"Socially Conservative Bills Stall in Florida Senate"

Matt Welch | April 15, 2009

That's the headline on this Miami Herald article, which posits that the Theocon Agenda is taking a back seat to the economic crisis:

Legislation that would open the door to school prayer and discouraging teaching evolution has been declared dead. Prospects don't look good for a proposal to require ultrasounds for first-trimester abortions. Same goes for a bill to make marriage licenses more expensive for couples who don't take a premarriage education course.

Conservative Republicans' hallmark legislation, some from sessions past, is stagnating this session [..]

This session, with the state facing a $3 billion deficit, the bulk of political efforts are being spent on the budget and debates between the House and Senate about how to balance cuts with new revenues from such things as a cigarette tax and expanded gambling.

Whole thing here; hat tip to Lou Villadsen.

Comments

Taktix®|4.15.09 @ 12:28PM|#

Prospects don't look good for a proposal to require ultrasounds for first-trimester abortions.

Just in case the morons in our state congress didn't realize it, you have to get an ultrasound before an abortion to ensure it's not ectopic or that there's no other problems.

Hey Tallahassee, they don't use coathangers anymore!

Morans!

|4.15.09 @ 12:29PM|#

Wasn't somebody saying the other day that the Jesus juice stand on the republican side of the aisle was going out of business?

spambot|4.15.09 @ 12:33PM|#

Well those issues going by the wayside is at least some good news out there.

High Every Body|4.15.09 @ 12:33PM|#

Bah! If it is in the Miami Herald I do not take it on face value unless Dave Barry's name is at the top.

|4.15.09 @ 12:34PM|#

From the article: Sen. Ronda Storms, R-Valrico, sponsored the ultrasound bill last year along with a controversial measure against the teaching of evolution in schools. This year, she is proposing legislation that promotes a premarital education course. Like the evolution bill last year, it is backed by the conservative Florida Family Policy Council.

This is crazy. I thought that generally fundie types were against government indoctrination, unless she envisions the course being taught by private contractors (read: fundie churches).

From her Wikipedia article: In February 2008, Storms introduced a bill that immediately became known as the Florida "Pole Tax". Florida Senate Bill 1520 would tax adult entertainment, including escorts and strippers, and use the money to fund additional services at the Department of Children and Families.

Uh-huh.

|4.15.09 @ 12:44PM|#

Legislation that would open the door to school prayer and discouraging teaching evolution has been declared dead. Prospects don't look good for a proposal to require ultrasounds for first-trimester abortions. Same goes for a bill to make marriage licenses more expensive for couples who don't take a premarriage education course.

Here's an alternative possibility: maybe, even in Florida, a majority of Legislators can see this shit as a moronic and pointless.

|4.15.09 @ 12:45PM|#

a

Tacos mmm...|4.15.09 @ 12:50PM|#

Here's an alternative possibility: maybe, even in Florida, a majority of Legislators can see this shit as a moronic and pointless.

Lol. Yeah right.

ktc2|4.15.09 @ 1:13PM|#

LOL, not in Florida.

This is the land of the "waiting to die so I suddenly have overwhelming faith", and they must force it on you as atonement.

Matt Welch Makes Me Sleepy|4.15.09 @ 1:31PM|#

"Theocon"

Theocon?

Who writes this crap?

Oh yeah.

Matt Welch Makes Me Sleepy|4.15.09 @ 1:33PM|#

In fact, "Theocon ins't used anywhere in the Miami Herald article.

ZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZ...

VM (channeling Nelson Munz)|4.15.09 @ 1:45PM|#

HA HA.


(fucktards)

ed|4.15.09 @ 2:06PM|#

maybe, even in Florida, a majority of Legislators can see this shit as a moronic and pointless

All I know is that, after a truly spectacular winter, we skipped Spring and went directly to Summer.
I cannot prove that the Florida legislature did this as a cost-saving measure.

|4.15.09 @ 2:24PM|#

"Here's an alternative possibility: maybe, even in Florida, a majority of Legislators can see this shit as a moronic and pointless.

You mean the state that just passed the I Hate Fags amendment? Redneckism is alive and well in Florida.

Libertarian Keyboard Warriors|4.15.09 @ 3:49PM|#

Yes, now if libertarians could let go of their quasi-religious devotion to Milton Friedman and Ayn Rand, maybe they wouldn't be insane.

Bill Jones and Bill Smith in F|4.15.09 @ 3:59PM|#

Hey! Can somebody give us a jump? Our battery's dead and we gotta get to the big Socially Conservatives rally.

Lefiti|4.15.09 @ 4:03PM|#

And if I could let go of my tiny little cock, maybe I'd be able to see again!

jtuf|4.15.09 @ 7:47PM|#

Isn't a conservative who has given up on fighting social issues pratically the same as a libertarian? This may be the decade we've been waiting for.