Meanwhile, in Florida...

[L'Emmerdeur]

There is a remarkable audacity and irony in citing the free speech clause of the 1st Amendment as justification for banning books. Government by empowered right wing authoritarian trolls.

[L'Emmerdeur]

An interesting conflict develops if the basis of this argument is considered valid. If indeed the mission of public schools is to convey to students the 'message' or position of the government, then officially sanctioned prayer in schools should be out of the question. The 'establishment of religion' clause of the 1st Amendment should see to that. However the majority in the US Supreme Court is definitely in favor of officially sanctioned prayer, so to support this argument they would have to reinterpret the establishment clause into irrelevance. I think they can manage it. Theocracy for the win.

[Svartalf]

[Brian Peacock]

If the basis of this argument is considered valid then I guess a state would have the equivalent 1A rights of an individual and any official view it's representatives and officers took could not be challenged. But it seems to me that Florida is claiming more than just a 1A right to express a view that 'these books should be banned' etc, it's arguing that because it has a right to take that view the affected population have an obligation to conform to it and act accordingly.

You could call it an Authoritarian's Charter, or the Capricious Voice of God law, or Administration by Fiat, or Electoral Monarchism.

That could go anywhere, from 'this business should not pay tax and isn't obliged to meet minimum wage or health and safety standards', to 'these people should be rounded up and pushed into the sea' etc. These people want power without the inconvenience of democratic rule.

[L'Emmerdeur]

The Surgeon General of Florida says the COVID mRNA vaccines are 'the Antichrist.' It takes a specialized form of stupid to put such a wilfully ignorant arse in that position.

'No, COVID mRNA Vaccines Won't Damage Your DNA'

[L'Emmerdeur]

This item could go in the 'Capitalism' thread (or the 'Republicans' thread for that matter) and Texas has passed similar legislation, but Florida deserves its due recognition.

'Florida GOP Passes "Vicious" Bill Banning Mandatory Water Breaks for Workers'

Displaying "punitive cruelty" toward Florida residents who work outdoors, the Republican-controlled state House on Friday approved a bill that would ban local governments from requiring that workplaces provide water breaks and other cooling measures.

The state Senate passed the measure on Thursday, with Republicans pushing the bill through as Miami-Dade County was scheduled to vote on local water break protections. If signed into law by the Republican governor, the proposal will preempt the county's vote.

Roughly 2 million workers are expected to be affected by the legislation in Florida, where parts of the state experienced record-breaking heat last year. Meteorologists found that last month was the hottest February ever recorded globally, and the ninth straight month to set such a record.

Miami-Dade County officials estimate that 34 people die from heat-related causes each year.

"Every single year, it's going to get hotter and hotter," Oscar Londoño, executive director of worker advocacy group WeCount!, toldThe Guardian. "Many more workers' lives are going to be at risk. We will see fatalities, because of what Florida Republicans chose to do this week."

Londoño called the bill a "cruel... bad faith attempt to keep labor conditions very low for some of the most vulnerable workers."

[Sean Hayden]

A court in Texas ruled the law was unconstitutional. So it’s not law yet.

I think it’s interesting that we don’t have federal regulations or guidelines regarding working in the heat. Surely that would be the way to go. Why should every city, county, whatever, be able to come up with its own regulations? They do that for food service, and it acts as a real barrier to small operators.

[JimC]

A court in Texas ruled the law was unconstitutional. So it’s not law yet.

I think it’s interesting that we don’t have federal regulations or guidelines regarding working in the heat. Surely that would be the way to go. Why should every city, county, whatever, be able to come up with its own regulations? They do that for food service, and it acts as a real barrier to small operators.

That decentralisation seems to be a feature of the US system - local police forces, local school districts etc...

[Tero]

Wait till the Supreme Court declares OSHA unconstitutional.

[Sean Hayden]

A court in Texas ruled the law was unconstitutional. So it’s not law yet.

I think it’s interesting that we don’t have federal regulations or guidelines regarding working in the heat. Surely that would be the way to go. Why should every city, county, whatever, be able to come up with its own regulations? They do that for food service, and it acts as a real barrier to small operators.

That decentralisation seems to be a feature of the US system - local police forces, local school districts etc...

There's plenty of room for local rule. But some things, like mitigating the risk of heat stroke on the job seem to lend themselves to federal regulation. It makes sense.

[JimC]

A court in Texas ruled the law was unconstitutional. So it’s not law yet.

I think it’s interesting that we don’t have federal regulations or guidelines regarding working in the heat. Surely that would be the way to go. Why should every city, county, whatever, be able to come up with its own regulations? They do that for food service, and it acts as a real barrier to small operators.

That decentralisation seems to be a feature of the US system - local police forces, local school districts etc...

There's plenty of room for local rule. But some things, like mitigating the risk of heat stroke on the job seem to lend themselves to federal regulation. It makes sense.

You are clearly a tool of the Deep State!

[Svartalf]

Wait till the Supreme Court declares OSHA unconstitutional.

Given the current roster, I'd not count that as impossible.

[Svartalf]

A court in Texas ruled the law was unconstitutional. So it’s not law yet.

I think it’s interesting that we don’t have federal regulations or guidelines regarding working in the heat. Surely that would be the way to go. Why should every city, county, whatever, be able to come up with its own regulations? They do that for food service, and it acts as a real barrier to small operators.

That decentralisation seems to be a feature of the US system - local police forces, local school districts etc...

There's plenty of room for local rule. But some things, like mitigating the risk of heat stroke on the job seem to lend themselves to federal regulation. It makes sense.

A country founded, and still largely dominated, by religious freaks has no ties to anything making sense to a normal person.

[Sean Hayden]

We weren't founded by religious coconuts. We've always had a healthy mix of religious sentiments, punctuated here and there by real religious fervor, and the worst of that was just another shitty British import anyway...

[laklak]

They just held the 1st Floridaman games In st. Augustine. Events included a mullet contest, pool noodle fencing in a mud pit, an evading arrest obstacle course (while being chased by REAL deputies!) and, my favorite, bicycle race while carrying a catalytic converter and a handful of copper pipes.

I am definitely attending the next one.

https://www.thefloridamangames.com