Today in republican controlled Alabamastan

 

Between passing a bill to effectively shut down Alabama's 5 remaining abortion clinics, a bill banning insurance companies from covering contraceptives, and a bill calling for a constitutional amendment to require that any restrictions against the right to bear arms be subject to strict "scrutiny",  Alabama's big government republicans quietly OK'd the school flexibility bill.

A House committee Wednesday approved legislation that would allow school districts to apply for waivers from some state laws.
The committee amended the proposal after complaints from opponents that it allowed schools to opt out of a wide variety of laws, including those related to ethics. However, the legislation as amended would still allow school districts to apply for waivers from the state’s competitive bidding law.
The legislation is a major part of the House Republicans’ “We Dare Defend Our Rights” agenda. Rep. Chad Fincher, R-Semmes, sponsor of the legislation, told a meeting of the House Education Policy Committee on Wednesday afternoon that it would allow local districts to design educational approaches best suited to their areas.
“It allows schools to request relief from rules and regulations in exchange for greater accountability,” Fincher said. “We have a system where one size fits all education. We have small systems, we have large systems ... I think that’s why it’s important we break out of that mold of one size fits all.”

Translation, back door way of bringing charter schools to the state and attacking tenure laws.

Alabama Education Association officials oppose the bill, saying it would give local school boards the power to erode protections for teachers and other employees. The bill, as originally drafted, included wording that protected tenure for teachers who already have it. Still, AEA officials said, the wording would allow schools to eliminate the potential of tenure for newly-hired teachers.

Representatives of the American Federation of Teachers, a teacher’s union, also spoke against the bill, saying it was written with too little teacher input. “Throughout the bill, there’s not one mention of the word teacher,” said Vi Parramore, of the Jefferson County branch of AFT.

 Yep.  Gotta keep them there  poor Alabama women and teens barefoot, pregnant, and ignorant, then call them Moochers.

The Moocher Myth is this: People who vote Republican are successful, responsible strivers who pay taxes and keep the U.S. government afloat, while people who vote for Democrats are irresponsible moochers living off government programs. In Romney’s phrase, they are the 47 percent “who are dependent on government, who believe they are victims.”

House democrats proposed a state lottery to pay for officers in schools and college scholarships, among other things, but they won't go anywhere because democrats don't control the state legislature.

 House Democrats today unveiled an agenda that includes establishing a state lottery to pay for college scholarships and putting a trained police officer in every public school.
They also proposed letting people vote on a $1 cigarette tax to boost  the state’s perpetually cash-strapped Medicaid program.

What julie said
 This is a sad day for Alabama. We have Reps who couldn't care less what we think, what the facts are, or how their laws will directly impact the everyday life of hundreds of thousands of people. I'm really not sure what they DO care about - except getting reelected (#1), collecting a nice check with gold-plated benefits (#2), doing favors for their friends and themselves (#3) and  the Church barbeque next Sunday (#4).

This is what happens when the gop dominates politics in Alabama.

Oh well, at least we are the  national college football champs.