In a video extra for the radio (I love the 21st century!), The Greg Belfrage Show producer Todd Epp asked me about Senate Bill 134, the bill restricting political speech in public schools:
And hey! I check the journal from yesterday and find that the Senate showed some good sense and killed SB 134! Prime sponsor Senator Lance Russell tried to save the bill with an amendment limiting the public school resources restricted from use for political purposes and exempting school board members and administrators, but that amendment only made clearer that Russell’s target all along was us darn teachers. The full Senate voted SB 134 down 8–27. Good riddance!
One of the losing Yeas was my fellow substitute teacher Brock Greenfield. Come on, Brock! Show us some professional solidarity! And now, without SB 134, think of all the fun things you can say about me when you sub in social studies!
good show, great beard
Lance Russell was a bad and corrupt state’s attorney (as hubby is an attorney, you should hear the private scuttlebutt on Russell among the state’s legal community) and has been of little use in all of his years in the legislature. When WILL he finally be term-limited out, btw?
I remember ten years ago when I lived in Rapid City and he ran for judge against a long-time, experienced, very respected incumbent judge. Russell hadn’t really been an attorney that long and had, at that point, very little experience as a state’s attorney. I don’t know why, other than sheer arrogance, he even thought he should run. He ran a terrible campaign, also, in which he lied about and distorted the judge’s record.
It is no surprise at all to me that he’d put forth a bill like this, or have a grudge against public education and teachers for whatever stupid, wingnut reason. They have no idea what it’s really like being a teacher and have no interested in finding out. I wish I could introduce a bill that would require every legislator to spend a week alone in a k-12 classroom, in a grade of their choice, where they have sole responsibility for that classroom, just like teachers. A day or so wouldn’t work because it’d be a novelty and they wouldn’t really get the true idea.
Ms. Laurisa, the corrupt and arrogant Mr. Russell from the fine district of #30 will not term limit until 7 years from now. For the ignorant, stupid, and moronic citizens of my and my good friend Bob’s district have seated him in the other side of the legislatures. He is one of the leaders of the ignorami, and he is ensconced until Fall River county grows a brain, or Bob runs to take him down.
Wow what is Russell thinking…
Sometimes the State Senate gets it right.