Bohac's "Merry Christmas Bill" Focuses on Schools
State Rep. Dwayne Bohac, R-Houston, doesn't want Texas school teachers to resort to putting up "holiday trees" during Christmastime because they're too worried about lawsuits to call them what they really are.
“Our school officials and teachers have enough on their plate without having to worry about frivolous lawsuits for celebrating Christmas and Hanukkah," Bohac said in a news release.
Bohac on Wednesday filed a bill that he hopes will free public schools from concerns that displays of Christmas cheer could land them in a county court. The measure would specifically allow teachers and other public school staff ...
Comments (18)
Arthur M. Thomas IV via Texas Tribune on Facebook
If he is worried about government agencies being sued then maybe he should instead work on getting rid of government agencies instead of dictating rules for living.
Rob Turk via Texas Tribune on Facebook
We need laws to tell us that its okay to celebrate Christmas. Jesus Mary and Joseph, what is wrong with this country?
Tom Berg via Texas Tribune on Facebook
So long as it allows for the free display of Saturnalia which is the granddaddy of all this winter celebration. This is just more pandering from the non-war on Christmas.
Kim Burkett via Texas Tribune on Facebook
Yes, schools have many concerns - this isn't one of them. How about addressing $5.4 billion in cuts, 160K unfunded students, an accountability system that grades based only on the progress of your lowest performing population subset, unfunded mandates, a quarter of Texas students living in poverty, etc., etc. Once we get through these, perhaps we can then look at Christmas concerns. Does anyone in the Texas legislature have any kinds of common sense or priorities? Anyone???
Karen Spivey-Cummings via Texas Tribune on Facebook
Holiday = Holy Day.
Charles Peckham via Texas Tribune on Facebook
I agree with the sentiment. However, could we pass a bill that prohibits legislators from proposing frivolous bills? Seems that would do more for the state budget.
Charles Peckham via Texas Tribune on Facebook
Instead, propose and pass a school vouchers bill. Don't dance around the issue for the press potential. Instead do something substantial.
Jim Wier via Texas Tribune on Facebook
@Karen: I'm afraid a lot of uber fundamentalists can't figure that out!
Greg Pulte via Texas Tribune on Facebook
Bohac was not worried about lawsuits when he voted in favor of cutting public education by $5.4billion resulting in over 600 school districts suing the State of Texas.
Chuck Bloom via Texas Tribune on Facebook
Don't these elected idiots have ANYTHING better to do than stupid crap like this? So many problems, so little intelligence.
Samdavis
Lots of TEA Partiers think this is much more than education, that and making sure school kids can go to school armed.
Bobby Hawthorne via Texas Tribune on Facebook
They'll be too busy lugging guns around campus.
Les Stevens via Texas Tribune on Facebook
How about Ramadan?
Kirk Garner via Texas Tribune on Facebook
Pander much?
Susan Syler via Texas Tribune on Facebook
Kim Burkett hit it out of the park on her response.
Rich Wilson via Texas Tribune on Facebook
Anyone have a source for the actual language of the legislation? The devil is in the details. If it says people can say "Merry Christmas" it's probably just a waste of time. If it's allowing specifically religious displays (and in particular if it's limiting those to just a few religions) then that might be a violation of the establishment clause. If he really wants to do some good, he should be educating students as to their rights under the free exercise clause. Students can say "Merry Christmas" or any other religious greeting they want, and they should know they have that right.
Susan Shelton via Texas Tribune on Facebook
http://www.legis.state.tx.us/tlodocs/83R/billtext/html/HB00308I.htm
Honor Kirk
I bought my daughter lovely Science-themed holiday cards to pass out at her holiday party today in her class to counter all the scripture cards she seems to get from a few students.
Science is the reason for the season!
Bohac's bill just shows another display of the idiots falling out of the GOP clown car.