Listen:
This is the last committee week before the legislation session, and House Minority Leader Fentrice Driskell laid out some goals of the Democrats in the upcoming session.
“Here we are in the last committee week before session, and it feels like we haven’t done too much.”
Driskell says she anticipates more anti-LGBTQ bills and, what she claims are “culture war” bills from Republicans.
Bills such as House Bill 599, which some call the “Don’t Say Gay” bill for workplaces, would not allow some employers to ask employees their preferred pronouns
Another bill, House Bill 49, proposes weakening child labor laws by removing work guidelines for 16- and 17-year-olds.
“Taking away these protections means that a boss could demand a kid work an overnight shift right before an important test. This makes a kid decide between their job and their education, and for some families that’s a very hard question.”
She says some of her party’s goals will be expanding Medicaid, affordable housing bills, and monitoring the use of taxpayer dollars with private and charter schools.
The legislative session starts January 9th.
