Florida Lawmakers Spar in 'Uterus' Row Amid Abortion Battle

Sparring lawmakers. Outraged constituents. A heated national debate.

The fast-brewing controversy out of Florida bears all the hallmarks of the long-running fight over abortion. And yet, for now at least, the sparring is focused on a single word, a body part that has become an improbable battle cry for pro-abortion-rights Floridians and a thorn in the side of conservative lawmakers: "uterus."

The uterus brouhaha began last month, when Florida state Rep. Scott Randolph, a Democrat, announced on the House floor that his wife would likely have to incorporate her uterus in order for Republicans to drop the 18 bills sitting in the Florida House that seek to restrict abortion rights.

Steve Cannon, AP

State Rep. Scott Randolph, D-Orlando, debates against the House budget bill on Thursday in Tallahassee, Fla.

Randolph says he was trying to show the hypocrisy of advocating laws that tell women what to do with their bodies while imposing few restrictions on big business. He has used the same analogy to describe Republican policy on unions.

"It's easy to practice an ideology of convenience," he said March 25, according to the St. Petersburg Times. "If my wife incorporated her uterus, you all would say hands off. If my friends incorporated their bedroom, you'd say hands off. But now we're standing here and we're saying we're going to increase regulation on a specific type of membership organization. And that's unions."

The unusual flash point only went national, however, when Randolph said last week that he had been told not to use the word by House Speaker Dean Cannon, a Republican. "The speaker believes it is important for all members to be mindful of and respectful to visitors and guests, particularly the young pages and messengers," Katie Betta, a Cannon spokeswoman, told the Times.

But Cannon says he told Randolph no such thing and denied that the word was banned. "Number one, I haven't spoken to Scott Randolph in many weeks," Cannon told The Associated Press. "One of the reasons that he is one of the least effective members of the Democratic caucus is he substitutes things that have provocative value or shock value rather than making policy arguments. I have not reprimanded him or had any conversation with him."

That hasn't stopped state Democrats and abortion-rights groups from adopting the term as a rallying cry, however. The American Civil Liberties Union launched the website IncorporateMyUterus.com, along with the tag line, "My Uterus Is My Business," and Randolph has appeared on the "Rachel Maddow Show" to talk about the controversy, where he slammed the GOP policy on abortions in his state. "It's the classic ideology of convenience," he said. "Whatever is convenient for their donors is what they believe in."

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