PLAY the music, the post will be a lot better that way.
The 2013 session of the Utah State Legislature starts tomorrow (Monday), and for the next 6½ weeks we’re guaranteed an emotional roller coaster ride.
This annual clown-fest never fails to entertain, amuse, frustrate, amaze, annoy, disgust and dismay.
Already on the agenda we have, under the following categories:
EDUCATION:
- SJR5, by Sen. Stuart Reid, R-Ogden, giving the governor and Senate employment control over the State School Superintendent. Currently, the State School Board which is elected by the citizens, has control over the hiring and firing of their Superintendent. Apparently that gives the Super too much leeway in doing what the citizens want, rather than what the Senate and Governor want them to do.
- SB39, by Sen. Stuart Reid, R-Ogden, requiring school districts to provide a sex-education course for parents. Not a bad idea, but as with many legislative mandates for education, there is no apparent funding for the development and implementation of these courses. Which means less $ for my classroom.
- SB110, by Sen. Howard Stephenson, R-Draper, which seeks better ways for schools to spend the little money the have, rather than even attempting to bring us close to the funding level of the second lowest state in the nation. Coming from Stephenson, who is outwardly hostile to public education, this scares me.
GUNS
- Unnamed bill, unnamed sponsor, giving county sheriffs the ability to arrest federal agents attempting to seize guns from Utahns.
- Unnamed bill, Rep. John Mathis, R-Vernal, would allow anyone over the age of 21 to carry a concealed weapon without a permit.
- Unnamed bill, Rep. Paul Ray, R-Clearfield, would prevent the police from charging someone with disorderly conduct for carrying a weapon openly.
And that’s just what the Salt Lake Tribune published. We’re bound to see even more bizarre bills pop up out of nowhere just like the last several years, and I have no way of even guessing what they will contain.
Wheeeeee, let the ride begin.
2 comments:
Dang. And that Trib article saying that there was some new blood in the legislature with some possible moderate leanings had me hoping it wouldn't be quite as much of a theatre of the absurd this year.
Thanks for this cold splash of reality.
Sorry to be the bearer of bad tidings, but we can always hope that the new moderate blood will prevent these absurdities from passing, even if they can't stop them from being introduced.
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