You are now free to feel officially embarassed to be an Ohioan.
Yesterday our state's Republican lawmakers repaid some of their biggest donors and influence-peddlers with some stunningly stupid and ideological legislation. None of it was a surprise -- it's straight out of the Koch Bros./Fox News playbook -- yet when it actually happens in my state, it makes me wanna puke.
The law allowing concealed-carry of guns into bars and restaurants (by permit holders) easily passed both Houses and will go to Gov. Kay-suck's desk for his signature. John-Boy says he'll sign it. God knows why. (Maybe because he's a craven shitheel beholden to the gun lobby. Ya think?) So many people are opposed to this idea -- the restaurant industry, city governments, the vast majority of Ohioans -- that it's just disgusting they're gonna cram it down our necks anyway. And their next move is to get rid of the permit requirement, allowing anyone to stick a piece in his pocket and go clubbin'. Fucking insane!
The Ohio Senate easily passed a measure to allow drilling for oil and gas in our state parks. This includes the dangerous hydro-fracking technique. (Senate President Tom Niehaus said he hadn't seen any evidence that fracking was unsafe. Then you haven't been looking, you knucklehead!) The justification for this is that Ohio will make some money from drilling leases and that helps with our budget issues. But, because craven shitheel Kay-suck is also beholden to the oil lobby, the big money will be made by his buddies in the oil and gas industry. They will get the cake, Ohio will get the crumbs. Raping and pillaging our public lands as a matter of state policy. Makes us look like fucking China!
Speaking of craven shitheels, state Republicans ass-kissed the right-to-life lobby and managed to sneek some anti-abortion regulation into the budget bill. It was an intentional last-minute maneuver designed to avoid any public comment or floor debate. This is truly despicable. Stuff like this has no business in the budget to begin with, and it has no impact on the state's income or expenses. It's just pure right-wing wish-list shit. If it's so goddam important, then put it in a stand-alone bill and try to get it passed.
And the Senate passed a resolution which would allow Ohioans to opt out of the 2014 federal requirement that everyone carry health insurance. One after another, gasbag Republican Senators rose to say that it's unconstitutional; that the federal government can't force us to pay for it. Bullshit, says Buster. We are "forced" to pay income taxes, to pay for Social Security and Medicare, and a variety of other taxes and fees. Why not health insurance too?
In summation, it's really getting embarassing to be from Ohio. If we keep rolling with Kay-suck and his hard-R agenda, we'll be right up there with South Carolina, Arizona, and Texas in the Stupid State Hall Of Shame.