[Vision2020] April Fool's Day Joke?

[Paul Rumelhart]

I think these bills are bad ideas, but not for the same reasons as most of
you out there, probably.  From what I can tell, sexual preference is not a
protected class in either Arkansas or Indiana, even before these bills were
introduced.  Therefore, there is nothing stopping someone from refusing
service for some reason related to sexual preference, even without this
bill being signed into law.  These bills are nothing but grandstanding by
those lawmakers towards their constituents.  I'm not displeased that it's
backfiring on them.

I would like to see a push to include sexual preference as a protected
class in those states, rather than just a bunch of objections to their
current legislation.

I am sympathetic to the idea that someone with firm convictions shouldn't
have to conduct business in a way that they find immoral.  That goes just
as much for both the people who object to making wedding cakes with two
grooms on them and the ones that don't want to have to make a "God Hates
Fags" sign.

Paul

On Wed, Apr 1, 2015 at 10:19 PM, j Whitney <jenwhitney at gmail.com> wrote:

> Hey Visionaries,
>
> Thankfully, this is definitely real.  I'm currently living in Little Rock
> and was outside his office when he gave the press conference in which he
> said he would not sign HB1228 as is and asked the legislature to recall the
> bill.  Republican Representatives are currently scrambling to find a way to
> amend it, so it will be signed.  We're still not sure if they have time to
> do so before *sine die*.  Hutchinson also said he's considering an
> executive order that would protect the LGBT community from workplace
> discrimination, but made no promises.
>
> One of the best signs I saw at the rally yesterday was "Gov. Hutchinson,
> be our Rockefeller, not our Faubus".  For those of you who are
> unenlightened, as I was before moving to Arkansas, Faubus was the Governor
> that decided to take a stand against the US Supreme Court decision in *Brown
> v. Board of Education* and NOT desegregate. Eisenhower was forced to send
> in the national guard to enforce it.  Faubus is now known as one of the
> biggest embarrassments in Arkansas history.  (Tom Cotton's recent letter is
> fast reaching this status as well, and may out shine Faubus because of the
> world-wide exposure.)  Unfortunately, Faubus was a democrat, so that's sad,
> but he was trying to capitalize on the rampant racism of good ol' boys back
> in the day.  Hutchinson is acting similarly with the fundamentalist crowd,
> but was shooting himself in the foot with all the attention Indiana's Pence
> is currently receiving.  Hutchinson wants to keep his job and luckily, as
> at least one foot in reality enough to realize signing this bill into law
> would be a death sentence.
>
> Interestingly, Walmart came out in opposition to this bill.  With their
> recent wage hike, I'm beginning to wonder if they've turned a corner, but
> only time will tell.  Since Walmart's home base is Arkansas, a personal
> letter from the CEO to Hutchinson asking him to veto the bill, was likely a
> deciding factor.
>
> One final side note that you all won't hear in the news is that signing
> HB1228 into law was the agreed upon payment for Hutchinson forcing
> Republican lawmakers to "fall on their swords" and continue to fund
> medicaid expansion (known as the Private Option) in Arkansas.  Governor
> Mike Beebe did a great job bringing it to Arkansas and with the huge
> benefit Arkansans have seen, Hutchinson would be a fool not to continue it,
> despite the fervent opposition his colleagues have to it.  I was frankly
> surprised that he won't be signing HB1228, but am also worried about what
> the new payment will be in its place.
>
> Yay for another day of equal rights for all in Arkansas!  Let's hope Gov.
> Pence sees reason and provides some protection for the LBGT community in
> Indiana.
>
> My best to you all back in Idaho.  I sure miss it.
>
> Jennifer
>
>
>
>
>
> On Wed, Apr 1, 2015 at 9:46 PM, Scott Dredge <scooterd408 at hotmail.com>
> wrote:
>
>> Is this real or is it an April Fool's Day joke?  Seems under typical
>> circumstances that Asa Hutchinson would have gleefully signed a bill
>> legalizing gay bashing.
>>
>> 'Arkansas Gov. Asa Hutchinson backed away Wednesday from his promise to
>> sign a controversial religious-objections bill, bowing to pressure from
>> critics of the measure, including his own son and some of the state's
>> biggest employers, who say the legislation is anti-gay.'
>>
>>
>> http://news.yahoo.com/arkansas-governor-urges-changes-religious-objection-bill-154925529.html
>>
>>
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>
>
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