State Houses Thread

[fraurosena]

6 hours ago, Audrey2 said:

I'm even wondering about people who are not trans who don't quite hit society's image of what a man or what a woman should look like. Will they have to publicly show their genitals to prove that they are a man or a woman by birth if cis people misidentify them as trans?

Oh my gosh, there is someone exactly like that at my work. To look at them, you would think that a man is walking toward you, with a bulky squareshaped frame, and a definite 'masculine' walk. But she's actually a biological woman. Her work is 'masculine' as well (she's a build projectmanager), she dresses in jeans and a bulky shirt, and she has a short-short 'masculine' haircut-- but she has a feminine voice. I've no idea and don't really care how she identifies herself, but no matter what, she would be in a world of trouble if she were an American in Florida.

[Becky]

More shittery from Florida. 
 

https://www.nbcnews.com/nbc-out/out-politics-and-policy/florida-republicans-pass-school-bills-pronouns-diversity-rcna82755

DeSantis is the source, of course, but he has willing accomplices in the legislature, and the populace that elected them. I have gay married brothers-in-law in Florida. They have built a life, a business, a network of friends and allies. I hope every day that they remain safe and that they don’t have to leave there. 

[GreyhoundFan]

More from Floridastan:

 

[GreyhoundFan]

As a post-menopausal woman, I guess I can’t visit KS because I won’t be permitted to use the restroom. 

[CTRLZero]

3 hours ago, GreyhoundFan said:

As a post-menopausal woman, I guess I can’t visit KS because I won’t be permitted to use the restroom. 

Maybe we can all not visit Kansas together, egg producing or not.  I’m getting to the point where if people introduce themselves as being from a certain state, I’m tempted to say I’m sorry.  

[zeebaneighba]

6 hours ago, CTRLZero said:

Maybe we can all not visit Kansas together, egg producing or not.  I’m getting to the point where if people introduce themselves as being from a certain state, I’m tempted to say I’m sorry.  

I wish to god I didn't live here, but that's where ZeebaHubby's job is and he is less than 5 years from retirement.  I am counting the days until I can move somewhere sane.

[CTRLZero]

8 minutes ago, zeebaneighba said:

I wish to god I didn't live here, but that's where ZeebaHubby's job is and he is less than 5 years from retirement.  I am counting the days until I can move somewhere sane.

When you find a sane place, let me know.  Things can change so quickly.  🙃

[thoughtful]

More from Kansas, specifically Mark Steffen.

Quote

Kansas Senator Mark Steffen has drawn backlash after comments he made to a constituent of a different faith.

“Obviously not everybody’s from the same background, I’m a Muslim woman and there are people that are atheist,” Rija Nazir asked the lawmaker. “So, what do you say to those people that are against a more biblical approach to certain laws? How would you justify that?”

“Well, I’d be happy to convert you,” Sen. Steffen responded.

https://www.wibw.com/2023/04/28/kansas-lawmaker-draws-backlash-religious-conversion-comment-muslim-constituent/

[church_of_dog]

3 hours ago, CTRLZero said:

When you find a sane place, let me know.  Things can change so quickly.  🙃

I'm thinking Canada. 🇨🇦 🍁

[zeebaneighba]

20 hours ago, church_of_dog said:

I'm thinking Canada. 🇨🇦 🍁

Minnesota is not looking too bad.

[GreyhoundFan]

Wow

 

[fraurosena]

1 hour ago, GreyhoundFan said:

Wow

 

I really don't get it. What on earth could be the reasoning behind this? Who benefits, and why are they being catered to? Anyone with a reasonably functioning braincell knows this is a really bad idea, and that this will come at the cost of the health and even lives of many people (not to mention what it will mean for wildlife and environment). So who is pulling the strings here, and how can they have so much influence that these legislators are willing to pay this price?

[Xan]

I would suppose that the Fertilizer Institute gives money to Republicans.  Not only are they wanted to use radioactive materials to pave roads but they've also lobbied recently to loosen regulations regarding fertilizers.  

It's also probably cheaper to pave highways with carcinogens and you know how DeSantis feels about saving money!

[fraurosena]

Hilarious self-own by Republicans! 

 

[CTRLZero]

Some counties in Oregon are taking steps to secede from Oregon and become part of Idaho.  I’m not sure they will ever prevail but, if so, then a lot of these same Republicans will no longer be Oregon’s problem.  Interesting times.  

[front hugs > duggs]

9 minutes ago, CTRLZero said:

Some counties in Oregon are taking steps to secede from Oregon and become part of Idaho.  I’m not sure they will ever prevail but, if so, then a lot of these same Republicans will no longer be Oregon’s problem.  Interesting times.  

Sharon McMahon is a former teacher who is on Instagram as "SharonSaysSo". I love listening to her deep dives on a wide range of topics. She has stated multiple times about successions: in the case of Texas, it's literally unable to secede from the union; in the case of Oregon, parts may not secede or borders may not change with out approval from every single state bordering the states involved. This would be very very very unlikely to occur.

[GreyhoundFan]

Gee, why is there a teacher shortage?

 

[fraurosena]

This is absolutely marvelous. I love it when their draconian laws are used against them.

Full text:

The removal of the Bible was requested due to it being "one of the most sex-ridden books around."

The Utah Legislature in 2022 approved a contentious bill HB374, which lawmakers have described as a way to weed out content found to be pornographic from K-12 libraries and classrooms. Utah Parents United, a conservative parents rights lobbied strongly for the passing of HB374.

The parent argued that the Bible contained topics such as incest, bestiality, genital mutilation, and infanticide, making it pornographic under the new definition set forth in Utah Code Ann. § 76-10-1227.

A GOP lawmaker expressed sadness regarding the situation.

[CTRLZero]

4 hours ago, fraurosena said:

This is absolutely marvelous. I love it when their draconian laws are used against them.

Yes.  I don’t like the banning of books, but maybe this will serve as an example that there is a flip side to the law.  Of course, Utah is also a state where local taxes may support religious schools and some/most schools allow a break in the day for students to walk across the street for religious seminary study.  It’s an interesting state in our nation. 

[CTRLZero]

On 6/2/2023 at 4:32 AM, fraurosena said:

This is absolutely marvelous. I love it when their draconian laws are used against them.

Full text:

The removal of the Bible was requested due to it being "one of the most sex-ridden books around."

The Utah Legislature in 2022 approved a contentious bill HB374, which lawmakers have described as a way to weed out content found to be pornographic from K-12 libraries and classrooms. Utah Parents United, a conservative parents rights lobbied strongly for the passing of HB374.

The parent argued that the Bible contained topics such as incest, bestiality, genital mutilation, and infanticide, making it pornographic under the new definition set forth in Utah Code Ann. § 76-10-1227.

A GOP lawmaker expressed sadness regarding the situation.

I knew this was next - someone has requested the Book of Mormon be removed in that same district for over-the-top violence, etc.  Of course, beheadings, etc., are more palatable than sexual crimes, so we’ll see… 

[Howl]

On 5/10/2023 at 7:59 AM, Xan said:

Not only are they wanted to use radioactive materials to pave roads but they've also lobbied recently to loosen regulations regarding fertilizers.  

Texas doesn't have to worry about pesky regulations about ammonium nitrate storage because they essentially don't have any regulations about ammonium nitrate storage.

You remember ammonium nitrate, the stuff T. McVeigh used to create the Oklahoma City bomb? 

Even after the ammonium nitrate in open stalls exploded during a fire at the West Fertilizer Company in West, TX  killing 15 (mostly volunteer firefighters and first responders on their way to help with the fire), wounding 200 and leveling 350 homes?  That stuff?  The Texas lege couldn't be bothered to pass regulations because that would be too cumbersome. What We Know About the West Fertilizer Explosion

(West, TX is north of Waco on I-35)

[GreyhoundFan]

Because of course 

 

[GreyhoundFan]

The GQP wants kids sick (or dead) and uneducated:

 

[fraurosena]

It's always the holier-than-thou people.

 

[47of74]

Looks like an Iowa GQP member tried L'État, c'est moi on the fuzz and it didn't turn out too well for him.

Quote

An Iowa state senator has been arrested while riding on RAGBRAI after refusing to move out of the road when asked by law enforcement, according to a criminal complaint.

Sen. Adrian Dickey, R-Packwood, was arrested Monday afternoon and charged with interference with official acts, a simple misdemeanor.

“I am absolutely innocent of the charge filed against me," Dickey said in a statement, referring further questions to his attorney.

According to a criminal complaint from the Sac County Sheriff's Office, Sgt. Jonathan Meyer was working RAGBRAI when he saw a group of people stopped in the middle of the road on Quincy Avenue in Carnarvon, an unincorporated community in Sac County.