Restroom Bill Revived
The
restroom bill is a bill to ensure that male students use the boys room and that
female students use the girls room. Last
week the Senate bill passed the committee but the House bill was sent to a
study committee. The next day the
members had second thoughts and I was asked to put my bill back on notice so
that they can reconsider their decision.
The
bill is meant to ensure privacy for students.
At the request of members the bill will allow for two accommodations that
will ensure privacy for all students and avoid lawsuits.
First,
should a student that has chosen to cross-dress decide that they are
uncomfortable using the restroom for their sex the school may of course make accommodations while still complying with the privacy rights of all of the other students.
The
bill also allows an intersex student to use the restroom of their emerging
dominant sex. Intersex is a very rare
genetic defect also known as an hermaphrodite.
Last week in committee a state legislator brought what he said was an hermaphrodite
student to committee but it turned out that he misspoke and the student actually
has gender identity disorder (GID) meaning that he was actually born
a healthy male but his appearance is now feminine due to early intervention
with female hormone treatments by his physician father and his mother – he also
dresses in women’s clothes. The genetic disorder called
intersex should still be addressed and a new amendment will take care of that
issue.
There are several articles on healing children with gender
identity disorder (GID) - this one is very thorough but if you're interested
many others can be found;
http://www.childhealing.com/articles/genderidentitydisorder.php
Indulging the disorder is not recommended because most
children will outgrow the disorder during puberty, with or without psychiatric
intervention.
As we are learning, there are groups these days that
encourage allowing the child to indulge in their fantasy/confusion by
cross-dressing, pursuing a lifetime of hormone treatments, and through
surgeries. These measures are advocated for by the ACLU, and our schools
have been under great pressure to conform to the views of these groups. But by
their own reports, such indulgences do not cure the underlying
psychological issues of the GID including feelings of wanting to commit
suicide.
I hope you will read more on your own. Regardless of
the point of view, reports indicate that individuals with GID are sadly very
troubled, and all articles suggest that the entire family needs psychiatric
intervention no matter which route is taken.
From this article;
"A loving and compassionate approach to these troubled
children is not to support their difficulty in accepting the goodness of their
masculinity or femininity, which is being advocated in the media and by many
health professionals who lack expertise in GID, but to offer them and their
parents the highly effective treatment which is available."
"Gender Identity Disorder in children is a highly
treatable condition. The majority of children treated by those with expertise
in this area are able to embrace the goodness of their masculinity or
femininity."
Another report was just issued last week by the American
College of Pediatricians and is very clear:
Please remember, this bill is about privacy for all students.
In the Senate testimony, the ACLU suggests that students who
are uncomfortable with cross-dressing students in the restroom of the opposite
sex should be the ones to use another bathroom. And indeed, ACLU last week threatened a
local school district with a lawsuit for their policy of making a third
restroom available to the cross-dressing students. I pasted the quotes
here: http://susan-lynn.blogspot.com/2016/03/interesting-quotes-from-senate-testimony.html.
Again, this bill is about protecting the privacy rights of all
of our students.
House Republicans Move Full Steam Ahead with Pro-Military,
Pro-Veteran Legislative Package
So far this year, House Republicans have moved full steam ahead
with multiple pieces of legislation designed to help military members and their
families from across the state.
One of those bills, currently awaiting signature from Governor
Haslam, will allow the five soldiers killed in the Chattanooga terrorist attack
that occurred in July of last year to be eligible for the ‘Tennessee Fallen Heroes Medal.’ Currently, the medal is awarded to honor
residents of Tennessee killed while serving on active duty or engaged in
military support operations involving a conflict with an opposing foreign
force.
As passed, this new legislation expands on
this criteria to also allow the honor to be bestowed on those military men and
women killed on Tennessee soil during an attack specifically targeting service
members.
The medal is awarded solely by the Governor
or the Governor's designee to the immediate survivor of the recipient.
A second piece of legislation, the National Guard Force Protection
Act, enhances protection at Tennessee National Guard facilities and military
installations. The bill follows hearings regarding the safety of military
installations by the state’s top leaders.
To fund the bill, the governor’s budget includes $1.6 million for emergency
phone systems, window film, magnetic locks, security camera systems, privacy
screens, and bollards to protect soldiers at state military installations.
Additionally, legislation passed the full House this week that
will strengthen and make the Veterans Education Transition Support (VETS)
program available to private, non-profit institutions of higher education
throughout the state.
Passed in 2014, the highly successful VETS program encourages colleges and universities to prioritize outreach to veterans and
successfully deliver the services necessary to create a supportive environment
where student veterans can prosper while pursuing their education. Currently,
there are 13 public institutions that claim VETS Campus Certification. The
certification recognizes and promotes schools that make veteran enrollment a
priority. Higher education institutions that satisfy veteran-friendly criteria,
such as specialized orientation and the availability of mentoring programs, can
receive the designation.
Also on the veteran front this year is House Bill 1491, which will
make it easier for veterans across the state to obtain a handgun carry permit.
Under the legislation, a carry permit applicant would not be required to comply
with the mandatory classroom and firing range hours if the applicant is an
active, honorably discharged or retired veteran of the Unites States Armed
Forces. The person would have to present a certified copy of their certificate
of release or discharge from active duty, a Department of Defense form 214 (DD
214), that documents a date of discharge or retirement that is within five
years from the date of application for the permit. The legislation aims to
eliminate an unnecessary burden on the state’s veterans in the permitting
process.
Legislation to help support Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD)
counseling for combat veterans and their families is set to be heard next week
before the House Finance, Ways & Means Committee. As introduced, the bill
creates a specialty license plate which can be customized with a sticker to
represent the veteran’s specific military branch with proceeds going to support
these services.
Tennessee requires new specialty earmarked license plates to be
subject to a minimum order of at least 1,000 plates prior to initial issuance.
Any plate that does not meet the minimum order requirement within one year
after passage of the authorizing act becomes invalid.
Under the bill, the money raised from these license plates is to
be used exclusively in Tennessee to provide resources and support to veterans,
service members, and their families, being equally allocated to Centerstone
Military Services and SAFE: Soldiers and Families Embraced.
As the 2016 legislative session continues, House Republicans remain
committed to helping veterans, their families, and all those involved with
protecting Tennessee and the United States on a daily basis.
Lawmakers,
Farmers Celebrate Annual ‘Ag Day On The Hill’ Event
House lawmakers joined with farmers and agriculture groups from
across the state this week to celebrate Tennessee’s annual 'Ag Day on the Hill'
event at the Legislative Plaza in Nashville. Governor Bill Haslam
has also proclaimed the date 'Agriculture Day' as part of the annual national
observance to recognize the important contributions of farmers and forestland
owners provide to the state and nation.
This year, 'Ag Day on the Hill' activities included farm
animals — horses, cows, goats, sheep, piglets, and chicks — and a variety of
farming equipment on display at the entrance to the Legislative Plaza in
Nashville. Representatives from agricultural organizations and agencies were
also available to discuss programs and opportunities for those interested in
farming and forestry in Tennessee.
In addition, a corn shucking and shelling contest between House
and Senate lawmakers took place, with House Speaker Beth Harwell leading the
House to a blowout victory over their Senate counterparts. Following the contest,
the Farm & Forest Families of Tennessee organization presented a check to
Second Harvest Food Bank of Middle Tennessee in honor of contest participants.
The day's events also included a sweet potato bagging project to
benefit the Society of St. Andrew and a silent auction benefiting Second
Harvest and the Ag in the Classroom program.
Tennessee has more than 67,000 farms representing 10.9 million
acres in production. More than half of the state, 14 million acres, is in
mostly privately owned hardwood forests. Tennessee’s top agricultural
commodities include cattle, soybeans, corn, poultry, cotton, timber, greenhouse
and nursery products, dairy products, wheat, tobacco, and hay. The industry has
a $75 billion a year impact on the state’s economy and supports nearly 350,000
jobs.
Department
Of Agriculture Commissioner Julius Johnson Announces Retirement Plans
This week, Department of Agriculture Commissioner Julius Johnson
announced his official plans to retire at the end of April.
Johnson has led the Department of Agriculture since the beginning
of the Haslam administration in 2011, and was Haslam’s first commissioner
appointment. He has been instrumental in development of the Governor’s Rural
Challenge: a 10 year strategic plan to grow Tennessee’s agricultural and
forest industries. Under Johnson’s leadership, many goals of the plan have
already been met and foundations laid for future projects.
Johnson joined the Haslam administration after serving 37 years at
the Tennessee Farm Bureau, 15 of those years as the Chief Administrative
Officer.
A native of Forbus, Tennessee, Johnson has served on the
University of Tennessee Agriculture Development Board, the Maury County Chamber
of Commerce Board of Directors, the Maury County United Way Board of Directors,
the Maury County Vision 2020 Board of Directors and as president of the Maury
County University of Tennessee Alumni Board. He was a Kiwanian and has served
as past president of the Middle Tennessee Council of Boy Scouts. He has a B.S.
in Agriculture from the University of Tennessee, Knoxville.
Johnson’s last day as Commissioner will be April 29.
House
Legislation To Ensure Transparency And Accountability Now Awaits Senate
Approval
Legislation to help ensure transparency and accountability in
state government regarding contracts received unanimous approval this week on
the House Floor.
As passed, the legislation requires vendors that are contracting
with the state to notify state officials if the vendor’s business is being
investigated by a law enforcement agency. These notifications will be submitted
to the Chief Procurement Officer in the Office of General Services.
Additionally, if a business fails to properly report any investigations, the
Chief Procurement Officer can assess fines in excess of $10,000.
Supporters agree this legislation will add even more transparency
to state government, a policy of great importance to House Republicans. By
requiring notification from vendors, upon the occurrence of any investigation
brought against that business, the state can better protect the investment of
Tennessee taxpayer dollars.
Additional information regarding this legislation can be found on
the General Assembly website at http://goo.gl/VvWNYF.
