Feel free to share here whatever Day One hilarity catches your notice at the Tennessee General Assembly's website, seeing as how too many stooges cranked up yesterday.
Here's the first one to crack me up: HB 1412 / SB 1437, the Tennessee Natural Marriage Defense Act (why yes, Mae Beavers *is* the Senate sponsor).
Summary:
As introduced, enacts the "Tennessee Natural Marriage Defense Act"; states the policy of Tennessee to defend natural marriage between one man and one woman regardless of any court decision to the contrary. - Amends TCA Title 36.
Fiscal Note:
Jeopardizes $6.5 billion in Tenncare funding from the feds and $2 billion in SNAP funding from the feds...for starters.
Context:
In FY 2014-15, Tennessee adopted a $32 billion budget--that's $19 billion in state revenues and $13 billion in federal revenues.
Your turn.
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I expect Sheila Butt will be busier'n a one-armed paper hanger again this session, too.
Thus far, her only bill I know anything about is HB 1418 / SB 1439, which is her objection to the state's seventh grade social studies curriculum covering in part an overview of the development of all the world's major religions (including but not limited to Islam).
Summary:
If enacted as introduced, this bill would also preclude high school freshmen from taking several courses that are presently open to them, each of which touches on religious belief systems, including Ancient History, Mythology, and--I assume Butt doesn't know this--Bible Studies.
Full disclosure is that even I have been approached by a couple of people upset by the seventh grade social studies curriculum, although its scant religious content is strictly descriptive, not persuasive, as to doctrine.
So I'm sure Butt has her supporters and neither is this proposal "hilarious," per the thread topic I invited, but it's still pretty lame.
HB 1412 / SB 1437
Despite what you liberal believe the SCOTUS has no authority to create laws and that was exactly what they did when they handed down their decision this past June.
They also silenced 82% of the population in the State of Tennessee who overwhelmingly stated that the sanctity of marriage is defined as being between a man and a woman.
I applaud Senator Beavers and Representative Pody for standing up for the 82% who were silenced.
The only thing that is laughable about this is all of you who believe it is ok for the SCOTUS and the Federal Government to take away more and more States Rights.
States rights seem to
(in reply to Corey)
States rights seem to conflict with human rights and civil rights from time to time, historically speaking.
The purpose of government
(in reply to Corey)
The purpose of our our government would be to protect the rights of people from intrusion by the state and other citizens, not the other way around.
A quick google reveals:
(in reply to Corey)
"...[claims] that there needs to be an affirmative law authorizing gay marriage [are] wrong. The justices ruled only that provisions banning same-sex marriage are illegal, not that all marriage laws have to be rewritten. By analogy, the Supreme Court’s decision overturning bans on mixed-race unions in Loving v. Virginia didn’t eliminate all marriage laws."
Anyone with any decency...
Anyone with any decency and good sense will support HB 1412 / SB 1437. Homosexuals can now pull a marriage license, but in reality they can never marry, since marriage involves the act of copulation.
Nonsense.
(in reply to Gordon B.)
There are a lot of straight marriages in which copulation doesn't occur, because of illness or infirmity or disability or myriad other reasons, but those folks are still considered legally married. It sounds like you're saying that the state should do a sex check on straight married couples to make sure they're having the right kind of sex in order to be considered "married".
To which I respond, dude.
maybe
(in reply to Gordon B.)
Dearest Gordon,
Perhaps, when suggesting a reason I should never be able to marry, you meant to say procreation instead of copulation. To be honest, I most certainly can copulate, and it's awesome. In case you meant procreate, let me assure you again that I can, and I have.
copulation?
Are you saying that people with certain disabilities cannot marry? Will the county clerks require a demonstration of function?
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(in reply to Up Goose Creek)
Even if the definition of marriage did require "copulation," that word means "sexual intercourse."
Clearly, the guy does not own a copy of the Kama Sutra.
We're going off-topic, so that's all from me.
I just heard...
...that the voucher bill is being set for Tuesday in budget sub to coincide with the date on which two reliable "no" votes are going to be absent.
Conservatives/Republicans
Conservatives/Republicans always like to talk about states rights of course.
And of course some states felt it was a right to have slaves. So I guess Lincoln should have acquienced to that.
It still amazes me how the parties have switched.
Republicans use to be for fairness and equality or so it seems to me.Democrats were for the big bosses and rife with corruption.
I guess at some point it changed, likely around the time of President Johnson and the southern strategy the Republicans invoked where they mortgaged their souls to appease the segregationists in the south back then.
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Concerning the Tennessee Natural Marriage Defense Act, opponents have created a petition at Change.org.
Please consider signing it.