Moving right along with the methodical destruction of public education at the hands of “Education Commissioner” Frank Edleblut and the state’s Republican legislators, here are more bills that were proposed and subsequently voted on.
HB 1093 was proposed legislation that would forbid school districts from enacting a mandatory mask policy during public health emergencies. Something like the recent COVID pandemic immediately comes to mind. The prime sponsors of this “we don’t care about your child’s health and safety at school” legislation were Republican Reps. Kristin Noble, Arlene Quarentiello, Mike Belcher, Emily Phillips, Kelley Potenza and Aiden Ankarberg. All six sponsors are members of "Young Americans for Liberty" (YAL) while Noble, Potenza and Quarentiello are members of "Liberty Alliance." This bill passed.
Why this proposed legislation keeps coming up is anyone’s guess, but HB 1652, sponsored by “Liberty Alliance” and “YAL” member Kevin Verville would have established a local school voucher program. Luckily, it was defeated.
HB 1419 was proposed legislation that would have forbid “obscene or harmful sexual materials in schools.” Your basic, run-of-the-mill book banning bill. Sponsored by a plethora of puritanical Republicans, most of whom having sponsored some of the above mentioned bills, this one was defeated.
HB 1512 was proposed legislation meant to limit funding for school vouchers (taxpayer dollars) to budgeted amounts each biennium (every two years.) The prime sponsors were Democrat Reps. Mel Myer, Pat Cornell and Peggy Balboni. This bill was defeated.
HB 1212 was proposed legislation meant to raise the eligibility for free and reduced price school lunches to 250% of the federal poverty level. Sponsored by a plethora of Democrat Reps. who are bothered by the thought of any child going hungry during the school day because their low income family can’t afford it, this bill was defeated. As a side note, Republican sponsored bill HB 1665 increased school voucher eligibility up to 500% of the federal poverty level as that bill was passed.
HB 1311 was proposed legislation that was basically anti-book banning. The bill is meant to stop books from being banned (removed) because of the identity of the author or persons depicted in a book. “Challenged” books can remain available and leaves the decision making to the local level. The prime sponsors were seven Democrats and two Republican Reps. Mike Bordes and “YAL” member Dick Thackston. This bill was passed.
And then there’s this little gem.
SB 359 was proposed legislation that would raise the age of marriage to 18. The prime sponsors were Democrat Sens. Debra Altschiller, David Watters and Lou D’Allesandro along with Democrat Reps. Patrick Long, Gaby Grossman, Candace O’Neil, Cassandra Levesque and Peter Petrigno. The bill did pass but not before Republican Rep. and “YAL” member Jess Edwards made headlines with his remark defending his opposition to the bill, “teens are of a ripe, fertile age.”
Oh yuck . . .