#Louisiana HB334

[justinspoliticalcorner]

Mark Sumner at Daily Kos:

Louisiana Gov. Jeff Landry signed a bill requiring every public school classroom to display the Ten Commandments after bragging that he “can’t wait to be sued” for this outrageous assault on the Constitution. But the legislation package does a lot more than force Christianity on children. For example, it also removes requirements for COVID-19 vaccinations and limits other vaccinations. Not only is the overall package a hodgepodge of religious right thirst traps, but the part about the Ten Commandments includes plenty of outright strange.

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6. SCHOOLS ARE PROHIBITED FROM EVEN ASKING ABOUT STUDENTS’ VACCINATION STATUS 

While the first five items were all crammed into the single bill about the Ten Commandments, Landry actually signed off on a package of items, including a prohibition on COVID-19 vaccine mandates. But that doesn’t really matter, since another bill in the package entirely eliminates school officials’ authority to check vaccination status.  To put a double underline under this prohibition, teachers aren’t allowed to ask about vaccination status, but if they somehow become aware, they’re not allowed to seat students in a way that might prevent the spread of disease in their classrooms. They also can’t prevent unvaccinated kids from participating in any in- or out-of-school activity. Because that would be “discrimination.” And you know how much Southern Republicans hate discrimination.

7. TEACHERS CAN BE SUED FOR USING A STUDENT’S PREFERRED NAME OR PRONOUNS

The legislation requires that students only be assigned pronouns according to what is called their "immutable sex" as found on their birth certificates. They can also only be addressed by the name found on their birth certificates or by nicknames “derived from that name.” Is Betsy okay for Elizabeth? How about Bess? Lizzie? Can you use Jack for John? Is Rory really an acceptable nickname for Lorelei? Teachers better be on top of these things because the bill makes them personally liable, allowing them to be sued if they don’t keep those nicknames and pronouns straight.

8. A “DON’T SAY GAY” BILL WORSE THAN FLORIDA’S WAS ADDED ALMOST WITHOUT NOTICE

The “Let Kids Be Kids” act protects delicate ears from any mention of sexual orientation, gender identity, or sexual orientation all the way through grade 12. No teacher, coach, or other school employee is allowed to engage in any discussion on these topics. They’re also not allowed to reveal their own gender identity or sexual orientation.

While Louisiana’s infamous 10 Commandments in schools law (HB71) has generated lots of rightful criticism for inserting religion into public school classrooms, the bill was passed as part of a package of education items, including enacting an anti-LGBTQ+ Don’t Say Gay or Trans law deceitfully called the “Let Kids Be Kids” Act to apply to all K-12 school classes (HB122), prohibiting the inquiry of a student’s vaccination status or ways to safely contain the spread of diseases (HB908), and a forced misgendering law that students can only be assigned pronouns based on the gender assigned at birth and can only use their birth name or derivatives of it. (HB121)