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Banned Lawmakers Brown, Byrum Demand Explanation From Floor Leaders

What happened on the house floor is raising emotions from legislators, the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) and Talk Radio 1270 listeners. State lawmaker Lisa Brown used the word "vagina," during an abortion debate on the House floor. State Representative Barb Byrum proposed stricter regulations on vasectomies. They were both reprimanded during the controversial abortion debate this week on the House Floor. The ACLU is investigating whether the ban violates the pair's constitutional rights. Both Representatives talked with Talk Radio 1270 morning show host Charlie Langton.

First Brown tells Langton how she heard she was banned while she was getting ready to introduce a bill on teacher retirement saying "I was getting ready to speak and a democratic floor leader came up and said, 'You've been banned from speaking on the floor.'  I was taken aback. And I said why. And she said, 'They will not tell me why.'"

And Byrum says the same thing happened to her telling us, "They didn't have the guts to tell me themselves. They sent Democratic Floor Leader Segel to tell me and I was just shocked, because quite honestly, like Representative Brown -- I also had some bills on the floor that I needed to speak and support and that some in opposition to and I was prevented from doing that.


Later in the roundtable segment, in response to the ban, Detroit Senator Coleman A. Young II pointed to Dick Cheney's "F" word controversy. 2010 Michigan Republican Congressional nominee Rocky Raczkowski argued that the remark was made while Cheney wasn't acknowleged on the floor.

Young said, "A person who is second to be leader of the free world can go on the floor and call a democratic leader the "F" word. That's okay because he wasn't acknowledged." He concluded that "If it's wrong it should be wrong everywhere."

When Raczkowski joked how Joe Biden has been doing a good job along those lines, Young complained that he was changing the subject.

Here is what WXYT listeners had to say:

- It was proper language. She made her point.

- Am I offended? No.

The House Speaker's office said they need to ensure that "maturity and civility are maintained on the House floor."

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