156.3 - Clown Award: state of Louisiana

Clown Award: state of Louisiana

Now for one of our regular features, the Clown Award, given for meritorious stupidity.

This week, the big red nose goes to the state of Louisiana for a month-long trifecta of buffoonery.

First, the beginning of the month the state legislature of Louisiana passed, with neither discussion nor debate, an omnibus bill that would force the closure of three of the five abortion clinics in the state - and the remaining two would both be in the same city.

Similar to measures in Oklahoma and Texas, it imposes a new waiting period, requires doctors doing abortions to have admitting privileges at a hospital within 30 miles, and says that any doctor who performs just five abortions a year must register with the state, which would make their names and the locations of their practices public information.

The claimed purpose of the bill is "the safety of women" - because, as a columnist at Salon.com wrote, when it comes to women, "limiting access to basic medical services is safer than having robust access to basic medical services." Just can't be too careful where the poor dears are concerned.

On April 11, a House committee of the Louisiana legislature passed out a bill to create a state book. The Bible. The Christian Bible. But it has nothing to do with an endorsement of Christianity, oh no, of course not. That would be wrong. This is just endorsing, um, the Bible.

The sponsor of the bill wound up pulling it before it reached a floor vote, saying it had become "a distraction." Which as we all know is politician-speak for "People have noticed and I'm getting flak, so I'm bailing."

Finally, last week the Louisiana House of Representatives voted overwhelmingly against a bill that would strike down the state’s longstanding statutory ban on sodomy - even though such laws were declared unconstitutional by the Supreme Court 11 years ago and cannot be enforced.

Strike three. Louisiana, you are a clown.

Sources cited in links:
http://rhrealitycheck.org/article/2014/04/01/louisiana-house-passes-omnibus-abortion-bill/
http://www.salon.com/2014/04/01/louisiana_house_passes_sweeping_abortion_restrictions_in_the_name_of_womens_safety/
http://www.rawstory.com/rs/2014/04/11/louisiana-lawmakers-advance-bill-that-would-make-the-bible-the-states-official-book/
http://www.nola.com/politics/index.ssf/2014/04/louisiana_bible_state_book.html
http://www.buzzfeed.com/tonymerevick/the-67-louisiana-lawmakers-who-voted-that-gay-sex-should-be