In November when both of New Jersey’s chambers passed the Anti-Bullying Bill of Rights with sweeping majorities (a unanimous one in the Senate, in fact, and only one No vote in the House), Gov. Chris Christie sent some mixed messages about whether he’d sign the bill into law. Well, he just did.
Following the bold move of state lawmakers to pass what’s dubbed the nation’s toughest anti-bullying bill, Christie said at the time: “Now, bullying is an important problem in New Jersey, and this anti-bullying bill that was passed is something that when it gets to my desk I’m going to study very closely and decide whether or not I can sign it or whether I need to improve it. But I consider it an extraordinarily important issue to the people of the state, and it will get my full analysis and consideration, and that of my staff. But it is interesting to note that on this law, legislation was introduced on Nov. 8th, passed out of committees in both houses on the 15th and passed by both full houses on the 22nd. In 14 days, the Legislature could study this issue, propose legislation, pass legislation out of committee and have full hearings, then pass them in both full houses. In fourteen days.”
But the governor is over all that now, and has enacted what should really be a model for other states. The law mandates anti-bullying training for teachers, administrators and staff at public schools, and requires schools create a “safety team” to review complaints filed by students and parents.
Man. Where was NOM when you needed them.
RomanHans
> Will The Gays Cut NJ Gov. Christie Any Slack Now
> That He’s Signed Anti-Bullying Bill Into Law?
Absolutely. He’s shown he’s capable of some degree of thought, unlike the usual Republican idiots who blindly toe the ridiculous party line.
rf
The Newark Star Ledger reported that this legislation had been in the works for a year–at least as long as Christie has been in office. It took Tyler Clementi’s death to make this happen. IMO, Christie is using this tragedy to make himself look good.
Christie said that he would lead the effort to constitutionally ban marriage equality in New Jersey if it was enacted before he came into office–around the end of 2009. That was the last thing he said publicly, I think, about gay people before Tyler died.
Jesse from Jersey
I will not cut him any slack, because he’s doing this as a political tactic to try and make him look better in our eyes, and he has always maintained his anti marriage equality stance and said he would never agree to any effort to make marriage equality possible in New Jersey.
I didn’t vote for him for a reason.
Scott in NYC
Christie said he supported civil unions – but believes marriage is between a man and a woman. Guess who else feels precisely that way? President Obama.
The idea that so many people give Obama some sort of nuanced pass on this because there’s a (D) after his name, is so gross to me, I don’t know where to begin.
If principle was what mattered to these people, Obama would have been attacked the same way Christie is now. But for so many – to my deep regret – PARTISANSHIP is what matters. So, Christie is an asshole people won’t vote for. And Obama was an ally and an agent of change – even as he articulated – in no uncertain terms- that one change he was not for is same-sex marriage.
Pathetic. And ridiculous.
missbaby4love
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ewe
@missbaby4love: No you may not. OCD is not a turn on for me.
Queer Supremacist
@Scott in NYC: But Obama’s our FIERCE ALLY! He said so himself! He even eliminated DADT without any of us doing any activism or the Log Cabin Republicans getting it overturned in court first. And look at all the gay people he hired, unlike John McCain, who never hired a gay person in his miserable life! Democrats love us, they just say those awful things to get elected. They love us, they REALLY love us!