New Hampshire Legislators Kill Fourth Graders’ Bill & Dreams In Front of Them

[jimmy olsen]

Lol 

http://www.slate.com/blogs/the_slatest/2015/03/19/new_hampshire_legislatures_kill_fourth_graders_bill_and_dreams.html

New Hampshire Legislators Kill Fourth Graders' Bill, Dreams In Front of Them

By Mark Joseph Stern

Last Thursday, fourth graders from Hampton Falls, New Hampshire visited their state legislature to observe a bit of democracy in action. The children had previously proposed House Bill 373, establishing the Red Tail Hawk as the New Hampshire State Raptor, as part of a civics lesson in how bills become laws. Their measure had already sailed out of the Environmental and Agriculture Committee. Now the young students gathered in the House galley to watch their bill pass its next hurdle.

But the nine and ten-year-olds were in for a brutal lesson in realpolitik. At the start of the day, legislators turned and applauded to children for coming to the statehouse. When lawmakers began to consider the bill, however, Republican Rep. Warren Groen—who has devoted his career to combating abortion and marriage equality—took the floor to denounce the Red Tail Hawk. "It grasps [its prey] with its talons then uses its razor sharp beak to basically tear it apart limb by limb," he explained as the children watched. "And I guess the shame about making this a state bird is it would serve as a much better mascot for Planned Parenthood."

Rep. John Burt, another Republican, also castigated the effort to name an official state raptor. "Bottom line," he said, "if we keep bringing more of these bills, and bills, and bills forward that really I think we shouldn't have in front of us, we'll be picking a state hot dog next."

A number of other legislators, it seems, shared Burt's and Groen's concerns: Ultimately, the House killed the bill by a 133-160 vote. In the end, New Hampshire's lawmakers may have crushed the dreams of several fourth graders. But in fairness, the legislators probably gave the students a better lesson in the realities of American democracy than their teacher ever could have hoped.

[Martinus]

Republicans are assholes. Film at 11.

[Martinus]

By the way, isn't it funny how consistently pro-lifers, who usually are against sex educators, gay rights advocates and feminists "demoralising the young" with inappropriate content are perfectly fine with talking about abortion or showing pictures of aborted fetuses to kids?

[Agelastus]

Republicans are assholes. Film at 11.

Groen's clearly an asshole;I agree with Burt though.

[Ideologue]

Republicans are assholes. Film at 11.

Groen's clearly an asshole;I agree with Burt though.

Concur.

[garbon]

Odd that Marti would support something just for the children.

[Darth Wagtaros]

Republicans are assholes. Film at 11.

Groen's clearly an asshole;I agree with Burt though.

Concur.

Yeah.

[mongers]

Aren't US states well know for having a state bird, flower, 'offical' nickname and so on?

I think some of their objects are reasonable, though my own view is birds are special, in that there's a lot of state symbolism attached to birds down through the ages. So state bird yes, state cuisine, mushroom, piece of furniture, no.

edit:
Oh it was for a state raptor, so change my opinion to no, if they've already got a bird.

[jimmy olsen]

Coffee milk is the official drink of Rhode Island 

[mongers]

OK, now that I've looked on wiki, are any of these official, confirm by some similar bill as above, there by convention or are people just making some up for wiki?

Animal and Plant insignia
Amphibian   Red-spotted newt
Notophthalmus viridescens
Bird(s)   Purple finch
Haemorhous purpureus
Butterfly   Karner Blue
Lycaeides melissa samuelis
Dog breed   Chinook
Fish   Freshwater: Brook trout
Salvelinus fontinalis
Saltwater: Striped bass
Morone saxatilis
Flower(s)   Purple lilac
Syringa vulgaris
Insect   Ladybug
Coccinellidae
Mammal(s)   White-tailed deer
Odocoileus virginianus
Tree   White birch
Betula papyrifera
Inanimate insignia
Food   Fruit: Pumpkin
Vegetable: White Potato
Gemstone   Smoky quartz
Mineral   Beryl
Motto   Live Free or Die
Rock   Granite
Song(s)   "Old New Hampshire"
Sport   Skiing
Tartan   New Hampshire State Tartan

[Jacob]

I wonder if that will impact the children's voting patterns in the future; or that of their families in the present.

[DontSayBanana]

The difference between the two is that Burt had a good, if bitter, point; Groen was just using the debate for a soapbox in about as inappropriate a setting as could be imagined.

[Ed Anger]

Good.

[Caliga]

I think states should have a State Rock Song before they have a State Raptor. IIRC only a few states have picked State Rock Songs so far.

[Grey Fox]

By the way, isn't it funny how consistently pro-lifers, who usually are against sex educators, gay rights advocates and feminists "demoralising the young" with inappropriate content are perfectly fine with talking about abortion or showing pictures of aborted fetuses to kids?

Sex is bad, it is the worse of things. Anything is reasonable when you are fighting sex.