Does OK GOP Chairman Matt Pinnell Agree with Congressman Todd Akin’s Comments?…His Silence is Deafening
Oklahoma Republican Party Chair Matt Pinnell Needs to Stop the War on Women
Oklahoma City – In Missouri, Congressman Todd Akin-R, has made appalling comments that women who are “legitimately raped” will not become pregnant. This statement has brought women’s health and the Republican Party’s way of thinking about the female body onto the national stage again. In Oklahoma, the Republican Party has constantly tried to regulate women’s bodies with invasive legislation that is unconstitutional, unnecessary, and demeaning. The citizens of Oklahoma deserve to hear Republican Chairman Matt Pinnell denounce Congressman Akin and for the OK GOP to end the war on women. “It would be immoral for Chairman Pinnell to continue to support Congressman Akin as a candidate for Senate,” said Oklahoma Democratic Party Vice-Chair Dana Orwig.
Vice-Chair Orwig stated, “This shows that the war on women from the Republican Party is nationwide.” During the last year alone there have been several pieces of controversial legislation and patterns of bad behavior that have been seen from Oklahoma Republicans.
On March 5, 2012 Representative Jeannie McDaniel-D, presented an amendment to House Bill 2381 to remove a requirement enacted into law two years ago, which states physicians, prior to performing an abortion, must conduct a transvaginal ultrasound on the woman. The amendment was tabled by a motion from Rep. Josh Cockroft-(R).
In February of 2012, a vulgar email from the Insurance Commissioner’s office was sent out referring to women in a demeaning way.
On April 26, 2012 Senators Tom Coburn-(R) and James Inhofe-(R) voted against Senate Bill 1925, the Violence Against Women Act, which would protect all women and approximately 150,000 Native American women in Oklahoma with specific language to help protect them on tribal lands.
“It’s outrageous that the Oklahoma Republican Party continues to attack women under the direction of Matt Pinnell and the Republican leadership supports these acts of bad behavior.” Vice-Chair Orwig continued, “I believe that Republican Party Chairman Matt Pinnell needs to respond to these attacks and ask Congressman Akin to step down.”
Calls made to the Oklahoma Republican Party were turned away because Chairman Matt Pinnell is out of town testifying in a case in which their State Convention has been called into question because of not following the rules.
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