Louisiana lawmakers quietly advance two controversial bills as severe weather hits the state
BATON ROUGE, La. (AP) — While state offices and schools were closed across Louisiana on Wednesday because of severe storms, a GOP-controlled legislative committee gathered in the Capitol to debate controversial bills that opponents say target the LGBTQ+ community.
With few members of the public in the audience, an uncommon occurrence when such bills are heard, the House Committee on Education proceeded with business and quietly advanced two bills. One of the pieces of legislation is similar to a Florida law that critics have dubbed as a “Don’t Say Gay” bill, which broadly bars teachers from discussing gender identity and sexual orientation in public school classrooms. The other measure would require public school teachers to use the pronouns and names that align with the gender students were assigned at birth.
Ahead of the vote to advance the bills, which will be debated on the House floor next, one of the four people present to testify against the measures urged lawmakers to reschedule the meeting or wait to vote after a second hearing.