The following statement from the Michigan Nurses Association is from Julia Morrissey, RN. She and other registered nurses were participating in a Lobby Day at the Capitol today to advocate for the Safe Patient Care Act (safe nurse-patient ratios in hospitals).

“I don’t find this funny at all, especially since these are the men making laws that stop many women from having access to life-saving health care. I’m incredibly offended that as my fellow nurses and I were hard at work advocating for patients and nurses all across the state, these male lawmakers were casually poking fun at the women of Michigan. It’s a disgusting display of how arrogant and out of touch they are."

Background: As three Republican male lawmakers posed for a photograph on the House Floor reading fashion magazines, one of them said: “Don’t say we don’t understand women.” News report and photo: http://www.mlive.com/lansing-news/index.ssf/2014/06/michigan_lawmakers_joke_leads.html