State Rep. John Bel Edwards speaking in favor of the bill. (Advocate staff photo by Arthur D Lauck)
From the Advocate in Baton Rouge, Louisiana:
Legislation designed to define what constitutes bullying among school students died in the Louisiana House on Thursday amid complaints that it would promote gay lifestyles.
The Louisiana Family Forum, which calls itself a voice for traditional families by pushing biblical principles, characterized House Bill 112 as a homosexual agenda.
The organization issued notes to lawmakers alleging that the legislation would introduce sexual orientation into the classroom.
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All right. I'm all done banging my head on the keyboard.
When I read about the Louisiana Family Forum and its influence on so very many of the legislators in Louisiana, smoke comes out of my ears.
HB112 fell 10 votes short of passage, with 43 lawmakers voting for it and 54 voting against it.
The legislation’s sponsor, state Rep. Austin Badon, said the Louisiana Family Forum intimidated lawmakers.
“The hate spilled out — the ignorance of the fact that there are gays and lesbians all over the world,” Badon, D-New Orleans, said after the bill failed to pass.
Bravo to Rep. Badon and to all 43 legislators who stood against the bullying tactics of the Louisiana Family Forum.
State Rep. Patricia Smith struggled to keep her voice at a normal volume when she rose from her House desk to respond to Seabaugh’s amendment.
Smith, D-Baton Rouge and a former School Board member, accused Seabaugh of diminishing the hateful words that are used to bully children.
“I am very upset by what you just said because I do not like Family Forum. I will state it here right now on the floor. I do not like Family Forum … because their perception of anything that’s different from what they perceive is that they feel it’s always going to be taught to children,” Smith said.
Amen, and amen, and amen!
I see hope in this outcome, because getting 43 votes in favor of the bill in the Louisiana House is more than I would have expected. Maybe next time.
From the website of Louisiana Family Forum:
Our Mission is to persuasively present biblical principles in the centers of influence on issues affecting the family through research, communication and networking.
