I met Mitch and April at the University of Regina in the late 80s. In 1993, they launched The Prairie Dog, a worker’s co-operative which publishes Regina’s alternative news and entertainment magazine. In 2002, they moved to Saskatoon to start a sister paper, Planet S. They’re now back in Regina. April continues her great work with worker co-ops and co-operative development. I’ve heard bits about her involvement in Regina’s north-central community, but haven’t spoken with her directly. Mitch completed his PhD while in Saskatoon and is currently the Head of the U of R’s Journalism School.
Why does the regina mom tell you all this?
Well, it’s because she has an article upcoming in the next issue, available Thursday, May 22. Here’s your sneak peek:
Ken Epp’s Phony Act
Tory member’s legislation is a sneaky attack on reproductive rights
by Bernadette Wagner
Not surprisingly, Ken Epp’s introduction of the Unborn Victims of Crime Act met opposition from pro-choice groups like the Abortion Rights Coalition of Canada (ARCC) when it was introduced last fall.
That opposition has continued as the bill slimed its malevolent way through second reading and into committee this past March.
“The intent of this law is to give rights to fetuses so that abortion can be re-criminalized,” said Joyce Arthur, ARCC’s coordinator.
Epp claims the bill provides protection for pregnant women by allowing for two sets of charges to be laid should a pregnant woman be assaulted. While this may sound good, it isn’t. For starters, it attempts to separate a woman’s body from the fetus she carries — hardly a practical notion.
It’s useless in any case — even if two charges could be laid, incarceration time would remain the same. In Canada, sentences are served concurrently.
Many were shocked to see the Conservative MP from Edmonton-Strathcona’s private members bill pass second reading March 5. A Conservative-Liberal anti-choice vote was enough to edge it through the House and on to the Justice Committee for review.
Conservative shenanigans have stalled the Justice Committee from conducting any business so the NDP who, except for one MP, opposed C-484 along with the Bloc, now propose
the regina mom 
alenius
/ July 24, 2008attn: john conway re: article politics: Democratic dysfunction while i was reading this article i believed every word of it which gave me such a sinking feeling that we are helpless as to whom we vote for or who represents us whether it be provincial or federal. i haven’t voted for years because i realized this fact long ago. what are we as a populace to do i feel for our country i have been opposed to having our young men in afghanistan and i dread seeing ‘support our boys’ ribbons and placards it should read ‘bring our boys back home NOW’
thanks for this clear and honest article i just wish i didn’t feel so helpless alenius