Bizarre, Attempted Jerry Sandusky Bill Name in NJ

S2278 in the New Jersey Legislature is a protection measure designed to prohibit counseling attempts to change sexual orientation. In fact, there is no short title for the legislation, because the bill only goes by its long title: "An Act concerning the protection of minors from counseling attempts to change sexual orientation and supplementing Title 45 of the Revised Statutes." The legislation appears to have some level of bipartisan support, as it was approved in committee by a vote of 7-1 and Gov. Chris Christie has even noted that he does not support gay conversion therapy. 

However, in a bizarre move to reframe the argument, opponents of the legislation have started calling the measure the "Jerry Sandusky Victimization Act," which has outraged gay rights advocates and other proponents of the legislation.  In attempting to legitimize the name change, Gregory Quinlan of New Jersey Family First stated that being molested sometimes induced sexual feelings for the same sex, and said, "[w]e’d be denying the child the discovery of why they’re having those feelings, which is why we’re calling this the ‘Jerry Sandusky Victimization Act.'"

A spokesperson for Garden State Equality called the Sandusky reference a "new low." 

In the Line of Duty

Sen. John Cornyn (R., TX) has introduced the Line of Duty Act of 2013, after a Kaufman Country District Attorney and his wife, and an assistant District Attorney were recently killed. The DA and his wife were killed while at home, and the Assistant DA was killed on his way into the courthouse. 

According to the Sen. Cornyn's press release, the bill would: allow "all judges, prosecutors, and law enforcement officials (both state and federal), subject to limited regulations, to carry firearms into all federal facilities, federal courts, and in jurisdictions where the carrying of such weapons is otherwise prohibited by law"; allow "all prosecutors and law enforcement officers to possess and obtain an ammunition magazine of any size"; and would create a "new federal crime for the killing, attempted killing, or conspiring to kill a United States judge, federal law enforcement officer, or federally funded public safety officer, including state prosecutors and judges."

Sen. Cornyn was recently in Texas gathering support for his legislation. The bill has been read twice and referred to the Judiciary Committee. 

Doubly American

Rep. DeFazio (D., OR) has introduced the American Jobs in American Forests Act of 2013. Though Congress cannot legislate for any other country's jobs, or forests, for that matter, Rep. DeFazio obviously decided to emphasize the patriotic aspects of his legislation in the bill's short title. The long title of the bill notes that it is an Act to "increase the employment of Americans by requiring State workforce agencies to certify that employers are actively recruiting Americans and that Americans are not qualified or available to fill the positions that the employer wants to fill with H-2B nonimmigrants."

The Other Dream Act

Rep. Jan Schakowsky (D., IL) has re-introduced the Emergency Jobs to Restore the American Dream Act. Though the US unemployment rate has been steadily decreasing over the past two plus years, the Representative's press release (partially below the jump) seems to consider the lingering high unemployment rate and sequester cuts an "emergency." 

Congressional AMMO Conspiracy

Sen. Jim Inhofe (R., OK) and Rep. Frank Lucas (R., OK) have introduced the AMMO (Ammunition Management for More Obtainability) Act of 2013. The bill was sparked by the conspiracy theory that the federal government is attempting to subvert formal (i.e. legislative) gun control by stockpiling ammunition and therefore limiting the supply of bullets available to the public.

A story on the bill by CBS News is partially available below the jump.

Veterans, Veterans, Veterans...

A bevy of veterans' bills has been proposed recently, most likely because of the startling revelations regarding the amount of claims in the VA backlog. According to the Washington Post, the "number of disability claims pending with the Department of Veterans Affairs is nearly 900,000, with more than 600,000 in the system for more than 125 days."

Rep. McLeod (D., CA) has proposed the VA Claims Efficiency Through Information Act of 2013; Rep. Maloney (D., NY) has introduced the Disabled Veterans Red Tape Reduction Act; Rep. Griffen (R., AR) has introduced the Veteran's I.D. Card Act; Rep. Miller (R., FL) has proposed the Veterans' Privacy Act; and Rep. Hastings (D., FL) has introduced the Veterans Pensions Protection Act of 2013. 

Watch Out Balloon Lovers!

Rep. Doc Hastings (R., WA) has introduced the Responsible Helium Administration and Stewardship Act, which, among other things, seeks to bring more competition to the sale of helium located in the Federal Helium Reserve to businesses, researchers and manufacturing firms. 

A summary of the bill is located after the jump. 

Laura's Law Gets CA Senate Push

California's Senate Health Committee has passed SB 664, also known as Laura's Law, which would make it easier for counties to implement Assisted Outpatient Treatment (AOT) orders for potentially dangerous mentally ill patients.

A press release from Senator Yee, who sponsored the legislation, notes that "Laura’s Law is named for Laura Wilcox, a 19-year old high school valedictorian who was shot to death at a Nevada County mental health clinic in 2001 by a man suffering from paranoid schizophrenia who consistently refused treatment."

A portion of the press release is below the jump.

Helping or Hurting Sick Americans?

Rep. Joseph Pitts (R., PA) has introduced the Helping Sick Americans Now Act, which would take allocated funds from the Prevention and Public Health Fund set up by the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act and transfer it to the preexisting condition funding pool. Specifically, the bill would transfer any unobligated FY2013 money and all funds available for FY2014-FY2016, thus defunding the Prevention and Public Health Fund. 

Unsurprisingly, the Obama administration is against the legislation, threatening a veto and noting that the Fund "supports critical investments such as tobacco use reduction, and programs to reduce health-care-associated infections and the national burden of chronic disease, as well as helping to ensure Americans have access to affordable coverage for preventive benefits. By concentrating on the causes of chronic disease, the Fund helps more Americans stay healthy."

An official statement of Administration policy on H.R. 1549 is below the jump. 

CISPA Passes House

The controversial Cyber Intelligence Sharing and Protection Act (CISPA) has passed the House of Representatives. This comes in the face of a veto threat from President Obama, who stated that the bill does not sufficiently protect civil liberties. 

Partial Huffington Post article on the bill below the jump: 

CIDER for Everyone!

Last month Sen. Charles Schumer (D., NY) released a plan to let the abundant number of cider producers in NY reduce taxes on their beverages and allow them compete with larger markets. Because some ciders in the state produce a higher alcohol content depending on the sugar levels of the apples, they are classified as wine and thus taxed at a higher rate. The Cider, Investment & Development through Excise Tax Reduction (CIDER) Act would amend the Internal Revenue Code definition, thus allowing the outlier products to be labeled and taxed as hard cider. 

Partial press release is below. 

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SCHUMER LAUNCHES PLAN TO CREATE BOON FOR NY APPLE PRODUCERS; NEW DEFINITION OF HARD APPLE CIDER WILL LOWER TAXES ON PRODUCT, IMPROVE ABILITY TO COMPETE IN FOREIGN MARKETS, INCREASE FARMERS’ SALES

Schumer Plan – the CIDER Act – Updates Definition of Hard Cider to Ensure All Products Can Be Labeled & Taxed Like Hard Cider, Not Wine -- Allows Producers that Often Suffer from Frost & Bad Weather to Add New Stable Source of Income

NY Has 654 Growers & Already Over 20 Hard Cider Producers, Like Slyboro Cider House – Proposal Would Boost Business for Existing Producers, Help New Growers Add Highly Popular Hard Cider to Product Line, Improve Ability to Compete

Schumer: NY Should Be at the Core of Hard Cider Production

Today, at the Slyboro Cider House in Granville, U.S. Senator Charles E. Schumer unveiled a new plan to boost the sales for New York’s over 20 existing hard apple cider producers and to allow the over 650 apple growers to expand their business and add this increasingly popular craft beverage to their product line. Schumer highlighted that the Capital Region boasts 3,648 acres of apple orchards that are primed to expand and produce more hard cider. Schumer explained that the alcohol content of New York’s hard cider fluctuates greatly due to sugar content, and current law often forces it to be taxed at a higher rate, preventing it from being labeled as hard cider. Compliance adds a significant financial burden to producers and consumers, and an unpredictable nature to the business, which makes it more expensive for cider producers like Slyboro, and less attractive for potential new cider producers.

Schumer therefore launched his proposal, the CIDER Act (Cider, Investment & Development through Excise Tax Reduction Act), to update the definition for hard apple and pear cider in the Internal Revenue Code (IRC) that would increase their allowed alcohol by volume from 7 percent to 8.5 percent, encompassing significantly more hard cider products and allowing them to be labeled and taxed like hard cider, rather than wine.Schumer’s proposal would also address existing tax issues related to carbonation levels in hard cider, and would put the new definition in line with that of the European Union, so producers can better compete with European products abroad. Hard cider is a value-added product that is sold around the same price every year; therefore hard cider gives producers a stable source of income when apple crops suffer due to weather and other unforeseen factors. New York apple producers are increasingly interested in producing smaller, artisanal batches of hard cider, but cite the cost and difficulty to comply with the IRC definition as significant impediments to expanding their businesses. ...