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Thurs: Movin' on through
posted at 2009-04-17 00:29 | Last modified 2009-04-17 00:30
The comprehensive sex ed bill, H88, made it through the House today on a 62-52 vote. Most of the lengthy debate was a rehash of yesterday, although we heard a lot more concern today about parents who “won’t understand” what their kids might be taught in the new classes.
Guilford Republican John Blust accused his fellow House members of living "on Fantasy Island…with Tattoo and Da Plane” for thinking more information would lead to less sexual activity. But supporters say the educational change is less focused on curbing teens’ sexual activity (which they're obviously engaging in, anyway) than on making sure they don’t get pregnant or ill as a result of it.
Other Republicans weighed in, too. Rep. Mark Hilton (Catawba) argued the only people who want comprehensive sex ed are liberal fringe groups. Rep. Bill Current (Gaston) warned the new classes could offend some families’ religious sensibilities. And House Minority Leader Skip Stam (Wake) tried to remove the term “comprehensive” from the debate entirely, calling it misleading.
None of these arguments swayed bill supporters, who fended off every amendment attempt and sent the bill to the Senate on a largely party-line vote.
Wait – what?
Even though the outcome of today’s H88 vote wasn’t much in doubt, the debate still yielded some classic tape. The “Lawmakers Say the Darnedest Things” award had to go to Orange Dem Bill Faison, who wandered through a longwinded biblical reference and an R-rated anecdote before confessing on the floor that his eldest son was, well, unplanned.
You can hear his whole spiel here. It’s quite a ride. (9:22)
Listen Now!
But the best moment of the day, I think, came from Beaufort Dem Arthur Williams. While he’s a nice guy and a good worker, he’s not exactly renowned for progressive sentiments or emotional sensitivity. Today might have changed a few minds, at least on the latter.
Williams doesn’t speak on the floor too often, but he rose today to support H88 on behalf of his wife, a nurse who works with low-income families and teen mothers. It wasn’t a Kleenex speech -- he was matter-of-fact about it – but it was the most affecting and least political speech of the entire debate. If you’ve got two minutes to listen, you ought to.
Listen Now!
The measure now heads to the Senate, where its odds are actually pretty good.
Text appeal
The texting-while-driving ban, H9, also made it through third reading in the House today after a brief delay to sort out Bill Faison’s legal concerns about negligence and liability. Once that was cleared up, it whizzed through 104-5 and is now headed to the Senate.
Hot wheels
Nascar cars, spacemen, Disney characters, playing cards. You might find these things in a kid’s toy box. You’ll also find them masquerading as lighters – but not for much longer, if the Senate has its way.
Senators voted today to ban NC retailers from selling novelty lighters designed to appeal to kids. S652 Sponsor Senator Austin Allran (R-Catawba) showed off a wide variety of the lighters at his desk today, including one that looked exactly like the title character of the children’s movie “Finding Nemo.” Kids can’t tell the difference between toys and lighters, and that’s led to house fires and deaths around the country.
Allran says the ban would not apply to conventional or grill lighters.
It only has to do with lighters that are intentionally made to look like toys and attract children. Like this pack of cards….you’ve got a pack of cards here. Little child wants to figure out how to deal it. They deal the top of the deck…
Allran moves the top card, and twin jets of butane flame jump from the bottom of the deck, perfectly positioned to burn anyone holding the lighter in his or her hand. It’s hard to fathom how anyone ever thought this product was a good idea.
American lighter manufacturers certainly don’t. They quit making toy lighters a few years back after kids started getting hurt playing with them. The novelty lighters now on store shelves are Chinese imports that don’t even meet American safety standards.
There wasn’t much opposition to today’s vote, given that NC retailers had already agreed to the ban. Four states have already outlawed these lighters, and sixteen others are considering it this year. The ban now moves to the House.
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