Virginia's GOP is Busy Introducing Lunatic Legislation

With the Virginia Senate in a tie for control between the Democrats and the Republicans, it seems that some already deranged members of the GOP have been further emboldened to introduce crazy ass bills. Not surprisingly, leading the way on the batshitery is the ever anti-gay Bob Marshall (pictured at left). The Republican Party of Virginia apparently will not be happy until Virginia becomes a theocracy that makes the Massachusetts colony under the Puritans look liberal and non-white minorities are barred from voting. Blue Virginia has a summary of the backward thinking bills. Here are a few highlights:

*HB 1 by "Sideshow Bob" Marshall: Rights of unborn children. Provides that unborn children at every stage of development enjoy all the rights, privileges, and immunities available to other persons, citizens, and residents of the Commonwealth, subject only to the laws and constitutions of Virginia and the United States, precedents of the United States Supreme Court, and provisions to the contrary in the statutes of the Commonwealth. Just like Mississippi!

SB 1 by Stephen Martin: Voter identification requirements; provisional ballots. Eliminates the provision that allows a voter to sign a sworn statement that he is the named registered voter he claims to be in lieu of showing identification and provides instead for the voter to cast a provisional ballot if he cannot provide a required form of identification. The bill also provides that, in order to determine whether a person who cast a provisional ballot is a qualified voter, an electoral board may rely on a faxed copy of a person's identification. The bill also removes a Commonwealth of Virginia voter registration card from the list of forms of identification that a voter can present to demonstrate that he is a qualified voter. The Republican war on voting continues.*

HB 27 by "Sideshow Bob" Marshall: Residential energy efficiency standards. Exempts any residential building or manufactured home in Virginia from being subject to federal legislation relating to residential energy efficiency standards if such building complies with the Statewide Uniform Building Code. Except to the extent required by the Statewide Building Code, the owner of such building or home cannot be required by the federal government to (i) have an energy efficiency analysis conducted on his residence, (ii) have his residence meet federal energy efficiency standards, (iii) participate in a building performance labeling program, (iv) make modifications to the residence in accordance with federal legislation, or (v) post a label showing the energy efficiency of his home prior to its sale. The bill also prohibits any state agency from assisting any federal agency in the implementation of global warming or climate change legislation. The Republican war on the environment continues.