Legislator banned for saying 'vagina' in abortion debate

Michigan Rep. Lisa Brown was gaveled out of order Wednesday for using the word "vagina" in the House chamber (1:55 in the video above), and on Thursday was banned from speaking, despite having prepared a speech on teacher retirement with presumably very few references to genitals. "I'd love to know what I said that was offensive," Brown said. "It was an anti-choice bill regarding abortion, which obviously involves a vagina." Rep. Barb Byrum was also banned from speaking after proposing an amendment to an anti-abortion bill, that men must prove medical emergency before a vasectomy. A spokesman said Byrum "had a temper tantrum on the House floor," but Byrum pointed out male spokesmen who have had "physical altercations" on the floor weren't banned from voicing their views.