Last week, State Rep. Arnold Mooney (R-Indian Springs) introduced a request to formally “censure and condemn” his colleague State Rep. John Rogers (D-Birmingham) for comments Rogers made earlier this month on the Alabama House of Representatives floor during the debate over HB 314, also known as the Human Life Protection Act.
That legislation was signed into law by Gov. Kay Ivey earlier this month and criminalized any abortion with few exceptions. Its proponents hope the law will be challenged and ultimately heard by the U.S. Supreme Court.
Mooney, who is a candidate for the Republican nomination for Alabama’s U.S. Senate seat up in 2020, introduced the resolution as Rogers was attempting to slow down the work of the House.
During an appearance on Huntsville radio’s WVNN on Tuesday, Mooney argued his actions were justified given Rogers had not shown any remorse and had appeared to double-down on those remarks.
“Quite simply, John made statements on the floor of the House,” Mooney said on “The Jeff Poor Show.” “He represents a district up in Birmingham and has every right to represent his district. But, he made statements about how some kids are unwanted, and you kill them now, or you kill them later. He went on to continue to make those statements again. He made them again last week, and he’s made them again today. I don’t know why in our state we would ever tolerate anything like that. He then took on deciding to sort of defend what he was by saying, ‘Well, he didn’t want to use the word ‘retarded.’’ He used the word ‘retarded’ saying that about special needs children, special needs families and special needs adults – you know the whole situation is one that I quite frankly feel like it denigrates our state and our legislature and our whole process. You know, there are thousands of Alabama families who have special needs children, and they need love as well. There are special needs adults who are leading full lives with meaning and dignity.”
“He’s continued to make the statements over and over,” Mooney added. “And quite frankly, it brings shame. It brings dishonor on all of us in Alabama, those of us who serve in the House and the Senate in Alabama, those who work there, everyone. It’s just simply a terrible situation for our state.”
The Shelby County Republican said given no one else seemed to be willing to step up and take on Rogers, he took it upon himself to do so.
“I just reached the point – I had enough,” Mooney said. “No one else was going to do it. It was time for me to do it. I couldn’t not do it. It had to be done.”
@Jeff_Poor is a graduate of Auburn University, the editor of Breitbart TV and host of “The Jeff Poor Show” from 2-5 p.m. on WVNN in Huntsville.
