Thread by @RavBogard

Here we go! Follow this thread for live coverage of Missouri #SB42, an anti-CRT, don't say gay, anti-trans kids, anti-DEI bill that I'm calling the #OmnibusBillOfHate #MOLeg

Committee chair says "since this bill is almost identical to so man other bills" they're going to try to keep it under an hour. Audible laughter in the galley from the room full of folks who woke up at 5am to be here to testify.

Now they're looking for witnesses out in the hallway who are testifying in support of this bill...because so so so many people are here to oppose Missouri's #OmnibusBillOfHate

First witness to testify in favor of the bill, talking about how he wants to keep his kids in a bubble...and doesn't want them to know about the broader world...complaining that "schools make kids wards of the State...and parents shouldn't question the curriculum"

The Chair was on a tight leash with the first testimony opposed to #SB42, but is letting this kook who is a contract lobbyist with an org in FL (!) go on and on with craziness about how "@ParkwaySchools let teachers help kids mutilate their bodies and not tell teachers."

@LaurenArthurMO coming on strong in questioning, forcing this testifier to reveal his out-of-state lobbyist agenda, and pointing out the inherent bigotry in what he's saying. "Why do we want to encourage critical thinking, but limit what they engage with?" #1619Project

"This bill, I'm sorry to say, limits what teachers can discuss!" -@LaurenArthurMO is 🔥🔥🔥 in this room, tearing apart this bigoted testimony.

"I appreciate you making clear that you don't believe that schools should be involved in helping kids think critically. That clarifies a lot." -@LaurenArthurMO #SB42 #OmnibusBillOfHate

We've only got an hour for this bill, and they're spending 10+ minutes on this one testimony from an out-of-state, Florida based lobbyist (who is paid to be here), who is spewing bigotry with a smile, and who doesn't even send his kids to public school in his own State! #SB42

@DougBeck562 is now pushing this lobbyist on "why are you here--you're from Florida!" and, "don't you think bills like this just make teachers want to quit?!?" and "don't you think that fact that so many Missouri schools have gone to 4-day weeks is a bigger problem?"

So, like, I woke up at 5am to drive 2-hours to be here so that I could testify for 2 minutes...and I'm totally all in for missing my testimony so @DougBeck562 and @LaurenArthurMO can keep tearing this bigoted, homophobic lobbyist apart. #SB42 #OmnibusBillOfHate

HA! They just asked if there was anyone else here to testify in favor of #SB42, AND THERE IS LITERALLY NO ONE IN FAVOR OTHER THAN THE PAID LOBBYIST WHO THEY FLEW IN FROM FLORIDA! #OmnibusBillOfHate

@aclu_mo testifying that #SB42 is unconstitutional because it "violates students' 1st Amendment Rights", and now getting pushback from @curtisdtrent. Once again asking for testimony, and once again THERE IS NO ONE IN HERE IN FAVOR OTHER THAN PAID LOBBYISTS.

Here comes @CRCStLouis's @njaffe! "I'm here today to speak out in opposition...not only because it is wrong and dangerous...but also because this bill is anti-business and has the potential to harm companies like mine."

"This bill is here because...you want to hide the truth (from children), and decide what books we can and cannot sell to schools in Missouri. I believe this is wrong, that this is anti-business, and most importantly that this bill is anti-American." -@njaffe is 🔥🔥🔥

WOW! @njaffe, calm and steady and steady and logical, is getting *way* under the Chair's skin: "excuse me, we're the ones who ask questions here!" (!!!!) #OmnibusBillOfHate

Now hearing testimony against the portions of #SB42 designed to target and bully trans kids. From a former athlete, "because of the messages I received about my sexuality, I thought me not being on this earth was better than me being here....but then I found sports."

"No matter what the environment is, no matter what the setting is, no legislation can erase the fact that LGBTQ Missourians exist and will continue to exist. I oppose this bill as a black, LGBTQ Missourian."

"You can't even count the number of trans athletes in this State on two hands, and you all are moving heaven and earth to target these kids and solve a problem that doesn't exist!" #SB42 #OmnibusBillOfHate

Once again the Committee Chair is getting really reactive. Now he's ranting about how trans women are going to steal all of the NCAA Scholarships from "real women". Meanwhile, there are NO TRANS WOMEN WHO HAVE RECEIVED D1 SCHOLARSHIPS. NONE. #MOLeg #SB42 #OmnibusBillOfHate

This committee isn't going to end up hearing even a fraction of the people who woke up at 5am to schlepp to their Capitol to testify against this bill. The basic lack of respect being shown by the @MissouriGOP to its constituents is staggering. #OmnibusBillOfHate #SB42

Sen Denny Hoskins (GOP, obvs) looking silly in his questioning of a former athlete, here to testify against this #OmnibusBillOfHate: "I've played more sports than you have!"

Once again the @MissouriGOP Committee Chair using the leash, "we're coming up on two minutes!" the moment a testifier starts getting under his skin, and pointing out the bigotry built into this #OmnibusBillOfHate #SB42

@DLHoskins is now "all lives matter"-ing this whole thing. And because that wasn't enough, he's now "biological male"ing it. These @missouriGOP-ers are really into making decisions based on what kids' genitals look like, aren't they? #ProtectTransKids

Committee Chair now announcing that he's not going to hear any more testimony, and that he's sick of this. His disdain and basic lack of respect is *stunning*. Folks here now in open rebellion, and shouting out parts of their testimony.

"I'm a former member of the US military who came here to excersize my Constitutional rights, and I'm incredibly disappointed that I wasn't allowed to." LOUD round of applause from the galley, with the Chair repeatedly saying "clapping is not allowed!" #OmnibusBillOfHate #SB42

And just like that, dozens of people who drove two hours early in the morning in order to testify are prevented from doing so by a deeply disrespectful @MissouriGOP Committee Chair. He gavels the discussion closed. I'll be back at 4:30 with the EIGHT anti-trans bills in the House

@HeatherFSpeaks rallying the troops in the hallway, after we were prevented from testifying against the immortal, racist, bigoted #SB42 #OmnibusBillOfHate