Rep. Mary Lou Marzian (D-KY) said she’s proposed House Bill 396 “to protect these men from themselves,” Raw Story reports.
She notes that she wants to make sure that men are completely informed about a drug with side effects that are potentially dangerous.
Viagra does indeed, have numerous side effects, which you can check out here. Many aren’t necessarily harmful, but there are a few doozies.
The bill also states that only married men can obtain the drug. It requires a man to place his hand on a Bible and swear that he will only use a prescription drug for erectile dysfunction when having sex with his current wife.
“This is about family values,” Marzian told the Courier-Journal.
Marzian also admits that she did this as a response to a number of anti-abortion measures in the current legislative session, especially Senate Bill 4. If a woman is seeking an abortion, this bill requires her to get counseling 24 hours prior to the procedure from a health professional, the Courier-Journal reports. The counseling has to be done in person or through telecommunications.
Known as the “informed consent” bill, SB 4 passed last week and was signed into law by Governor Matt Bevin.
Marzian is an abortion-rights supporter, and she noted that HB 396 is an effort to protest the largely male General Assembly’s sticking its’ collective nose into women’s health.
“Do we really want a bunch of legislators interfering in private, personal, medical decisions?’ she asked.
It’s a pertinent question, and it makes me glad I’m older, and beyond worrying about pregnancy–or abortion.
As early as April 2015, a slew of anti-abortion bills had been passed for that year, Bustle.com reports, citing statistics compiled by the Guttmacher Institute. In 2015’s first quarter, lawmakers in all 50 states collectively introduced 332 provisions aiming to restrict abortion services. That’s a huge contrast to 2014, when a mere 335 measures to restrict abortion were passed during the entire year.
This means, of course, that lots of legislators have been sticking their noses into women’s personal decisions, so it’s no wonder that Marzian, a nurse, feels a bit irritated.
Even though she doesn’t think her bill is going to go the distance, she’s on a roll, and plans to file a bill requiring gun buyers to get counseling from gun violence victims 24 hours before the purchase.
“I’m just making sure the government is taking care of your safety,” she told the Courier-Journal.
Go get ’em Rep. Marzian!
