Texas House Decrim Bill Hearing and Med Bill Hearing Updates!

So, HERE IS THE VIDEO from the Decrim Hearings on April 8, 2015. It's kinda scary to see some of the bills being presented before ours. Some interesting stuff for sure. 

The 'Joint Panel' (To quote Chairman Dutton) of starts at about 4:03 (that is four hours into the testimony), which was 3 decrim bills, and 1 prohibition repeal bill. I testified for two,HB 507 decrim, and HB 2165 prohibition repeal, or as he called it, David Simpson's Medical Bill. My panel of 4 witnesses, starts at around 6:16, I am the second one to testify. Ann Lee's panel (with Sheriff Louderbaker,not to be missed) is next followed by a panel with William Martin. I'll be isolating the clips this weekend I hope. But it's excellent watching, and learning. And the closing addressing is great. Watch it all if you have the time, I will again.

Annnd, we got word earlier this evening, that the Comprehensive Medical Cannabis Bills will get a hearing on Tue.  So I just got home today, and I'll be going back on Mon after my PTSD group.  I am so very relieved that I don't have to spend the next two years pissed that we didn't get a hearing.  I called Representatives on the Jurisprudence Committee today and asked them to please vote it out of Committee so it can go to Calender's Committee to be scheduled for a vote.  

I also called everyone on the Public Health Committee again and asked them to please schedule a vote.  I will be sending them thank you cards tomorrow! I will also be getting my folders ready for the committee.  It feels good to be moving forward.  

 I did make a leap of faith and reserved a room for Mon-Thur next week just in case we got the hearing, and we did! I am planning to stay an extra day, planning that it will get voted out of committee and so then I can go lobby the calenders committee members, and also the Jurisprudence Committee if they haven't voted it out of committee by the time I get there.  I will hope that they will. 

Well, that's it for tonight, it's late and I didnt' sleep well last night. Was great to get home today. 

Over and out,

Myst

More Time in Austin... Veterans Lobby Day for Medical Cannabis

Greetings Friends, Readers, Staffers, Legislators and anyone else that wanders by,

Today myself, fellow veterans, family memebers and supporters, were lobbying at the Texas state capitol on behalf of HB 3720, a comprehensive medical bill. This bill has the ability to help so many!!!   Why don't these folks see the priority of this? Because it's not their kid, their sibling, parent of friend.  It hasn' affected them personally like has us, the veterans who have lived through this shit.  (sorry to the proper, this is a sailor's web page, and the place I come o vent I am not in a legislators office where I have to mind my manners) and I' so fuckin' tired of the POLITICS of this.  This is LIVES PEOPLE!!!!!  <deep breath... deep breath>.  If you added up all the people affected by the illegality of cannabis, just medically, not even all those thrown into jail for a joint or a friggin roach Anywaays, if you added them all up, and then said some plant from the Amazon had been found to cure it, so many diseases, they'd be all over it. But because it 'marijuana, the demon weed', it can't be studied or tried. 

Lobby Day Press Conference
(I am the 3rd speaker)

Today was incredibly empowering, and difficult.  I had to tell my story, and it always has impact. But it's soo hard... like I wrote in my last entry about how it feels to have to speak about this.  Today.. it went one step further, and I actually spoke at a press conference.  The support from the Brethren was uplifting.  Speaking to a room full of people who haven't heard my story yet... makes me feel bad for them.  But the hugs I got today, was from my brothers...( I was the only female veteran in attendance!) buoyed me up for the rest of the day.  

I was a Team Leader for the first time, although I left them with a great veteran with lots of passion while I broke off from the group to join another vetern who has an appointmet to go see  Myrna Crownover. He was kind enough to let me tag along.  Yeah, I've written about her before, in my last post,  She was the one joking about us just wanting to get 'high' and triggered me so badly.  I did call her office and spoke to one her staffers about it  He was very kind, and told her he'd relay the message that I was offended by her comment.  I said 'Not so much offended, as hurt, and triggered because I was want my safe medicine!".     So the staffer we met today, was the same fella I talked with on the phone. He was very nice in person, and it was a pleasure to meet him.  I got the feeling he was all for us, but that she was the wall. Not anything he said, but being told that they have limited slots to hold hearings for, so they are choosing those that have the best chance of succeeding.  Well, if you don't hold a hearing, it SURE AS FUCK WON'T GET PASSED!!!!  What the hell???!!!!  Are they AFRAID OF THE NUMBERS THAT WILL SHOW UP???  He had to admit, they knew a LOT of folks would want to testify on it. I suggested that they do it the same way the Jurisprudence Committee did it, a session with all related bills at one table folks get three minutes to testify on one or any or all.  Four people at the table at a time, boom, boom, boom, boom, next.  Have a 'in the box' for the next four.  I testified at 1:06am.   And it went on for 3 more panels after that.  We left the capitol at 2:30am.   So it would be easy to do it that way with the CBD only bills, the medical defense bill, and the comprehensive medical bill.  LET THE PEOPLE HAVE THEIR DAY!  We KNOW it won't get through his session. But I do believe in Miracles... there is possibility on the Federal level, with the CARERS Act.

 Getting our voices heard is vitally important for another reason.  I  have run into several people who got involved this time  because of watching it online LAST TIME!  I watched and cried along with the patients who testified THEN, and I too became determined to focus totally on coming here to Austin as many times as needed this legislative session.  And so, here I am, on my 6th trip here since December.  I pray I will come back to testify at the medical hearings.  I would love to come back to watch a successful vote.. and my heart breaks... for the lives that will be lost in the next two years, while we wait... again.  Rep Dutton has been filing bills since 2003. Twelve friggin years... 6 sessions.  that's CRAAAAZY!   

At the decrim hearing, Ann Lee begged them to put her non profit, RAMP out of business.  I pray. one day.. All Americans will be able to use a medicine best suited for them.  DO NO HARM.  Not having a hearing, is doing more harm.  It's more then just a hearing, especially to us veterans, who can't help the children and families any more then we are.  Coming out to change things.  It will happen.. we all know it... it's only a matter of time with 23 medical states, and 4 legalization states.  There are some with enormous courage, like Rep David Simpson, who kicked the prohibition door down with his bill HB2165, repealing prohibition here in Texas. And truly, one of the kindest men I have ever met.  And Joe Moody, he is amazing too. So many good men and women.. and too many scared rabbits.  We veterans have had courage, now it's time for the legislators to have that same courage! 

As far as how this is working out for my therapy... it's been great!  I've had to drive here by myself.. get myself to and from the Capitol by my self, and find my way around the Capitol, but now I have a Rep Guide which has their room numbers (Thank you Cara for having me get one, invaluable!!!) combined with a map and beginning to understand the layout.  Telling all these strange men my story... has not gotten the least bit easier  to do though.  I have to fight not to cry.. and I don't want to look like a wimp...  by God the Navy was successful in teaching me to 'just suck it up sailor', in more then one sick way.  And yeah, the sicko's that attacked me, did like to use that term... fuckin' assholes....

Anyways... I think that's about all I can write tonight. But I owe ya'll a catch up on an entry about testifying in front the the committee.  Hopefully this weekend, after I get my testimony snipped out of it at least.

Okay.. well, I started out exhausted, and I still am, but at least I got some of the frustration out.

Oh yeah, before I go, I went to this great place, equine therapy for veterans.  Its about a 90 min drive, but I hope to get back into horses again as a part of my therapy.  The founder Jan, is incredibly nice, and the facilities are awesome!  They have a horse simulator that seems amazing.  Here is the web site:  Xena Project

As soon as I know I don't need to come here to Austin anymore, I'll be starting to go down there every week most likely.  They also have a llama and a bunch of goats!  It is very peaceful there.

Oh yes, and I finally have been getting dental services at the Houston VA. The diagnostic equipment isn't working very well, but the staff has been awesome, and my dentist, Dr, M is a kind and understanding lady. She gave me  a prescription for Valium to help me relax when I have an extended surgery or procedure. My friend J drove me to the one to get a bunch of fillings updated, and I was glad, cuz I was pretty woozy when I came out.  One of my trauma's was when a Navy dentist slapped me hard across the face after I involuntarily screamed when he went to pull out a wisdom tooth, over an hour after he had given me some Novocain.  Told me to 'suck it up sailor, don't EVER yell in here again!" I said "but it hurts Sir, the Novocain has worn off" and he said "Too fuckin' bad, it's coming out" and out it came.  Soo.. yeah.. I have to have some medicine to help me stay calm.  Kind lady dentists and the Outlander Musical helped me along very well through the last procedure.

Okay.. now.. I think that's it.  Thanks for stoppin' by. 
Over and out,
Myst