This ain't pretty but it's not meant to be a reason to declare defeat. We have two options -vote like mad and plan to fight just in case they do take over.
But declaring defeat should never be an option.
From Reuters:
U.S. Republicans in Congress are lining up behind legislation that critics say would roll back protections for transgender people, setting a playbook for action on a divisive social issue should they take control of Congress this fall. The bills have no chance of becoming law this year, as Democrats narrowly control both chambers of Congress.But they are a sign that Republicans aim to elevate a battle over transgender rights that has so far largely played out at the state level. Republicans in the House of Representatives have introduced a bill that would block federal funding to colleges where transgender women are allowed to participate in sports with cisgender women. A separate bill would allow transgender people to sue medical personnel who helped them transition as minors.
Another bill would block funding to schools that disobey state laws regarding "materials harmful to minors," mimicking state laws that have been used to remove books discussing history around race and LGBT themes. The bills have support from key Republicans in the House and Senate. Republican House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy has promoted the sports bill at a press conference and in a conservative newspaper. It is backed by 127 of 211 House Republicans.In the Senate, five Republicans have sponsored a version of the bill targeting medical providers, including Senators Ted Cruz, Josh Hawley and Marco Rubio. Republicans would be in a position to advance those bills next year if they win control of the House or the Senate in the Nov. 8 midterm elections, which analysts say is likely.
According to the Sun Sentinel:
Friday’s meeting drew more than 150 people, with supporters of the proposed rule — many of them sporting “Let Kids Be Kids” decals and making biblical references — vastly outnumbering opponents. Speakers supporting the proposal included a Baptist minister, members of the Florida Citizens Alliance, the head of the Christian Family Coalition, the founder of the Florida Prayer Network, a representative of the Florida Federation of Republican Women and a man carrying a giant American flag on a pole.
As Florida policymakers pursue state-level restrictions on transgender care, legal and medical experts from Yale Law School, the Yale School of Medicine’s Child Study Center and Departments of Psychiatry and Pediatrics, University of Texas Southwestern, and University of Alabama at Birmingham have released a new report that identifies and refutes the many unscientific claims behind the effort. The Florida Agency for Health Care Administration’s (AHCA) June 2 Report alleges that nationally accepted standard medical care for gender dysphoria does not meet generally accepted medical standards for Medicaid coverage. A team of seven scientists and a law professor argue the State of Florida’s position is “thoroughly flawed and lacking scientific weight.”The report, “A Critical Review of the June 2022 Florida Medicaid Report on the Medical Treatment of Gender Dysphoria,” represents the first comprehensive examination of Florida’s June 2 Report, which the authors contend is a misleading document intended to justify denying Florida Medicaid coverage for gender dysphoria treatment. Nothing in Florida’s June 2 Report calls into question the scientific foundations of standard medical care for gender dysphoria, according to the authors.
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| Florida governor Ron DeSantis |
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| Along with the late Antonin Scalia, the religious right have been engaging in an extensive program to influence two other SCOTUS justices through meals and entertainment. Guess who they are? |
