Author Archives: Michael Bersin

HB 1457: You were expecting something else?

02 Thursday Dec 2021

Posted by in Missouri General Assembly, Missouri House

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Bill prefiling for the Missouri General Assembly session started yesterday.

Another bill, addressing a matter of great urgency for right wingnuts:

HB 1457
Prohibits the use of the 1619 Project initiative of the New York Times in the public schools of the state
Sponsor: Billington, Hardy (152)
Proposed Effective Date: 8/28/2022
LR Number: 3087H.01I
Last Action: 12/01/2021 – Prefiled (H)
Bill String: HB 1457
Next House Hearing: Hearing not scheduled
Calendar: Bill currently not on a House calendar

The bill text:

SECOND REGULAR SESSION
HOUSE BILL NO. 1457 [pdf]
101ST GENERAL ASSEMBLY

INTRODUCED BY REPRESENTATIVE BILLINGTON.
3087H.01I DANA RADEMAN MILLER, Chief Clerk

AN ACT

To amend chapter 170, RSMo, by adding thereto one new section relating to the 1619 Project
in school districts and charter schools.
Be it enacted by the General Assembly of the state of Missouri, as follows:
Sect ion A. Chapter 170, RSMo, is amended by adding thereto one new section, to beknown as section 170.352, to read as follows:
170.352. 1. As used in this section, “1619 Project” means the 1619 Project initiative of the New York Times.
2. No school district, charter school, or personnel or agent of such school district or charter school shall:
(1) Teach, use, or provide for use by any pupil the 1619 Project as part of any curriculum, course materials, or instruction in any course given in such school district or charter school; or
(2) Teach, affirm, or promote as an accurate account or representation of the founding and history of the United States of America any of the claims, views, or opinions presented in the 1619 Project as part of any curriculum, course materials, or instruction in any course given in such school district or charter school.

It’s all about the details. You’d think there’d be something about purging any of those same materials in associated libraries. Publicly burning them is the customary method.

If a society is afraid of words written on a page it has much bigger problems than those words written on a page.

A long time ago

01 Wednesday Dec 2021

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Antonin Scalia in Warrensburg, part 4 (March 7, 2008)

[As an originalist how do you handle a case like Brown versus Board of Education 1954 where arguably the original understanding of the equal protection clause did not prohibit segregation in public schools?]

That is a very good question and it’s often asked. We, we originalists, uh, refer to this as, uh,”waving the, the bloody red shirt” of Brown versus Board of Education. Uh, there are two answers. Number one, and less important, I think I would have been with the majority in Brown because I think I would have been with, uh,  Justice Harlan in Plessy. Plessy versus Ferguson, which was a case, uh, in the 19th century which held that the state of Louisiana could require blacks to ride in a separate railroad car….and the court said that was okay and Harlan dissented…I think I would have been with Harlan in Plessy so I think I would have been with the majority in, in Brown.

But that, that’s the less important answer.  Look, I will stipulate…that you can do some good things with, uh, uh ignoring the Constitution. With the living Constitution letting the court, the judges make it up.  I’ll stipulate. I mean kings can do stuff that democratic , uh, legislatures can’t achieve. So what? Does that prove that kings are better?  A stopped clock is right twice a day. [laughter] I’ll grant you, that, that, that some things can be achieved but that isn’t the basis for judging it. Whether now and then it produces a result you like. You have to look at the whole system and say, “Is this the way a democratic society should govern itself?”

And the answer is, “No.”

Associate U.S. Supreme Court Justice Antonin Scalia [2008 file photo].

HB 1451: high priority

01 Wednesday Dec 2021

Posted by in Missouri General Assembly, Missouri House

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Bill prefiling for the Missouri General Assembly session started today.

One, addressing great matter of urgencey – at least for right wingnuts:

HB 1451
Designates January 12 each year as “Rush Limbaugh Day”
Sponsor: Billington, Hardy (152)
Proposed Effective Date: 8/28/2022
LR Number: 3064H.01I
Last Action: 12/01/2021 – Prefiled (H)
Bill String: HB 1451
Next House Hearing: Hearing not scheduled
Calendar: Bill currently not on a House calendar

The bill text:

SECOND REGULAR SESSION
HOUSE BILL NO. 1451 [pdf]
101ST GENERAL ASSEMBLY

INTRODUCED BY REPRESENTATIVE BILLINGTON.
3064H.01I DANA RADEMAN MILLER, Chief Clerk

AN ACT

To amend chapter 9, RSMo, by adding thereto one new section relating to Rush Limbaugh
day.
Be it enacted by the General Assembly of the state of Missouri, as follows:
Section A. Chapter 9, RSMo, is amended by adding thereto one new section, to be known as section 9.319, to read as follows:
9.319. January twelfth each year is hereby designated as “Rush Limbaugh Day” in Missouri. Citizens of this state are encouraged to celebrate the day by participating in appropriate events and activities to remember the life of the famous Missourian and groundbreaking radio host.

“…appropriate events and activities…”

Heh. The mind boggles with the infinite possibilities.

Roses are reddish, violets are bluish, if it weren’t for Christmas…

01 Wednesday Dec 2021

Posted by in social media, US Senate

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Vicky Hartzler (r) [2021 file photo].

Yesterday:

Rep. Vicky Hartzler @RepHartzler
President Trump: Merry Christmas
Joe Biden: Merry Crisis

Trump
Merry Christmas
Biden
The 12 days of Christmas are more expensive this year
Inflation, supply shortages drive up Christmas tree prices
US facing shortage of Santas this year
Why Christmas 2021 is already ruined

10:31 AM · Nov 30, 2021

The responses are priceless:

Well if THIS doesn’t lock up that Senate nomination then frankly what else possibly could?

Missouri. I rest my case.

Vicky, don’t forget about that pesky Ninth Commandment. Oh, let me help you remember: Exodus 20:16 — “Thou Shalt Not Bear False Witness Against Thy Neighbor.”

Fuel prices are dropping, shelves are stocked, Xmas shopping done. Hot damn, life is good!!!!

Put Christ back in your Christmas and love your neighbor as He loved the Church. Then, your Christmas will be just fine.

And you’re in Congress??

wow…

Missouri.

Totally not a cult

Bad combover. Check. Too long red tie. Check. Orange spray tan. Check. Tiny hands. Check. Cluelessness. Check…

Well.

At least you aren’t even pretending to care about Jesus anymore.

HO HO HO! At least you are working hard on priorities… [….]

I would rather have a man of faith than a criminal, serial adultery, lying, cheating insurrectionist.

It’s ruined because you are an elected politician and a trumper. I’d rather have Greiten than you and I can’t stand him

That’s a lot to unpack there.

I guess you live in outer space, because in my part of the US, there is no shortage of anything – nice try though. [….]

Do some work for your constituents instead of this crap. What a joke.

You make our state look like a veritable clown car of inbred morons.

GFY, Vick.

This childish, moronic tweet appeals to Rep.Hartzler’s base. No substance, no governance, Hartzler simply panders to low information voters.

‘Tis the season.

Still silent

30 Tuesday Nov 2021

Posted by in Josh Hawley, US Senate

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Still going down.

The word from Josh Hawley (r) and Vicky Hartzler (r) on the dropping retail price of gasoline:

Nothing.

The retail price of gas today in west central Missouri:

The silence from the previously whining right is telling.

Josh Hawley (r) [2016 file photo].

Vicky Hartzler (r) [2016 file photo].

Previously:

Passing gas (November 11, 2021)

Josh (r) and Vicky (r) are having a sad… (November 26, 2021)

The silence of the right wingnuts (November 29, 2021)

Incoherent word salad

30 Tuesday Nov 2021

Posted by in social media, US Senate

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Eric Schmitt (r) [2021 file photo].

Last night:

Eric Schmitt @Eric_Schmitt
Covid tyrants are selling fear to be your savior.

WE THE PEOPLE have had enough. We want our country back.[….]
7:30 PM · Nov 29, 2021

“Covid tyrants are selling fear to be your savior…”

Eric Schmitt (r) became self-aware shortly before 7:30 p.m. Central on November 29, 2021. Then, it quickly faded.

Some of the responses:

I had no idea that Missourians want more filled hospitals, more sickness, and more deaths.

This Missourian does not a return to that. Why are you calling for that?

Covid deniers are selling death to win a primary. You keep killing your voters, we’re going to get our state back. [….]

15,458 Missourians have died from COVID. That’s larger than the population of your hometown of Bridgeton.

Dude, you’ve been in one elected office or another for 12 years. If there’s a problem, you’re it.

Don’t you mean “We want our Covid back”? You seem to be playing on the Delta/Omicron team. [….]

“COVID tyrant,” says the guy complaining about fear mongering. [….]

Covid opportunists are selling deadly anti-science hogwash for political gain.
They use terms like “WE THE PEOPLE” and wanting “our country back” tribally, dividing a nation that has lost 750,000 souls.
They use flags for punctuation, but peddle selfishness over citizenship.

You ok man? I think you hit the party line fearmongering talking points pipe a lil too hard here hoss…

You want our country back to pre vaccine covid? Back to lock downs and closed schools? Back to massive unemployment? You’re killing your constituents by peddling selfishness over responsibility to one’s family, neighbors and community.

You’re the only one selling fear Eric. Without it, you have no platform of your own. You fear the end of the pandemic as it will reveal just how useless you and the GQP are.

The sewer you crawled out of wants you back…its fresh out of bottom-feeders.

There you go.

The silence of the right wingnuts

29 Monday Nov 2021

Posted by in Josh Hawley, social media, US Senate

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From Josh Hawley (r) and Vicky Hartzler (r):

The retail price of gas this afternoon in west central Missouri:

Let’s pass the gas.

What’s that? They have nothing to say? Typical.

Previously:

Passing gas (November 11, 2021)

Josh (r) and Vicky (r) are having a sad… (November 26, 2021)

Wait, what?

29 Monday Nov 2021

Posted by in social media

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This morning:

Rep. Vicky Hartzler @RepHartzler
We don’t need government shutdowns again.

We need our kids in school, our businesses open, and Americans back to work.
[….]
8:43 AM · Nov 29, 2021

A few of the responses:

The Association of Funeral Homes and Crematoriums approves this message.

So there are no shutdowns planned, and instead of being proactive in the very unlikely scenario that they do happen, you are gaslighting with no plan of action. That’s sounds about right. Just like last time.

If we can get everyone vaccinated, we can devote more resources to other areas. My MIL is in Vandy Medical & has to wait for her biopsy because the hospital is slammed w/ unvaccinated Covid patients. GOP, Fox, Q, Trumpers… all of you are to be blamed.

And now, the truth.

1) No shut downs are being planned
2) Thanksgiving day spending set a record at 5.1 billion
3) Inflation is a global consequence of the pandemic, not a political economic package that hasn’t even gone into action yet.

Y’know what helps with that? Masks and vaccines.

It really will be okay if we all do our part to help.

God forbid this group of GOP hustlers ever does anything proactive.

No one is shutting anything down. Maybe if Republican voters would wear masks and get vaccinated our situation would improve.[….]

But Republicans excel at government shutdowns. Y’all didn’t pass a budget from 2011-2015.

Then you should encourage your Deplorables to do the right things. Mask up, get vaccinated, etc. And then support civil penalties for not doing these *simple* things. Levy fines and/or ban people from public places.

Just saying “we don’t need this” doesn’t HELP.

yes, let’s ignore the virus, that’s been working really well so far

Then maybe the cult should get vaccinated and wear masks instead of being outraged at literally everything

The Omicron variant & the pandemic would like to have a word in this.

Which is exactly the reason we NEED those vaccine mandates. That would ensure that MOST of the kids and workers would be safe at school or work.

What if we learn the omicron variant is more deadly than the delta variant?

As a proud pro-life person, you must know doing nothing will lead to more death and suffering.

Are you really “pro-life”?

The definition of insanity is doing the same thing over again and expecting a different result

Everyone wants the virus to go away. You can’t think of anything to do but blame others. Thanks for nothing.

Any member of Congress who talks about getting kids back to school, businesses open and Americans back to work and doesn’t encourage vaccinations is a fraud. But we already knew that about you.

Vicky Hartzler (r) [2021 file photo].