# Stupid Republican idea of the day **URL:** \ **Category:** The BBQ Pit\ **Created:** [March 26, 2009, 6:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stupid-republican-idea-of-the-day/490897 "2009-03-26T18:48:35Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1399
**Author:** ![BrainGlutton](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/82dd89/32.png) [@BrainGlutton](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BrainGlutton)\ **Post date:** [March 18, 2016, 5:01am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stupid-republican-idea-of-the-day/490897/27962 "2016-03-18T05:01:23Z")
> [@Rick\_Kitchen](#): > > This should probably go in Evil Republican Idea of the Day. [Alabama Republican wants to forbid people with children from getting foods stamps if they own cars.](http://www.rawstory.com/2016/03/alabama-republican-wants-to-stop-people-on-food-stamps-from-owning-cars-but-expects-them-to-get-jobs/) > > But they’re still supposed to find jobs and get to them. Let them eat cars. ---
**Author:** ![Rick\_Kitchen](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/rick_kitchen/32/522_2.png) [@Rick\_Kitchen](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rick_Kitchen)\ **Post date:** [March 18, 2016, 11:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stupid-republican-idea-of-the-day/490897/27963 "2016-03-18T23:40:10Z")
[Mississippi legislator tells one of his constituents that he doesn’t care what her opinion is, since she wasn’t born in Mississippi. And she should go back to Illinois.](http://www.rawstory.com/2016/03/miss-lawmaker-callously-dismisses-woman-asking-about-corporate-tax-cut-because-shes-not-a-native/) ---
**Author:** ![BrainGlutton](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/82dd89/32.png) [@BrainGlutton](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BrainGlutton)\ **Post date:** [March 19, 2016, 2:51am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stupid-republican-idea-of-the-day/490897/27964 "2016-03-19T02:51:16Z")
> [@Superdude](#): > > Understandable, since you live in [America’s wang.](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6zlkn9cHWxY) :dubious: Hey, watch that stuff! You don’t wanna mess with Florida! No, really, seriously, don’t mess with Florida . . . I meant it! Take your hands off! Oh, now you’ve gone and done it . . . :eek: Watch out, Bermuda! ---
**Author:** ![Mollie\_Magill](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mollie_magill/32/20882_2.png) [@Mollie\_Magill](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mollie_Magill)\ **Post date:** [March 19, 2016, 5:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stupid-republican-idea-of-the-day/490897/27965 "2016-03-19T17:41:12Z")
You should never mess with Florida. You don’t know where it’s been. ---
**Author:** ![YogSothoth](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/y/8edcca/32.png) [@YogSothoth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/YogSothoth)\ **Post date:** [March 19, 2016, 8:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stupid-republican-idea-of-the-day/490897/27966 "2016-03-19T20:19:33Z")
[Bill would take Alabama out of marriage business](http://www.cnsnews.com/news/article/bill-would-take-alabama-out-marriage-license-business) Oft threatened but I think this is the first time an actual bill gone this far in any state. Alabama’s Senate approved a bill 23-3 to do away with state issued marriage licenses. The bill now goes to the state House for approval. The bill replaced the issuance of marriage licenses and instead the state will simply require you to file a form to record your marriage. So if this passes, no more marriage in Alabama? Oh wait, I forgot, this is Alabama. I’m sure soon after this bill is approved, another bill will be made to legitimize religious marriages. This way, they assume, no gays can get married in the state because you can’t force churches to marry gays! As the SCOTUS challenge inevitably weaves its way through the courts, marriage, for a brief moment, will once against return to the hands of Christians as they should be. :rolleyes: ---
**Author:** ![j666](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/9de0a6/32.png) [@j666](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/j666)\ **Post date:** [March 19, 2016, 8:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stupid-republican-idea-of-the-day/490897/27967 "2016-03-19T20:46:45Z")
> [@YogSothoth](#): > > The bill replaced the issuance of marriage licenses and instead the state will simply require you to file a form to record your marriage. So if this passes, no more marriage in Alabama? Why would you say that? Whether a license is issued or the record is generated another way, the marriage is a legal fact. I don’t see anything wrong with this; lots of people think the religious ceremony and the legal contract should be separated. ---
**Author:** ![Rick\_Kitchen](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/rick_kitchen/32/522_2.png) [@Rick\_Kitchen](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rick_Kitchen)\ **Post date:** [March 19, 2016, 9:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stupid-republican-idea-of-the-day/490897/27968 "2016-03-19T21:44:09Z")
[Tennessee state legislator introduces a provision to remove $100,000 from the University’s Office for Diversity and Inclusion, in order to pay for “In God We Trust” stickers.](http://www.knoxnews.com/news/local/house-subcommittee-advances-bill-stripping-100k-from-ut-diversity-operations-2e1ea265-c7a1-07f3-e053-372169311.html) ---
**Author:** ![smithsb](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/smithsb/32/12107_2.png) [@smithsb](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/smithsb)\ **Post date:** [March 20, 2016, 7:51am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stupid-republican-idea-of-the-day/490897/27969 "2016-03-20T07:51:44Z")
> [@Rick\_Kitchen](#): > > This should probably go in Evil Republican Idea of the Day. [Alabama Republican wants to forbid people with children from getting foods stamps if they own cars.](http://www.rawstory.com/2016/03/alabama-republican-wants-to-stop-people-on-food-stamps-from-owning-cars-but-expects-them-to-get-jobs/) > > But they’re still supposed to find jobs and get to them. So some of the low rank GI’s that qualify for stamps and have cars will have their food stamps recinded? That will go over big in military friendly Alabama. ---
**Author:** ![kaylasdad99](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kaylasdad99/32/3398_2.png) [@kaylasdad99](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kaylasdad99)\ **Post date:** [March 20, 2016, 7:56am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stupid-republican-idea-of-the-day/490897/27970 "2016-03-20T07:56:06Z")
> [@Rick\_Kitchen](#): > > This should probably go in Evil Republican Idea of the Day. [Alabama Republican wants to forbid people with children from getting foods stamps if they own cars.](http://www.rawstory.com/2016/03/alabama-republican-wants-to-stop-people-on-food-stamps-from-owning-cars-but-expects-them-to-get-jobs/) > > But they’re still supposed to find jobs and get to them. I can’t link, because I’m not proficient enough with this tablet, but it would be good to runthis one through snopes. ---
**Author:** ![kaylasdad99](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kaylasdad99/32/3398_2.png) [@kaylasdad99](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kaylasdad99)\ **Post date:** [March 20, 2016, 7:59am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stupid-republican-idea-of-the-day/490897/27971 "2016-03-20T07:59:16Z")
> [@YogSothoth](#): > > The bill replaced the issuance of marriage licenses and instead the state will simply require you to file a form to record your marriage. So if this passes, no more marriage in Alabama? > [@j666](#): > > Why would you say that? Whether a license is issued or the record is generated another way, the marriage is a legal fact. I don’t see anything wrong with this; lots of people think the religious ceremony and the legal contract should be separated. Yeah, I’m pretty sure the state won’t be disbanding the family court system any time soon. ---
**Author:** ![j666](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/9de0a6/32.png) [@j666](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/j666)\ **Post date:** [March 20, 2016, 12:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stupid-republican-idea-of-the-day/490897/27972 "2016-03-20T12:03:34Z")
> [@kaylasdad99](#): > > I can’t link, because I’m not proficient enough with this tablet, but it would be good to runthis one through snopes. According to the Alabama Republic news article on which the Raw Story item was based, “Updated at 2:40 p.m. on March 18: An earlier version of this story stated the legislation’s changes to asset calculations could affect car ownership. Analysts say the calculations would not affect primary vehicles.” As usual, no one is linking to the actual bill. ---
**Author:** ![Sitnam](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/6a8cbe/32.png) [@Sitnam](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sitnam)\ **Post date:** [March 20, 2016, 4:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stupid-republican-idea-of-the-day/490897/27973 "2016-03-20T16:17:25Z")
> [@j666](#): > > Why would you say that? Whether a license is issued or the record is generated another way, the marriage is a legal fact. I don’t see anything wrong with this; lots of people think the religious ceremony and the legal contract should be separated. They already are, the religious ceremony is entirely superfluous to the legal contract. There is no reason for this bill other than jiggery-pokery, to use Scalia’s term. ---
**Author:** ![mhendo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mhendo/32/3159_2.png) [@mhendo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mhendo)\ **Post date:** [March 20, 2016, 4:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stupid-republican-idea-of-the-day/490897/27974 "2016-03-20T16:32:35Z")
> [@j666](#): > > According to the Alabama Republic news article on which the Raw Story item was based, > “Updated at 2:40 p.m. on March 18: An earlier version of this story stated the legislation’s changes to asset calculations could affect car ownership. Analysts say the calculations would not affect primary vehicles.” > > As usual, no one is linking to the actual bill. It’s possible that one reason for this is that the Alabama Legislature website is something of a labyrinthine nightmare that, on my computer at least, only seems to work properly with Firefox, and not with Chrome or Internet Explorer. Anyway, i managed to find the bill and i read the whole thing. There is no mention of cars or automobiles at all, and the only mention of assets requirements says that the bill would: > [@](#): > > limit the resource limit standard for the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) to the federal asset limit and would require some form of asset verification. I don’t know enough about federal asset limits for such programs to say anything about the consequences of such a clause. If you want to read it for yourself, you can try [this link](http://alisondb.legislature.state.al.us/Alison/SESSBillResult.aspx?BILL=SB285&WIN_TYPE=BillResult), but i’m not guaranteeing that it will work. It seems to be a temporary search link. If you want to search, you’re looking for SB285, sponsored by Arthur Orr. ---
**Author:** ![eschereal](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/eschereal/32/18939_2.png) [@eschereal](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/eschereal)\ **Post date:** [March 20, 2016, 6:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stupid-republican-idea-of-the-day/490897/27975 "2016-03-20T18:15:08Z")
[this link might be more reliable](http://alisondb.legislature.state.al.us/alison/searchableinstruments/2016rs/bills/SB285.htm). I find it a tad disturbing that Alabama has a state Department of Human Resources. ---
**Author:** ![j666](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/9de0a6/32.png) [@j666](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/j666)\ **Post date:** [March 20, 2016, 6:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stupid-republican-idea-of-the-day/490897/27976 "2016-03-20T18:26:21Z")
> [@mhendo](#): > > It’s possible that one reason for this is that the Alabama Legislature website is something of a labyrinthine nightmare that, on my computer at least, only seems to work properly with Firefox, and not with Chrome or Internet Explorer. > … > If you want to read it for yourself, you can try [this link](http://alisondb.legislature.state.al.us/Alison/SESSBillResult.aspx?BILL=SB285&WIN_TYPE=BillResult), but i’m not guaranteeing that it will work. It seems to be a temporary search link. If you want to search, you’re looking for SB285, sponsored by Arthur Orr. That is exactly why professional news organizations, rather than very helpful people on message boards (and thank you) should be linking to the text of the bills. It’s an Alabama newspaper - of course they should be able to link to bills in front of the Alabama legislature. Don’t get me started on a site called Raw Story not providing raw data. > [@Sitnam](#): > > They already are, the religious ceremony is entirely superfluous to the legal contract. There is no reason for this bill other than jiggery-pokery, to use Scalia’s term. How does this diminish marriage, using a form to record it rather than requiring a license in advance? Was it done in response to homophobic refusals to issues marriage licenses to same sex couples? Possibly, it certainly sounds like it; that doesn’t mean it’s a bad idea. ---
**Author:** ![running\_coach](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/running_coach/32/15836_2.png) [@running\_coach](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/running_coach)\ **Post date:** [March 20, 2016, 6:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stupid-republican-idea-of-the-day/490897/27977 "2016-03-20T18:29:53Z")
> [@j666](#): > > That is exactly why professional news organizations, rather than very helpful people on message boards (and thank you) should be linking to the text of the bills. It’s an Alabama newspaper - of course they should be able to link to bills in front of the Alabama legislature. > > Don’t get me started on a site called Raw Story not providing raw data. > How does this diminish marriage, using a form to record it rather than requiring a license in advance? > > Was it done in response to homophobic refusals to issues marriage licenses to same sex couples? Possibly, it certainly sounds like it; that doesn’t mean it’s a bad idea. Wait until a clerk refuses to touch the form. ---
**Author:** ![mhendo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mhendo/32/3159_2.png) [@mhendo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mhendo)\ **Post date:** [March 20, 2016, 6:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stupid-republican-idea-of-the-day/490897/27978 "2016-03-20T18:52:31Z")
> [@j666](#): > > That is exactly why professional news organizations, rather than very helpful people on message boards (and thank you) should be linking to the text of the bills. It’s an Alabama newspaper - of course they should be able to link to bills in front of the Alabama legislature. As government documents, the bills themselves are not subject to copyright protection. If they wanted to. the editors of the paper could copy and paste the whole text, or could download the PDF of the bill and post it on their own website. ---
**Author:** ![j666](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/9de0a6/32.png) [@j666](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/j666)\ **Post date:** [March 20, 2016, 9:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stupid-republican-idea-of-the-day/490897/27979 "2016-03-20T21:22:01Z")
> [@running\_coach](#): > > Wait until a clerk refuses to touch the form. “Eewww!! Gay cooties!!”? > [@mhendo](#): > > As government documents, the bills themselves are not subject to copyright protection. If they wanted to. the editors of the paper could copy and paste the whole text, or could download the PDF of the bill and post it on their own website. Or that would do. Isn’t that the kind of thing interns are really for? ---
**Author:** ![YogSothoth](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/y/8edcca/32.png) [@YogSothoth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/YogSothoth)\ **Post date:** [March 21, 2016, 1:26am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stupid-republican-idea-of-the-day/490897/27980 "2016-03-21T01:26:16Z")
> [@j666](#): > > Why would you say that? Whether a license is issued or the record is generated another way, the marriage is a legal fact. I don’t see anything wrong with this; lots of people think the religious ceremony and the legal contract should be separated. The way I read it, and the inference I get from the LGBT community opposing this, is that “recording” in this case isn’t synonymous with “issuing” but rather more like you get married in NY, you come to Alabama, you tell Alabama you’re married and they say ok. There would be no opposition if it was implied that you can still get married in Alabama, but instead of “issuing” the marriage certificate, the state merely “records” it. That’s how I interpret it anyway ---
**Author:** ![j666](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/9de0a6/32.png) [@j666](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/j666)\ **Post date:** [March 21, 2016, 2:03am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stupid-republican-idea-of-the-day/490897/27981 "2016-03-21T02:03:39Z")
> [@YogSothoth](#): > > The way I read it, and the inference I get from the LGBT community opposing this, is that “recording” in this case isn’t synonymous with “issuing” but rather more like you get married in NY, you come to Alabama, you tell Alabama you’re married and they say ok. There would be no opposition if it was implied that you can still get married in Alabama, but instead of “issuing” the marriage certificate, the state merely “records” it. That’s how I interpret it anyway I do not understand the legal difference between recording the marriage and issuing a license for a marriage first. It does not appear the “record” marriage is in any way difference from the current system (under which people are not getting married, because the licenses aren’t being issued). Is it right that some county officials can “get away with” not issuing the licenses? No. But under the proposed system. people get married; the goal is achieved. Even Alabama can do something right some times. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stupid-republican-idea-of-the-day/490897.md?page=1398) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stupid-republican-idea-of-the-day/490897.md?page=1400)