State Houses Thread

[Cartmann99]

6 hours ago, 47of74 said:

Another State House Republican in action, this time down in Tennessee

So it looks to me like he wasn't even involved in the game but was just there as a spectator to watch his kid play. 

 

"Totally lost my junk"

So, he then tried to pull the ref's pants down to expose his junk, because seeing another man's junk would have soothed the burn from the loss of his own junk?

[47of74]

2 hours ago, Cartmann99 said:

"Totally lost my junk"

So, he then tried to pull the ref's pants down to expose his junk, because seeing another man's junk would have soothed the burn from the loss of his own junk?

Jesus I almost hosed down my laptop with my beverage.  Yeah I don't know what the deal was there with him grabbing the ref's pants like that.  Yeah being in the GQP he probably lost all his to orange fuck face.

[Ozlsn]

8 hours ago, Cartmann99 said:

"Totally lost my junk"

So, he then tried to pull the ref's pants down to expose his junk, because seeing another man's junk would have soothed the burn from the loss of his own junk?

How drunk was this guy? 

[Audrey2]

9 hours ago, Cartmann99 said:

"Totally lost my junk"

So, he then tried to pull the ref's pants down to expose his junk, because seeing another man's junk would have soothed the burn from the loss of his own junk?

What is it with these conservatives and what is located underneath someone's undergarments? They're really obsessed with those areas.

[47of74]

9 hours ago, Ozlsn said:

How drunk was this guy? 

It would not surprise me if he was somewhere above the legal limit at the time.  However GQP members can have no alcohol in their systems and still be assholes.

[CTRLZero]

Article about Doug Ericksen’s replacement.  Doug Ericksen was an anti-vax state senator, was transported to Florida from El Salvador, and subsequently died of Covid-19.  His replacement is a very young (fundie) college graduate named Simon Sefzik.  The last sentence states no one knows what Ericksen died from, but he was desperately seeking monoclonal antibodies and other Covid-19 treatments, so… 
 

Spoiler

OLYMPIA, Wash. (AP) — Simon Sefzik of Ferndale has been named to replace the late Republican Sen. Doug Ericksen in the Washington Senate.

Sefzik took the oath of office Tuesday following a 4-2 vote by the Whatcom County Council and will serve the remainder of Ericksen’s term representing the 42nd District through the next general election in November.

At 22, Sefzik is the youngest current senator, according to a state Senate Republican spokesperson.

Sefzik was appointed by the Whatcom County Council from names forwarded by the Whatcom County Republican Party. Under state law, when a vacancy occurs in a partisan office, local parties submit three names for consideration by county governing bodies, which make the final selection.

Sefzik is a recent graduate of Patrick Henry College, a conservative Christian school in northeast Virginia.

He most recently worked as an operations and logistics coordinator for Nomi Health in Denver, according to Sefzik’s resume provided to the county council. Sefzik’s resume also shows he worked in different capacities for the White House from 2020 to 2021 and the U.S. House of Representatives in 2019.

Ericksen, 52, died in December, weeks after he said he had tested positive for COVID-19 while in El Salvador. No information has been released about where he died or whether Ericksen died of COVID-19.

 

Edited January 12, 2022 by CTRLZero
Extra word.

[GreyhoundFan]

So this week, the GQP retook the Virginia House of Delegates. This is the crap that is already coming out:

 

I weep for the future.

[Howl]

 

[GreyhoundFan]

Virginia GQPers trying to ram through Trumpkin nominee Andrew Wheeler to ensure there is no clean air or water in the state: "Virginia House Republicans try hardball to save Youngkin Cabinet pick"

Quote

RICHMOND — House Republicans trying to muscle former Trump administration official Andrew Wheeler into Gov. Glenn Youngkin’s Cabinet are holding up the reappointment of a State Corporation Commission judge favored by Democrats, hoping the hardball tactic will make Senate Democrats drop their resistance to the nominee.

House Majority Leader Terry Kilgore (R-Scott) said Thursday that his caucus has “decided not to move forward” with the reappointment of Angela L. Navarro as an SCC judge because Senate Democrats have opposed Wheeler for secretary of natural and historic resources.

“The Senate’s playing games with Governor Youngkin’s appointments … and we’re just letting them know that we’re pushing back,” Kilgore said.

The General Assembly first elected Navarro to fill the unexpired term of a retiring SCC judge last year, when the House and Senate were both under Democratic control. Democrats, who still lead the Senate but lost the House in November’s elections, hoped to reappoint her to a full, six-year term this year.

Senate Majority Leader Richard L. Saslaw (D-Fairfax) said Republicans’ tactic will do nothing to make Democrats more favorably inclined toward Wheeler, a former coal lobbyist who led a rollback of Obama-era environmental regulations as Environmental Protection Agency chief under President Donald Trump.

“They’re holding up somebody who there’s nothing but positive comments about and we’re holding up somebody who’s got a record that half the country was opposed to,” Saslaw said, adding that Navarro’s reappointment had supporters that included environmentalists, utilities and business groups. “That’s the difference. … We’re not going to operate that way.”

Democrats and environmentalists expressed outrage this month when Youngkin (R) nominated Wheeler for his Cabinet, and initially all 21 Democrats in the narrowly divided Senate vowed to oppose him. But his chances seemed to improve earlier this week when Wheeler, appearing before a Senate committee, portrayed himself as an Eagle Scout who cares about the health of the Chesapeake Bay and believes in climate change, science and the concept of environmental justice. He said his record, which included cleaning up Superfund sites, had been distorted by media outlets opposed to Trump.

Sen. Joseph D. Morrissey (D-Richmond), a member of the Senate Agriculture, Conservation and Natural Resources Committee, emerged from Tuesday’s hearing saying he was at least open to supporting Wheeler.

Wheeler would only need support from one Democrat in the Senate to win confirmation since that would lead to a 20-to-20 tie vote, which Lt. Gov. Winsome Earle-Sears (R) would have the power to break.

Morrissey said Thursday night that he had no update on his thoughts about Wheeler, but he opposed linking his appointment to that of Navarro.

“I don’t believe that they should hold up the SCC reappointment,” he said. “I believe everybody should be given an up-or-down vote based on their qualifications.”

Navarro’s term expires Monday. The General Assembly could reelect her any time until the current session concludes.

If the seat remains empty after the legislature adjourns, Youngkin would have the power to make a recess appointment to the three-person commission, a state agency with regulatory authority over many business and economic interests, including public utilities, insurance and state-chartered banks.

“I like to call it the most powerful branch of state government that nobody’s ever heard of,” Sen. Scott A. Surovell (D-Fairfax) said. He said the SCC position is far more powerful than a Cabinet post, so he thought the GOP’s attempt to link the two did not make sense.

“It’s like trading Max Scherzer for a Double-A player,” Surovell said, referring to the former Washington Nationals pitcher who now plays for the New York Mets. “They’re not equivalent.”

Before she was appointed to the SCC, Navarro was deputy secretary of commerce and trade under then-governor Ralph Northam (D). She previously served as deputy secretary of natural resources under Northam and his predecessor, Democrat Terry McAuliffe.

 

[Audrey2]

I can't quite decide where to put this so I guess this is as good a place as any. I'm sorry for such a long article but I found this absolutely terrifying.

I'm so glad that I moved out of Arizona several years ago. I knew they were looney then and they're even worse now. 

In other words, you can have your nice little election which we're going to make it very easy to do since we want to get rid of most mail-in ballots but we you're formally elected officials know what's best so not only are we going to say we get to stay in power but we get to choose who we want to put in all other offices.

Arizona Republicans introduce election subversion bill

https://www.yahoo.com/news/arizona-republicans-introduce-election-subversion-110003373.html

Spoiler

Arizona Republicans have introduced a bill that would impose significant new voting restrictions and allow the state legislature to reject election results.

The measure would require the state legislature to convene after primary and general elections to review the ballot counting process and “shall accept or reject the election results”.

The proposal does not require lawmakers to find evidence of fraud or lay out any factors they would have to consider in order to overturn an election. If the lawmakers were to reject the results, any voter in Arizona would be allowed to petition a local judge to hold a new election.

The same measure would also require Arizona voters to give an excuse if they want to vote by mail, even though mail-in voting has long been used by the vast majority of voters in the state. It also would restrict voting to election day and prevent the use of vote centers, essentially mega voting precincts where anyone in a county can vote, regardless of where they live.

One of the co-sponsors of the bill is Mark Finchem, a state representative who believes the 2020 election was stolen, has ties to the Oath Keepers, and was at the Capitol on 6 January. Finchem is running to be Arizona’s chief election official and Donald Trump has endorsed him.

“We need to get back to 1958-style voting,” John Fillmore, another Republican state representative who introduced the bill said on Wednesday, according to the Arizona Republic. Arizona had a racist literacy test in place in 1958, the Republic noted. The Voting Rights Act, which wiped out many blatant efforts to keep Black people from the polls, passed in 1965.

Fillmore did not respond to an interview request from the Guardian.

“What’s clear from this bill is that there are some members of the Arizona legislature who are prepared to replace the judgment of Arizona voters with their own,” said David Becker, an election administration expert who leads the Center for Election Innovation and Research.

It’s unclear if the measure will ultimately pass. Republicans hold a 16-14 majority in the state senate, which means, if Democrats unanimously oppose it, any Republican could kill the bill by voting against it. A Republican bill last year that would have allowed the legislature to override the results of a presidential election stalled.

“I can’t imagine that they will move forward with that idea because I think the outrage from the community would be pretty big,” said Martin Quezada, a Democrat in the state senate. “But the fact that they’re even talking about this issue just shows what kind of a space that we are in right now.”

Even if Republicans drop the provision allowing the legislature to overturn elections, Quezada said, the measures that roll back vote-by-mail access in Arizona would still be extreme.

“The impact would be tremendous. It would drastically change the way elections work in the state of Arizona. I mean right now the overwhelming majority of voters vote by mail,” he said. “The turnout overall would be suppressed tremendously … The process of actually showing up at the polls to vote would be so frustrating and time-consuming that many people would feel even if they did want to vote, it’s just not worth it to deal with that type of problem.”

The proposal comes as there is increased alarm over Republican efforts across the country to make it possible for partisan actors to overturn election results, something scholars have begun calling election subversion.

“This bill follows a worrisome anti-democratic trend of legislation introduced in statehouses across the country that would make it possible for legislatures to overturn election results they don’t like,” said Jessica Marsden, a lawyer at the watchdog Protect Democracy who is tracking election subversion bills across the country.

“This brazen power grab reveals the cynical strategy behind the deceptive big lie movement: to create a pretext for interfering in election outcomes by undermining confidence in elections.”

The bill also underscores how Arizona, where Joe Biden narrowly defeated Donald Trump in 2020, has become a hotbed of conspiracy theories about the election. The state senate authorized an unprecedented months-long post-election review of 2.1m ballots in the state’s most populous county that fanned lies about the 2020 race but ultimately affirmed Biden’s win.

Some provisions in the legislation appear to be connected to conspiracy theories that flourished during that review, including the debunked belief that voting equipment was tampered with and ballots had bamboo fibers in them. The bill would require a hand count of ballots within 24 hours of an election and require the use of a hologram or other unique mark to verify the authenticity of ballots.

“They keep inventing solutions where there are no problems,” said Tammy Patrick, a senior adviser at the Democracy Fund and a former election official in Arizona.

Changing the paper used for ballots would probably make it more costly for counties to run elections and more difficult to reprint ballots if there is an error in the printing process, she said. And requiring election officials to complete a hand count of ballots within 24 hours just isn’t feasible in Arizona, where the ballot can be extremely long, with dozens of races.

“It’s not feasible, it’s not accurate, and it’s cost prohibitive … To think that you can do a full ballot hand count within 24 hours is ridiculous,” she said. Humans are also prone to make counting errors. “Everyone who has done a hand count will tell you that machine counts are more accurate,” Patrick said.

Jennifer Morrell, a former election official who now works as a consultant and election administration noted that Cyber Ninjas, the firm that conducted the unusual election review in Arizona, took months to count ballots by hand.

 

“The idea of hand counting all ballots within 24 hours of election day is completely unrealistic and shows how little the bill’s sponsors understand about the mechanics of counting ballots,” she said. “Besides the time frame being unrealistic, the process of counting by hand is prone to error. That’s part of why it takes so long. You have to go at it in a way that is slow and methodical to get it right and include enough time to verify the counting was done correctly.”

“Hand counting ballots is problematic to begin with. The time frame they’re suggesting is completely unrealistic,” said Jennifer Morrell, a former election official who now works as a consultant on election administration.

Earlier this week, Republicans in the state legislature advanced several other bills that would change election processes in the state. One bill would expand the threshold for an automatic recount from 0.1 percentage point to 0.5 (Biden defeated Trump by 0.3 points). Other bills would require the state to make ballot images public after an election while another would end all mail-in elections for school boards and cities.

 

[Cartmann99]

Oklahoma lawmaker wants to fire teachers who offend students’ religious beliefs

Quote

A newly proposed bill in Oklahoma from State Senator Rob Standridge would punish any public school teacher who promotes any position “in opposition to closely held religious beliefs of students.” Which — let’s face it — means the bill would punish any public school teacher.

Senate Bill 1470 was prefiled this week by Standridge, a MAGA cultist who made news last month when he filed a different bill to ban all books with sexual content (especially ones that affirm trans identities) from public school libraries. On Monday, he posted on Facebook about his desire to ban Toni Morrison’s The Bluest Eye from schools because it contains a rape scene.

But it’s the more recent bill that’s gotten plenty of attention online because it allows students and parents with irrational religious views to override the curriculum decisions of trained professionals.

A biology teacher who explains evolution could be ratted out by a Creationist who’s failing science class. A health teacher who educates students about different forms of birth control won’t be in that classroom for very long if an abstinence-promoting teenager is on the roster. A history teacher who correctly describes the Founding Fathers as a mix of religious and non-religious individuals could be a target of conservative evangelicals who believe Christian pseudo-historian David Barton’s lies. An English teacher who wants to challenge kids with controversial thought-provoking literature would be forced to stick to only the blandest books.

Give it time and the students would find reason to oppose math, too. The bill is vague enough to give them that leeway.

The bill would punish teachers by fining them $10,000 “per incident, per individual.” Want to raise the money via GoFundMe? Not an option. The bill says the fines must be paid “from personal resources” and offenders can’t get assistance from individuals or groups. If they catch you fundraising, the bill says you’ll be fired with no ability to go back into a public school classroom for five years.

 

[Audrey2]

1 hour ago, Cartmann99 said:

Oklahoma lawmaker wants to fire teachers who offend students’ religious beliefs

 

And they wonder why they can't get teachers in Oklahoma.

[GreyhoundFan]

A debate over race in the Virginia State House.

Quote

There might have been a great debate in the Virginia House of Delegates at a recent session. The debaters were fired up, ready to go. The topic was a barn burner. Republican Gov. Glenn Youngkin’s racially divisive election campaign had left a bad taste in many a mouth, and this was the time and place to clear the palate.

Del. Don Scott, a Democrat, began by mentioning “critical race theory,” almost as a taunt to Republicans. Youngkin had claimed that CRT could make some White children feel like “racists” and “oppressors,” and make Black children feel like “victims.”

“I understand you have found a winning issue, critical race theory, once again using the old southern strategy to use race as a wedge issue,” Scott said. “I would ask you to be very careful about continuing to use this kind of language in an attempt to rally your base.”

Someone groaned.

Del. Nick Freitas, a Republican, rose to rebuke, saying he’d heard enough of that kind of race talk.

“Almost every day, someone on the other side of the aisle gets up and either subtly or comes right out and suggests that if you don’t agree with them on policy, well, then … you’re a racist,” Freitas said. “And there have been a lot of times we’ve sat here politely and just took it. Mr. Speaker, not this time.”

That should have been the start of a let’s-get-it on-for-however-long-it-takes debate. When it comes to dealing with the unfinished business of race, few places cry out for a redoubled effort more than the Virginia General Assembly. From the earliest years of its founding — in Jamestown, 1619 — and for more than two centuries after that, this legislature served as legal architect for institutionalized slavery in America.

But the delegates were speaking extemporaneously, having been granted points of personal privilege to speak freely for only a few minutes each. They didn’t have time to note the historical context. Not even the gains made since those post-Reconstruction era losses, such as having Black and White delegates working together again.

The debate, though brief, did offer a reminder that there are ways to make a point other than texting and tweets.

On Feb. 1, Youngkin tweeted an invitation to “celebrate” Black History Month.

Sen. Louise Lucas, a Democrat who is president pro tempore of the Virginia Senate, and Black, tweeted back, “You want to do Black History Month after you set up a hotline to report any teachers who taught Black History? Hell no.”

They could have debated that, too.

The views of the two delegates were important because they reflected such distinctly different political districts.

Scott is a Black lawyer and former Navy lieutenant. He represents the Portsmouth area, located just across the water from Old Point Comfort in Hampton in the Tidewater region. The Point is where the first enslaved Africans arrived in August 1619.

For his constituents, 1619 is not just a number but a historical fact with an address, verifiable by sight. The date is the start of a 403-year timeline on which hangs the tragedies and triumphs of enslaved Africans and the millions of their African American descendants.

“Mr. Speaker, I’m going to implore us to stop using Black people and critical race theory as political tools and start governing,” Scott said. “We are tired of it. It’s getting frustrating. We would like to see the body move forward without using Black folks as props in your quest to retain power.”

Freitas is a former Army sergeant. He represents Culpeper, which is located in the north central part of the state, just east of the Blue Ridge Mountains. Culpeper is the birthplace of Confederate general A.P. Hill and, perhaps even more consequential, the home of D. French Slaughter Jr., who held Freitas’s seat in the House of Delegates from 1958 to 1978.

An unrepentant racial segregationist and loyal lieutenant in the Harry F. Byrd machine, Slaughter helped lead the “massive resistance” campaign against school integration during the 1950s. Some schools were ordered closed rather than integrate — leaving many Black students without a formal education for as long as five years. Culpeper’s school system was one of the last in the state to integrate.

“I don’t know a single person in this chamber that I would define as racist or sexist or bigoted,” Freitas said. “We have very different ideas about how to get to particular end states where all Virginians can be happy, healthy, prosperous and free.”

He made a point of showing how parents know that “critical race theory,” is being taught in schools, even though it is a college-level concept, and what happens when they report it.

“You had a lot of parents coming to their local elected officials asking questions about what was going on in their schools,” Freitas said. “And the initial response was, ‘Oh, it’s not there.’ [Meaning critical race theory]. And then when they saw evidence that it was based on what their kids were coming home and saying to them, and they went back and reissued the concern, then they were told, ‘Oh well, then you must be a racist.’”

Freitas was cheered enthusiastically by the Republican majority.

Scott had been booed but held his own with a sharp retort, “I know the truth hurts, I don’t want to make you cry,” as the room was gaveled back to order.

Back at his office, Scott had a visitor. It was Youngkin. They met behind closed doors for 30 or 40 minutes. But neither commented afterward on the substance of their talk.

Sorry, secret talks don’t count.

The debate question remained unresolved, and just as urgent: Will lawmakers work to end racial divisiveness — or continue to exploit it for political gain?

 

[fraurosena]

3 hours ago, GreyhoundFan said:

The debate question remained unresolved, and just as urgent: Will lawmakers work to end racial divisiveness — or continue to exploit it for political gain?

The answer to that is as devastating as it is easy: they'll continue to exploit it for political gain.

[Cartmann99]

Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick says teaching of critical race theory should be grounds for firing at Texas universities

Quote

AUSTIN, Texas — On Friday, Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick held a news conference announcing plans he's aiming to take in the 88th Legislative Session in response to a resolution passed by the University of Texas at Austin's Faculty Council this month, expressing support for educators to have the freedom to teach "truth in U.S. history and civics education." 

At the conference, Patrick said he will be working on a bill to ban tenure for all new professor hires and allow universities to revoke tenure for professors who teach critical race theory, which he said should be grounds for firing.

According to Lt. Gov. Patrick, who is currently amid a campaign for reelection, the Texas Legislature has the ability to determine curriculums in school because they are elected by the people.

Patrick argued that the teaching of critical race theory suggests that white people are racist and that people of color are victims. He added that he stood with Black people during the time of segregation and that Americans should remember those times, but he believes critical race theory divides people and teaches them that they are either racist or a victim, which he says is inaccurate.

So, what exactly is critical race theory?

Purdue University defines it as "a theoretical and interpretive mode that examines the appearance of race and racism across dominant cultural modes of expression." In its teachings, students may learn how victims of systemic racism are "affected by cultural perceptions of race" and how they could be able to represent themselves to "counter prejudice."

Critical race theory isn't taught in Texas public schools, but lawmakers did pass two bills in 2021 related to the concept. While neither specifically mentions critical race theory, both laws focus on how teachers talk about racism, history and current events.

The UT faculty council approved a resolution earlier this month defending the freedom to teach about race, gender and critical race theory. It states that educators, not politicians, should make decisions about what they teach and supports the rights and "academic freedom of faculty to design courses, curriculum and pedagogy, and to conduct related scholarly research." The council also called for UT President Jay Hartzell and Provost Sharon Wood to reject attempts to restrict the university curriculum.

The resolution sparked the following tweet from Patrick:

"I will not stand by and let looney Marxist UT professors poison the minds of young students with Critical Race Theory. We banned it in publicly funded K-12 and we will ban it in publicly funded higher ed. That’s why we created the Liberty Institute at UT."

This led faculty members to demand an explanation from university leadership about the Liberty Institute, arguing that Patrick's statements directly contradict what they were previously told by administrators last fall.

“Either the lieutenant governor is just speaking out of school, or he’s reinforcing the very narrative that has provoked individual concerns last fall,” Texas law professor Steve Vladeck told The Texas Tribune. “It’s incumbent upon the university to provide a full-throated update and … explain to faculty members, to whom assurances were made in September, why the lieutenant governor is wrong. Or if he isn’t, why that attitude is acceptable?”

Faculty Council President Domino Perez reported that staff were told the idea for the institute originated with faculty on campus. A report from the Tribune last August shows that UT leaders were working with private donors and Lt. Gov. Patrick to create the institute as a center “dedicated to the study and teaching of individual liberty, limited government, private enterprise and free markets.” 

Meanwhile, public documents show that university leaders wanted the center to bring "intellectual diversity" to campus, and two proposals provided by Patrick's office suggested that those involved in the project had political motivations to launch it.

After Patrick's conference, State Rep. Michelle Beckley (D-Carrollton), a Democrat running against Patrick, released the following statement:

"As a member of the Aggie caucus, I stand with the University of Texas and its resolution supporting the teaching of Critical Race Theory.

"What Dan Patrick is doing is cow manure. The only manure that UT has comes from Bevo and even that is more useful than Dan Patrick - it's great fertilizer for bluebonnets.

"Educators want to teach the truth and students want to learn it. Erasing the uncomfortable realities of our past denies Texas children the knowledge they need to understand the present and work towards a better future. I appreciate those who stand up against school censorship designed to divide students in our classrooms and silence their voices. We will continue our fight to create safe, inclusive learning environments for all students."

Texas House Democratic Caucus First Vice Chair Toni Rose also released a statement:

“Today was just the latest series of attacks by Texas Republicans on our educators and students. Throughout the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, public schools have faced some of the most difficult years in the history of education. For Lt. Gov. Patrick to add to that burden for the sake of his own personal culture war against the teaching of what he refers to as ‘Critical Race Theory’ is unconscionable. 

“Our public universities are the keystone of Texas’ economic prowess. As Republicans like Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick make it their mission to undermine public trust in our education system, they will chase away the best and brightest students and educators our state needs to remain great.

“Our Republican leadership must stop making major policy decisions based on what’s politically convenient for them, and instead put Texas educators, students and families first.”

Patrick additionally released a written statement following the conference:

"Tenured professors must not be able to hide behind the phrase 'academic freedom,' and then proceed to poison the minds of our next generation. I am outraged by the University of Texas at Austin's Faculty Council's 41-5 vote on a resolution in support of teaching critical race theory, and I am further outraged that the Faculty Council told the legislature and the UT Board of Regents that it is none of their business what they taught. Universities across Texas are being taken over by tenured, leftist professors, and it is high time that more oversight is provided.

"During the upcoming 88th Legislative Session, one of my priorities will be eliminating tenure at all public universities in Texas. To address already-tenured professors, we will change tenure reviews from every six years to annually. Additionally, we will define teaching Critical Race Theory in statute as a cause for a tenured professor to be dismissed.

"The Texas Senate will also take up giving Boards of Regents more authority to address issues of tenure."

 

[Cartmann99]

 

[Howl]

On 2/18/2022 at 3:03 PM, Cartmann99 said:

Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick says teaching of critical race theory should be grounds for firing at Texas universities

A reminder for all y'all:  the Lt. Gov. is a very powerful position in Texas politics: "By the rules of the Senate, the lieutenant governor establishes all special and standing committees, appoints all chairpersons and members, and assigns all Senate legislation to the committee of his choice. The lieutenant governor decides all questions of parliamentary procedure in the Senate." 

I have to admit I'm continually gobsmacked over the wing-nut insanity that is the current state of Texas MAGA-tics (portmanteau of MAGA + politics) with the realization that (Ima gonna go all caps here) THERE IS NO BOTTOM.  It could, and likely will, get so much worse. 

It's one thing for them to spout this crap, it's quite another to be be legislating this into law, that will then be appealed, but (again, Texas judges) could possibly be allowed to stand. 

I'm soothing myself with a cuppa high ocatane tea (as much caffeine as a cup of coffee!) and contemplating that it's 43 degrees at 9:30 am on this March morning.  Sunday morning at this time of day it was in the mid 70s. Texas weather, y'all. 

That said, a lovely harbinger of Texas spring, redbud trees in bloom, have been spotted! 

Edited March 8, 2022 by Howl

[Cartmann99]

GOP Sponsor Of Ohio's Anti-CRT Bill Bungles Basic Facts About The Holocaust

Quote

A primary sponsor of a bill in the Ohio General Assembly that would ban teaching “divisive concepts” like critical race theory wrongly referred to the Holocaust as an event where “hundreds of thousands of people” were murdered “for having a different color of skin.”

The comments made by Republican state Rep. Sarah Fowler Arthur during an interview this month with Cleveland’s News 5 raise fresh concerns about Ohio House Bill 327 and whether one of the lawmakers promoting it even understands what happened during the Nazi Holocaust.

“What we do not want is for someone to come in and say, ‘Well, obviously the German government was right in saying that the Aryan race is superior to all other races, and therefore that they were acting rightly when they murdered hundreds of thousands of people for having a different color of skin,’” Fowler Arthur told the interviewer, Morgan Trau, in a four-minute clip, appearing to argue against teaching the Holocaust from the perspective of its perpetrators.

“We believe that is anti-American and that it goes against everything America stands for,” she said.

The article goes on to say that Fowler Arthur was on the state board of education before she got elected to the Ohio House in 2021.

[Howl]

 

[fraurosena]

7 hours ago, Howl said:

 

Remind me, which party is being accused of being pro pedophile again?

[Ozlsn]

6 hours ago, fraurosena said:

Remind me, which party is being accused of being pro pedophile again?

I suspect they don't think it counts if the victims are teenage girls. Prepubescent they would probably regard as beyond the pale, same with teenage boys, but girls? Much less likely.

[RosyDaisy]

Alabama joins the list of states with anti-trans laws.  

Seeking gender affirming care for children is now punishable by up to 10 years in prison  Discussion of sexual orientation and identity is prohibited in public schools.  Also, children must use the restroom that matches the sex on their birth certificate.

https://www.al.com/politics/2022/04/trans-youth-bill-backers-cheer-ivey-signing-say-legislation-about-protecting-kids-not-hate.html

I figured this would happen.  I'm just surprised Alabama wasn't the first state to do this.  I'm ashamed of my state.  Children are going to be hurt and die.  And, the state of Alabama doesn't give a damn. 

[Cartmann99]

A Republican colleague accused McMorrow of being a groomer and a pedophile in a fundraising email. McMorrow's response is below.

Edited to add: McMorrow did a Twitter thread with the text from her speech.

Spoiler

 

The unrolled version of it is here.

Edited April 20, 2022 by Cartmann99

[Audrey2]

1 hour ago, Cartmann99 said:

A Republican colleague accused McMorrow of being a groomer and a pedophile in a fundraising email. McMorrow's response is below.

Edited to add: McMorrow did a Twitter thread with the text from her speech.

  Hide contents

 

The unrolled version of it is here.

Wow! Can you imagine the 1-2 punch of her and Rep. Katie Porter from California? 

[Cartmann99]