient takes the first dose for a chemically induced abortion.” [Associated Press, 7/11/13]
Tillis Thought States Should Have The Right To Ban Contraceptives. According to the Raleigh News & Observer, “At a GOP forum last month, candidates also said they thought states had the right to ban contraceptives. Tillis, who skipped the event, later said he agreed.” [Raleigh News & Observer, 1/31/14]
Tillis Supports A “‘Personhood’ Constitutional Amendment That Would Grant Legal Protections To A Fertilized Human Egg And Possibly Ban Some Forms Of Birth Control.” “The Republican candidates also say the state has the authority to ban contraceptives and favor a ‘personhood’ constitutional amendment that would grant legal protections to a fertilized human egg and possibly ban some forms of birth control.” Accompanying this article is a chart which said that Tillis “supports” a “personhood amendment.” [Raleigh News & Observer, 1/31/14]
Published: Jun 12, 2014