Racism and the Yellowstone County Republican Central Committee Chair

Jennifer Olsen, a petroleum engineer who was unemployed for years while the oil and gas industry was booming around her was recently honored in the Billings Gazette’s annual “40 under 40? segment. The newspaper lists her many jobs, never mentioning that each employer was actually her father (Eric Olsen) and the companies were often idle due to “government oppression” or some other excuse Jennifer and Eric Olsen used while soliciting donations to progress their political agenda. During their long period of unemployment, Jennifer and her father founded Montana Shrugged, a “tea party” group that advocates selective federalism and operates in a divisive and dishonest manner. Jennifer Olsen also holds the chairwoman position on the Yellowstone County Republican Central Committee. In her free time, she files frivolous and unfounded political practices complaints and apparently scours the internet searching for racist anti-Obama material.

My disdain for the Olsen family is obvious. Posts like the one captured in the following screenshot from Jennifer Olsen’s Facebook page today are why.



Thanks to the first amendment, Americans are able to think whatever they would like as well as express those thoughts, but such expression does has consequences. I discourage Yellowstone County Republican precinct chairs and legislators from turning a blind eye to this blatantly racist post. If Ms Olsen is not held responsible for her actions, we send a message that this behavior is acceptable and perhaps these views are even condoned by the GOP. The Republican Party was founded on abolishing slavery. Why do we now tolerate our leaders advocating bigotry in a public forum? Bigotry is rooted in ignorance and the Republican Party should purge this cancer from the party. Shame on you, Jennifer Olsen. You are a disgrace to your party, to the central committee you chair, to Montana, and to America.

https://montanafesto.wordpress.com/2013/02/15/racism-and-the-yellowstone-county-republican-central-committee-chair/

Abortion and contraception coverage opt-out bill heads to Oklahoma Senate

By BARBARA HOBEROCK World Capitol Bureau
Published: 2/22/2013  1:50 AM
Last Modified: 2/22/2013  7:32 AM

OKLAHOMA CITY - Employers in Oklahoma could opt not to include contraceptives and abortions in employee insurance plans under a measure that secured passage by a Senate committee Thursday.

The measure, Senate Bill 452 by Sen. Clark Jolley, R-Edmond, passed the Senate Business and Commerce Committee by a vote of 9-0 with no debate and now heads to the full Senate.

"Notwithstanding any other provision of state or federal law, no employer shall be required to provide or pay for any benefit or service related to abortion or contraception through the provision of health insurance to his or her employees," the bill says.

Under the federal Affordable Health Care Act, employee group insurance plans are required to cover contraception unless the business offering the benefit meets the conditions of being a religious organization, said Mike Rhoades, Oklahoma Insurance Department deputy commissioner of life and health insurance.

Jolley said the measure is the result of a request from a constituent, Dr. Dominic Pedulla, an Oklahoma City cardiologist who describes himself as a natural family planning medical consultant and women's health researcher.

Pedulla says he is morally against contraception and abortion. He said he had to give up his small group health plan because the only plans available in the state required coverage for contraception and sterilization. He and his family were on the plan and had to find more expensive insurance elsewhere.

"Every small group plan forces you to choose those options," Pedulla said.

Women are worse off with contraception because it suppresses and disables who they are, Pedulla said.

"Part of their identity is the potential to be a mother," Pedulla said. "They are being asked to suppress and radically contradict part of their own identity, and if that wasn't bad enough, they are being asked to poison their bodies."

Read more from this Tulsa World article at http://www.tulsaworld.com/news/article.aspx?subjectid=504&articleid=20130222_16_A1_CUTLIN363111