Okla Legislature 2nd Worse in Nation

[patric]

http://www.motherjones.com/politics/2012/12/americas-50-worst-state-legislatures


Still under the influence of the 2010 conservative landslide, state lawmakers over the last 12 months alternatively sought to ban abstract concepts, combat invisible threats, and generally strip away rights from the constituents who sent them to their respective chambers. In a year in which Washington was synonymous with inaction, America's state legislatures offered the best possible argument for gridlock. After all, sometimes getting things done can be a lot worse than the alternative.

No statehouse was immune from crazy. But a few stood out above the rest. Here's a quick look at the worst of the worst. Rankings are purely scientific:


(1) Tennessee: MoJo's cutting-edge algorithm awards a 500-point bonus to any state legislature that inspires a news story with the phrase "gateway body parts" and "governor signs" in the same paragraph. Republican Gov. Bill Haslam accomplished the feat in May when he signed into law a new abstinence-only sex education program that critics warned would prohibit almost any discussion of sexual activity during sex ed. As Bristol's WCYB dryly reported, "News 5 looked into the bill and learned its language has been mocked across the country…"

The gateway body parts bill was part of a new push to crack down on various other gateways, including gateway words, such as "gay." GOP state Sen. Stacey Campfield's bill sought to prohibit the discussion of homosexuality for grade schoolers. Campfield articulated his views in a January radio interview:

    Most people realize that AIDS came from the homosexual community—it was one guy screwing a monkey, if I recall correctly, and then having sex with men. It was an airline pilot, if I recall. My understanding is that it is virtually—not completely, but virtually—impossible to contract AIDS through heterosexual sex.

Things went downhill from there. The Legislature passed a bill in April (later vetoed) to provide cover for teachers who question evolution and climate change in their classrooms, along with legislation that classified miscarriages as murder, and a bill cracking down on saggy pants. Democrats complained that the saggy pants bill did not go far enough. Although Haslam declined to sign a resolution, passed by the Legislature in May, condemning Agenda 21, a spokesman emphasized that the governor did, in fact, oppose the 1992 UN action plan on sustainable development.
Comedy Central described New Hampshire's state house of reps as "a bunch of part-time real-estate agents throwing monkey feces at a wall." But that's not entirely fair—some of them are lawyers too.

As impressive as the laws it passed were, though, the Tennessee Legislature was perhaps defined by its individual acts of #fail. In January, GOP state Sen. Bo Watson introduced legislation designed to crack down on the scourge of transgender citizens, by introducing legislation that, per ThinkProgress, "would institute a $50 fine for anybody who does not use the public restroom or dressing room that matches the sex identification on his or her birth certificate." In April, Republican state Rep. Matthew Hill introduced a bill to disclose the names of all doctors who perform abortions in the state, along with demographic information about patients that could possibly be used to identify them. In July, the Huffington Post reported that GOP state Rep. Kelly Keisling "emailed constituents Tuesday morning with a rumor circulating in conservative circles that President Barack Obama is planning to stage a fake assassination attempt in an effort to stop the 2012 election from happening."

(2) Oklahoma: It was business as usual in the Sooner State. The state House tried—but failed—to reclassify fetuses as people. The Legislature mandated that high school teachers warn their kids about the shortcomings of the theory of evolution. An anti-gay (among other things) pastor was invited to address the Legislature, and promptly called 9/11 a warning from God and bashed the notion that "kids across the nation are taught they are advanced mutations of a baboon."

Yawn.

Oklahoma's legislature will be remembered for one thing and one thing only in 2012: GOP state Sen. Ralph Shortey's bill to criminalize the use of human fetuses in food products. Shortey explained in January that he wasn't sure if any companies were actually putting fetuses in food products. But "the fact is that there is a potential that there are companies that are using aborted human babies in their research and development of basically enhancing flavor for artificial flavors. And if that is happening—because it is a possibility—and if it's happening, then I just don't think it should even be an option for a company."

[guido911]

Oh goody, another "Oklahoma sucks" thread. And from "Mother Jones" to boot. What's the matter, DailyKos or MSNBC not covering Oklahoma this week?

[Townsend]

Oh goody, another "Oklahoma sucks" thread. And from "Mother Jones" to boot. What's the matter, DailyKos or MSNBC not covering Oklahoma this week?

Legislature.

It's a recurring thing...the Oklahoma legislature...it sucking.

[Breadburner]

Feel free to "GTFO" if you don't like it....!

[Hoss]

Feel free to "GTFO" if you don't like it....!

Awesome.  No argument and you tell someone to 'GTFO'.  Weak.

I don't like our state government either.  Doesn't mean I'm leaving.

[Townsend]

Feel free to "GTFO" if you don't like it....!

There's a sunburned neck, big belt buckle, mouth breathing response.

[patric]

[Hoss]

There's a sunburned neck, big belt buckle, mouth breathing response.

Is that surprising, considering the source?

[guido911]

Legislature.

It's a recurring thing...the Oklahoma legislature...it sucking.

Tell us T, how long has it been sucking? For the past several decades or only since the Repubs took over a few years ago. And incidentally, the legislature is a representative body. Saying it sucks suggests that those that voted for its members, and continue to do so, says those voters suck as well.

So you know, having "mother jones" (who in the hell is that author, Tim Murphy) tell us how bad we are means absolutely zilch IMO. But I know, to the left it's probably cause to bust out the stroke salve.

Oklahoma is a red state. It does red state sorts of things. You belong is a class of persons who simply do not want to accept it. Blue states do their own things I find stupid, such as stopping the sale of certain sizes soft drinks, etc.

[Townsend]

Tell us T, how long has it been sucking? For the past several decades or only since the Repubs took over a few years ago. And incidentally, the legislature is a representative body. Saying it sucks suggests that those that voted for its members, and continue to do so, says those voters suck as well.

I'll take a gander tomorrow but mostly I was correcting the state v legislature thing.

As far as the voters?  Yeah, I can see where you're getting that.  I'll go along with your statement.  I've never voted a winner in so looks like I'm good. 

I wonder if part of inauguration is signing a "welcome to the suck" form.

[Red Arrow]

I've never voted a winner in so looks like I'm good. 

I used to be able to do that by voting Republican for local and state elections.

[cannon_fodder]

What is sad is that it has become an acceptable "red state thing" to denounced science, pass real laws to cure pretend threats, and use religion for any political purpose that is convenient (hating gays, 911 conspiracies, making sure other religions know they are inferior).  Note you did not argue with the content... Oklahoma really did those things.  You just do not like it being pointed out that most people laugh at it.

As for "gtfo," it seems the liberals won the White House, increased the control of the Senate, and made inroads in the house.  The GOP needs to realize it is moving to a small tent party.  If you arent with the party line on these issues gtfo... and many of us have been forced to.  Out of the Party and on to other candidates in the general election.

[guido911]

What is sad is that it has become an acceptable "red state thing" to denounced science, pass real laws to cure pretend threats, and use religion for any political purpose that is convenient (hating gays, 911 conspiracies, making sure other religions know they are inferior).  Note you did not argue with the content... Oklahoma really did those things.  You just do not like it being pointed out that most people laugh at it.

As for "gtfo," it seems the liberals won the White House, increased the control of the Senate, and made inroads in the house.  The GOP needs to realize it is moving to a small tent party.  If you arent with the party line on these issues gtfo... and many of us have been forced to.  Out of the Party and on to other candidates in the general election.

People can start laughing at Michigan now.

http://www.lifenews.com/2012/12/12/michigan-senate-passes-major-pro-life-bill-stopping-abortions/

[Townsend]

People can start laughing at Michigan now.

http://www.lifenews.com/2012/12/12/michigan-senate-passes-major-pro-life-bill-stopping-abortions/

Well, I've just gone ahead and deleted my comments.

[nathanm]

You can be fairly certain that any article that uses the term "abortion profits" is written by someone who is not connected with reality.