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DEFENDING THE INDEFENSIBLE: Matthew Shepherd defending a sham “hate crimes” bill.
The Republican leadership dumped further shame on themselves this afternoon by ignoring rules and sending a sham “hate crimes” bill to the House floor without a roll call vote.
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Chair Rep. Carol Dalby (R-Texarkana) ignored requests for a roll call vote on a do-pass recommendation in the House Judiciary Committee for SB 622, the meaningless “hate crime” bill that House and Senate leadership have gotten behind to give some window dressing to the state for refusing to pass a real hate crime bill that includes specific coverage for sexual orientation and transgender people. It passed the Senate and only a House vote keeps it from the governor, who’s anxious to sign it.
Senate President Jimmy Hickey had Sen. Stephanie Flowers banished from participating this afternoon after her angry exchanges with another senator and the Senate presiding officer.
House speaker declines meeting with governor on his COVID policies UPDATE
House speaker declines meeting with governor on his COVID policies UPDATE
Turns out there’s a good reason Governor Hutchinson didn’t have an answer at his briefing today on when a
“committee of the whole” meeting of the legislature would be held to give him a hoped-vote of confidence for the executive orders he’s issued under emergency powers during the pandemic.
The House has declined.
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There’s a hefty group of malcontents in the Senate as well, not to mention a pending lawsuit over his practices. I’m also surprised nobody has raised the issue of convening 135 legislators to pat the governor on the back during a time when he’s been talking about putting limits on indoor gatherings and the virus is spreading in Arkansas exponentially.