What stupid thing did the GOP say or do this time? Episode 3!

KidTDragon said:

And if these macho he-man motherf***ers aren't using them anyway, then why do they care if they're made of paper? So fuckin' stupid.

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Bill giving Texas parents, school boards more control over library books heads to Gov. Greg Abbott

Senate Bill 13 would require school boards or advisory councils to approve new books and review complaints. In most cases only 50 parents’ approval would be needed to create the oversight councils.

www.texastribune.org

Senate Bill 13 would give school boards, not school librarians, the final say over what materials are allowed in their schools’ libraries by creating a framework for them to remove books based on complaints they receive. The final version of the bill agreed upon by lawmakers from both chambers would allow school boards to oversee book approvals and removals, or delegate the responsibility to local school advisory councils if parents in a district sign a petition allowing their creation. The House version of SB 13 required 20% of parents to sign the petition, but the version agreed upon between chambers requires only 50 parents or 10% of parents in the district, whichever is less.

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During the discussion on the House floor Monday, Rep. James Talarico, D-Austin, pointed specifically to bill language requiring approved books to adhere to “local community values,” which he said could lead small, vocal groups of people to limit students’ book access. Talarico said titles often taught in public schools — like “Catcher in the Rye”, “Lonesome Dove” and the Bible — could end up banned under some of the bill’s vague and subjective interpretations.

“If your answer to ‘could “Romeo and Juliet” be banned,’ if it is anything other than ‘of course not,’ then that is a serious problem,” Talarico said.

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Opponents of the bill have worried not only about restricting book access, but also about the administrative backlog that having to approve each new library book could create. School boards will have 90 days after complaints on each book are filed to reach a decision on whether to add, keep or remove material from school bookshelves. The proposed advisory councils are only required to meet twice per school year, and Zweiner said the small meeting times could result in books being off the shelves for most of a school year.

“I just think the challenge is one person with a bee in their bonnet can disrupt that entire local process [by] challenging a massive number of books, and then those books won't be available while they're being reviewed,” Zweiner said on Saturday during the House’s final approval for the bill.

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Paladin said:

only the very best people.

https://www.reuters.com/world/us/fema-staff-confused-after-head-said-he-was-unaware-us-hurricane-season-sources-2025-06-02/

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