Tangle - Republicans pass "parental rights" bill.

Episode Date: March 30, 2023

On Friday, House Republicans passed an education bill focused on "parental rights" in the classroom, making a major political statement as one of their first acts with a House majority. The bill, titled the Parents Bill of Rights, passed in a 213-208 vote with five Republicans and all Democrats voting against it. Plus, a question about Biden's gaffes. You can read today's podcast here, today’s “Under the Radar” story here, and today’s “Have A Nice Day” story here. From the Blindspot report, a story that the left missed here and a story that the right missed here.Today’s clickables: Quick Hits (0:53), Today’s Story (2:37), Right’s Take (8:35), Left’s Take (4:40), Isaac’s Take (12:23), Your Questions Answered (16:25), Blindspot Report (18:11), Under the Radar (18:42), Numbers (19:33), Have A Nice Day (20:11)You can subscribe to Tangle by clicking here or drop something in our tip jar by clicking here.Our podcast is written by Isaac Saul and edited by Zosha Warpeha. Music for the podcast was produced by Diet 75.Our newsletter is edited by Bailey Saul, Sean Brady, Ari Weitzman, and produced in conjunction with Tangle’s social media manager Magdalena Bokowa, who also created our logo.--- Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/tanglenews/message Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

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I'm your host, Isaac Saul, and on today's episode, we're going to be talking about the parental rights bill that was just passed by Republicans in the House, what is in the bill, some arguments about it from the right and the left, and then, as always, my take. Before you jump in, though, we'll kick it off with some quick hits. First up, Russia says it detained Wall Street journal Evan Gershkovich on charges of espionage. The paper vehemently denies the allegations and called for his release. Number two, the U.S. Senate voted 66 to 30 to repeal the 1999 Authorization for Use of Military Force, or AUMF, for the Gulf War and the 2002 AUMF for the Iraq War. Number three, Pope Francis has been

hospitalized with a respiratory infection after experiencing difficulty breathing. Number four, the Senate voted to end the COVID emergency declaration three years after it was initially enacted. Number five, the Federal Drug Administration or FDA officially approved the overdose-reversing naloxone for over-the-counter sale. The drug is commonly known as Narcan. The House narrowly passed a Republican-backed bill known as the Parents' Bill of Rights. The Parents' Bill of Rights Act will require schools to provide parents with a list of books and reading materials available in the school library. It would also require that curriculum be publicly posted, parents be alerted of violent activity on school grounds,

and that parents be asked permission before, quote, changing a minor child's gender markers, pronouns, permission before, quote, changing a minor child's gender markers, pronouns, or preferred name on any school form or allowing a child to change the sex-based accommodations, including locker rooms or bathrooms. This is not about Washington. This is empowering the parents. This is the parents' bill of rights. It's knocking down currently with this Biden administration that wants Washington to control all. On Friday, House Republicans passed an education bill focused on parental rights in the classroom, making a major political statement as one of their first acts with a House majority. The bill, titled the Parental Bill of Rights, passed a 213-208 vote, with five Republicans and all Democrats voting against it.

Among other things, the legislation would mandate schools post their curriculum publicly and share a list of the books and reading materials available in the library with parents. It would also require teachers to meet with parents and that schools share information with parents when violence happens at school. The bill would also allow parents a say when schools update policies related to student privacy. The bill is unlikely to gain any traction in the Democrat-controlled Senate, would also allow parents a say when schools update policies related to student privacy. The bill is unlikely to gain any traction in the Democrat-controlled Senate, though it is seen as a Republican statement about the kind of legislation they'd push if they were to take the Senate and the White House in 2024. Republican Representatives Andy Biggs from Arizona, Ken Buck

from Colorado, Matt Gaetz from Florida, Mike Lawler from New York, and Matt Rosendale from Montana all voted against the bill. Lawler from New York, and Matt Rosendale from Montana all voted against the bill. Lawler's no vote was particularly notable given he was a co-sponsor of the bill initially. His office said an amendment pushed by Representative Lauren Boebert, the Republican from Colorado, saying parents have a right to know if their child's school allows a transgender girl or woman to use a women's bathroom went too far. Boebert also amended the bill to say that parents have a right to know if their school allows transgender girls or women to participate in a sport that does not correspond with their sex assigned at birth. The other four

Republicans who opposed the bill cited long-standing GOP opposition to federal overreach into local school districts as the reason for their opposition. Today, we're going to take a look at some arguments from the left and the right on this legislation and then my take. Alright, first up, we'll start with what the left is saying. Many on the left oppose the bill, saying it's about bullying teachers and students over culture wars, not about empowering parents. Others argue parental rights are really about discrimination against LGBTQ kids. Some call the bill unconservative overreach and say it ignores the very real problems teachers are facing. In MSNBC, Hayes Brown said the bill is a blueprint for bullying of teachers, students, and school boards over race and gender.

Some parts of it make sense and could have easily been a bipartisan effort, including a requirement that parents be notified when violence occurs on school grounds and a ban on schools selling student data for commercial purposes, Brown said. But most of it was drafted as a blueprint for the harassment of teachers, administrators, and school boards that has escalated over the past three years. Florida Governor Ron DeSantis has already launched a blitz of policies that curtail teaching about race, sex, and gender in the state's schools. This bill would provide fodder for AstroTurf groups to then pressure schools more effectively. The bill would provide fodder for astroturf groups to then pressure schools more effectively. The bill highlights how narrowly the GOP views which

parents should have their rights respected in schools, Hayes said. Nowhere is there anything about the right of parents of LGBTQ students to have their children's pronouns respected. Nowhere is there any protection of teachers against retribution for teaching minority students the truth about their past. It's clear that Republicans only believe white, straight, conservative parents should get to have a say in what everyone's kids get to learn. In the New York Times, Jamel Bowie explained parents' rights is really about censorship. The term sounds unobjectionable, Bowie said, which is probably why it's become the term of choice for conservative efforts to ban books, censor school curriculums, and suppress politically undesirable forms of

knowledge. The parents' rights movement in Florida has empowered certain parents to remove books, films, even whole classes that threaten to expose their children to material that might make them uncomfortable. A single complaint about the book Ruby Bridges in Pinellas County, the story of a six-year-old girl integrated at an all-white school, led to its removal. You will notice parents' rights never seem to involve parents who want schools to be more open and accommodating toward gender non-conforming students. It's never invoked for parents who want their students to learn more about race, identity, and the darker parts of American history. And we never hear about the rights of parents who want schools to offer a wide library of books and materials to their children, Bowie said. The reality is parents' rights are meant to empower a conservative and reactionary minority

of parents to dictate education and curriculums to the rest of the community. In the Hetchinger report, Liz Wellen said what we really need is help fixing real problems in education. The blatant hypocrisy was not lost on Democrats. Republicans who once treasured small government are now asking for more government oversight, she said. Republicans who once treasured small government are now asking for more government oversight, Whelan said. Now, hardline stances against transgender students are drowning out talk about immediate and pressing post-pandemic issues of learning loss, teacher pay, and student mental health. All this while we have crumbling school facilities, overly large class sizes,

a lack of committed, qualified teachers, and enormous disparity in the quality of course offerings, resources, and college career preparation. Also, parents are increasingly concerned about school safety in the wake of high-profile shootings. The GOP's push to empower parents is far removed from these painful realities. Meanwhile, a CBS poll found more than 8 in 10 Americans say they don't think books should be banned from schools for discussing race and criticizing U.S. history, for depicting slavery in the past, or more broadly, for political race and criticizing U.S. history for depicting slavery in the past or more broadly for political ideas they disagree with. All right, that is it for the left is saying, which brings us to what the right is saying.

Most on the right support the bill, arguing that Democrats think parents should not have control over their kids' education. Some argue this is a reminder that parents are the primary educators, not schools. Others oppose the bill, saying that while the values are strong, it amounts to federal overreach. National Review's editor said it's Democrats versus parents. This bill requires schools getting federal funding to publish their curricula and to provide parents with a list of books and materials accessible at the school library, the board said. It says schools must notify parents of any planned elimination of gifted and talented programs, to alert parents to any violent activity that took place at the school, to provide parents a forum to speak at school board meetings,

and to offer two in-person meetings between parents and teachers in each school year. And it requires parental consent for medical exams or mental health and substance use screenings. It also requires alerting parents if a school employee acts to change a child's gender markers, pronouns, or preferred name. There is legitimate debate about whether this is the federal government's role, but the substance of Democrats' objections was different. They outright took the side of the state usurping the proper role of parents. Here is a truth so primordial it predates conservatism as a political philosophy. Parents are the primary educators of their children. Schools are established to assist them in this task, not to take it over.

Democrats are the party that wants to treat normal parental oversight and curiosity as a conspiracy against the state. In the New York Post, Bethany Mandel said Democrats think your kids belong to them. In my home county, Mandel said, the school district is infusing books about gender and sexuality into the curriculum starting in kindergarten, and parents not only can't opt out, they won't even get a heads up from the school about what their kids are learning. This is why Republicans passed this bill, to protect families in counties like mine from overreach like what's happening in our public schools. The bill will require public schools to disclose all curricula, reading lists, library books, and budget cuts,

and force administrators and teachers to seek parents' consent before changing a child's gender status. Liberals are hiding behind phrases like book banning when the reality is these books aren't promoting inclusion but are instead pure indoctrination. Mandel shared a quote from a book Democrats had defended, quote, she had since read on the internet you could take girl hormones that would change your body and you could get a bunch of different surgeries if you wanted them and had the money. This was called transitioning, end quote. Just imagine progressive backlash if red states started including biblical values and literacy into curriculum and wouldn't allow an opt-out or notification. history and what it feels like to be in the spotlight. Interior Chinatown is streaming November 19th, only on Disney+. The flu remains a serious disease.

Last season, over 102,000 influenza cases have been reported across Canada, which is nearly double the historic average of 52,000 cases. What can you do this flu season? Talk to your pharmacist or doctor about getting a flu shot. Consider FluCellVax Quad and help protect yourself from the flu. It's the first cell-based flu vaccine authorized in Canada for ages six months and older, and it may be available for free in your province. Side effects and allergic reactions can occur, and 100% protection

is not guaranteed. Learn more at FluCellVax.ca. In the Washington Times, Representative Ken Buck, the Republican from Colorado, wrote about why he voted against the bill. This bill includes many worthy initiatives for parents to pursue, including setting bathroom gender policies and allowing parents more access to their children's curriculum. But it has a fatal flaw. While seemingly reinforcing parents' rights, it undermines the critical principle for conservatives, federalism, the bedrock of our liberty. The Constitution provides a limited list of federal powers. As conservatives have rightly pointed out for decades, education is not on that list. If the GOP decides the federal government can mandate these things, what is to stop a future

Democrat-led Congress from passing a law that prohibits this type of transparency, despite what local school districts have implemented and despite what works best at the local level. Parents are fighting locally for control while Republicans are fighting for more control in Washington. This would pave the way for Democrats to use these new federal powers over education to advance a woke agenda. All right, that is it for the left and the right are saying, which brings us to my take. Anyone who has been reading this newsletter for a while can probably guess where I stand here. I was opposed to the initial legislation in Florida around critical race theory that set off this trend of state overreach, and all my worst fears have basically come true. Similarly, I found the follow-up parental rights bill in Florida, also dubbed the Don't Say Gay Bill by critics, very troubling, specifically because it was overly vague and incredibly

burdensome for educators. When that bill passed, many readers who supported it told me that Governor DeSantis was only restricting this kind of education for young children up to third grade. some for educators. When that bill passed, many readers who supported it told me that Governor DeSantis was only restricting this kind of education for young children up to third grade. I argued both that some key phrasing would allow it to impact all students, and that continued legislation was likely to expand beyond that. Now, DeSantis is considering the same restrictions for students through 12th grade, meaning 17 and 18 year olds will be coddled on what they can learn in class. They will, quite literally, be prohibited from discussing topics like sex and gender in school right here in the United States of America. I also expressed a deep

concern about book bans, noting that there was a time when Republicans fought book removals being pushed by progressive activists, And I was very clear that teachers, administrators, and school boards, i.e. involved parents, would, in conjunction, be the best people to make these decisions, not individual parents on an ad hoc basis. Now we are seeing the repercussions of leaving it up to individual parents' sensitivities. Last week, a Florida charter school forced out a principal after a few parents objected to their sixth graders being shown a picture of Michelangelo's David. I also said that restricting discussions about sex, which is incredibly broad, or gender, which is also incredibly broad, would inevitably detract from critical education kids need about their bodies. Again, many readers told me I was overreacting.

Again, many readers told me I was overreacting. A select few accused me of being a groomer, which is a term for sexual predator, preparing a minor for abuse that is getting grossly applied by the right. Now, Governor DeSantis says he is considering new legislation that would effectively ban all discussion of menstruation before sixth grade, at which point some girls are already menstruating. And, of course, I made the point that Florida was starting a war that would end up expanding beyond local school boards and state legislatures. Now, here we are. Republicans in the House are trying to impose the federal government's will on local school boards.

To say this violates every foundational bedrock conservative idea is the understatement of the year. It is the latest reminder of the myth of the left and the right. We are experiencing a moment in time where there are very few real principles attached to either side, only tribal warring over culture issues. Yes, there are some perfectly good things in this bill. I love and support the idea of parents having curiosity and interest in their kids' education. And I think alerting parents to violence on campus or asking schools to publicly post their curriculum or getting consent for certain physical exams are all very supportable items. But none of these things should be a federal issue. And no, this bill is not about kids' safety. It is not about improving kids' education. It is about giving

parents outsized control and a heckler's veto on everything that happens in school for all kids, not just for their own children. And it would be empowered at the local level by the biggest government of all. All of this, of course, is to say nothing of the many teachers, administrators, and education groups who oppose this kind of legislation and continue to beg for legislation and resources that would actually improve our public schools. Kudos to the five Republicans who stuck to their guns and voted against the bill on conservative principle. That's not an easy thing to do in today's environment. This would be a silly, overwrought, and potentially dangerous bill at the state level, where we are already seeing similar bills having unintended consequences.

It's even worse coming from Congress. consequences. It's even worse coming from Congress. All right, that is it for my take, which brings us to your questions answered. Today's reader question is from Deb from Georgetown, Texas. Deb said, what is your opinion on Biden's many gaffes? However you'd like to explain them, define them, the latest being something I haven't seen mentioned in any of the press other than Fox News, Biden's lead into his reaction to the school shooting in Nashville, Tennessee. What I saw and heard him say was him joking about ice cream, having his freezer full of ice cream and saying that was no joke, then pointing to some good looking children in the back, as he put it. Then he proceeded to get solemn about the shooting. Okay, so I think

they are and have always been pretty embarrassing, but they also aren't new. When Biden was a senator, he was famous for these gaffes. Every time he's run for president, they've been a critical worry of the Democrats who backed him. He's always had an unbelievable penchant for saying and doing inappropriate things at the worst time. Even Biden, maybe in a meta gaffeaff, has described himself as a gaff machine. What happened this week was especially cringey. Biden dropped in on a women's business summit in the White House and was expected to address the mass shooting at a Nashville school. Instead, at the top, he started riffing on ice cream. It's just a matter of reading the room, and I think the

outrage was perfectly justified. To be fair to Biden, he did deliver a somber and appropriate address just moments later, but I had a similar reaction that you did. In June of 2021, I wrote a piece called Is Joe Biden Okay?, which addressed questions about his mental acuity. I think, as Biden ages, the gaffes, the random riffing, and the bizarre or unintelligible comments seem to be increasing in frequency. But I'm sure the coverage has also increased too, simply because he's now president. Alright, that is it for your questions answered, which brings us to today's Blindspot Report. Once a week, we present the Blindspot Report from our partners at Ground News, an app that tells you the bias of news coverage and what stories people on each side are missing. This week, the left missed a story about Stanford Law School mandating free speech training after students disrupted a conservative federal judge's address earlier this month.

The right missed a story about a study that shows a majority of trans adults being happier after transitioning. trans adults being happier after transitioning. Alright, next up is our Under the Radar section. Kentucky's Republican-led state legislature has overturned a veto from its Democratic governor Andy Beshear on a controversial bill around transgender healthcare. The bill would outlaw gender reassignment surgery for anyone under the age of 18 and also prohibit the use of puberty blockers, hormones, and inpatient and outpatient gender-affirming hospital services. Kentucky's state legislature, with Republican supermajorities, passed the bill, which Beshear

blocked before they overrode his veto. Doctors serving children who are taking puberty blockers or hormone therapy will have to set a timeline for detransition but can continue offering care if removing them from treatment could harm the child. Protests broke out at the state capitol over the bill. The Associated Press has the story, and there's a link to it in today's episode description. All right, next up is our numbers section. In 2021, the number of books and resources that were banned in libraries, according to the American Library Association, was 729. The number in 2022 was 1,269. The number of unique titles that were targeted for proposed censorship

was 2,571. The percentage of those challenges that targeted books and materials in school libraries, classrooms, or school curriculum was 58%. The percentage of those challenges that targeted books or materials in public libraries was 41%. All right, and last but not least, our have a nice day story. I really love this one. This is one of the better ones I've found in a while. Ukrainians who recently arrived in Minneapolis as refugees are now headed to Mississippi to aid tornado victims. Seven Ukrainian refugees, none of whom have been in the United States

longer than three months, responded to a call from the nonprofit American Service based in Minneapolis. They got in a caravan and hit the road for a 2,000-mile trip to Mississippi, where 26 people died Friday during a rash of tornadoes. American Service's director of operations, Sofia Rudenko, is a Ukrainian herself, who only arrived in the United States around Christmas. Here in America, a lot of people helped me to establish here, and we have this kind of culture

that we want to not only take, but also give back and to help others, Rudenko said. All right, everybody, that to it in today's episode description. All right, everybody, that is it for today's podcast. We have a special Friday edition newsletter coming up tomorrow on tech and the future of tech and what it means for politics. So if you're interested in that kind of thing, be sure to subscribe at retangle.com and you'll get the Friday edition in your inbox. We'll be right back here on Monday. Have a good one. Peace. Our podcast is written by me, Isaac Saul, and edited by Zosia Warpea. Our script is edited by Sean Brady, Ari Weitzman, and Bailey Saul. Shout out to our interns, Audrey Moorhead and Watkins Kelly, and our social media manager, Matt Galena Vakova, who created our podcast logo.

Music for the podcast was produced by Diet 75. For more from Tangle, check out our website at www.tangle.com. We'll see you next time. a background character trapped in a police procedural who dreams about a world beyond Chinatown. When he inadvertently becomes a witness to a crime, Willis begins to unravel a criminal web, his family's buried history, and what it feels like to be in the spotlight. Interior Chinatown is streaming November 19th, only on Disney+. The flu remains a serious disease. Last season, over 102,000 influenza cases have been reported across Canada, which is nearly double the historic average of 52,000 cases.

What can you do this flu season? Talk to your pharmacist or doctor about getting a flu shot. Consider FluCellVax Quad and help protect yourself from the flu. It's the first cell-based flu vaccine authorized in Canada for ages 6 months and older, and it may be available for free in your province. Side effects and allergic reactions can occur, and 100% protection is not guaranteed.