Texas House Approves Suggestive Cheerleading Ban **UPDATE**

[sws4420]

The bill would give the state education commissioner authority to request that school districts review high school performances.

"Girls can get out and do all of these overly sexually performances and we applaud them and that's not right," said Democratic Rep. Al Edwards, who filed the legislation.

Edwards argued bawdy performances are a distraction for students resulting in pregnancies, dropouts and the spread of sexually transmitted diseases.

Ribald performances are not defined in the bill. "Any adult that's been involved with sex in their lives, they know it when they see it," he said.

The bill passed on a 65-56 vote. It still must be approved by the Senate and signed by Republican Gov. Rick Perry.

One critic questioned the legislation's priorities.

"Have we done anything about stem cell research to help people who are dying and are sick advance their health? No," said Democratic Rep. Senfronia Thompson. "Have we done anything about the mentally ill, school finance or ethics?"

The American Civil Liberties Union said the measure was unnecessary because state law already prohibits public lewdness by students on or near a school campus.


http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,155435,00.html

[sws4420]

UPDATE - Sexy cheerleading bill’ appears dead in Texas

AUSTIN, Texas - A bill approved by the state House to ban bawdy cheerleading routines apparently isn’t going anywhere in the Senate this year.

The legislation prohibits “overtly sexually suggestive” cheerleading routines at school events and gives the state education chief the authority to ask school districts to review performances. It does not define sexually suggestive.

The House approved the legislation May 3 and sent it to the Senate Education Committee, where it is expected to die.

“We have some very important work to do in the next two weeks, and that’s not one of them,” Republican state Sen. Florence Shapiro, who chairs the education committee, said Friday.

Democratic Rep. Al Edwards, the bill’s sponsor, has argued that sexually suggestive cheerleading exhibitions are a distraction that results in pregnancies, dropouts and the contraction of AIDS and herpes.

Shapiro said the problem needs to be handled by parents and school districts, not the Legislature.

But Edwards vowed to bring it up in the future.

“If there’s anybody who thinks there’s not a problem with the way our young folks are performing ... then they’ve been somewhere with their head in the sand,” he said.

[Mikey]

hey...nothing wrong w/ that. It's not the cheerleaders fault if they turn on guys.