Grist from the General Assembly

The Senate passed SB 1470 that would end open-ended credit lines by payday lenders. Now a House committee has endorsed similar legislation in HB 1709. After the weak regulations passed last year, some payday lenders tried to dodge the intent of the legislation by offering the open-end loans with no limits on interest rates. Hopefully, our wise legislators will move to crack down on car title lenders as well. How about limiting rates on the usurious "rapid refund loans" at the storefront tax preparers, too.

A Senate committee passed SB 827 to require instruction in the "benefits, challenges, responsibilities and value" of marriage in the family life curriculum fro grades K-12. The House has already passed similar legislation. In a prior post, CCC was critical of this feel-good legislation that is at best redundant. It was amended in the Senate to include "challenges and responsibilities" of marriage - perhaps a slight improvement. The bill has received support by such diverse groups as the Family Foundation of Virginia and the Equality Virginia.  

Political pandering 101

Senator Ralph Smith (R-22) wants Virginia's "family life" curriculum to expand and teach about the "benefits of marriage for men, women, children, and communities." SB 827 would mandate that instruction along with such topics as abstinence, avoiding sexual assault, and family relationships. Smith thinks it will reduce divorce and save the state "hundreds of millions of dollars." It is being pushed by the Family Foundation of Virginia.

You must be a dumb cluck if you really believe this bill will save any money or that it will even reduce divorce. It is at best redundant to instruction already required; at worst it will foster a belief among some young students that single parent families or children of divorced couples are lesser human beings - less good than traditional mom/dad/two kids families.

Like a chicken getting readied for dinner, SB 827 should get the axe.