As he worked to rally evangelical voters a week before North Carolina's March 15 primary, Ted Cruz gave a speech at a church in the Charlotte suburb of Kannapolis, where he was joined by a trio of prominent local social conservative supporters: Charlotte pastor and congressional candidate Mark Harris and the Benham brothers, the telegenic real estate entrepreneurs whose house-flipping show on HGTV was canceled in 2014 when their history of anti-gay activism came to light. At the event, Cruz thanked Harris for "calling the nation to revival," and called David and Jason Benham "an extraordinary voice for the Christian faith." [snip]
... The advocacy of these top Cruz supporters against the Charlotte ordinance eventually led the North Carolina legislature to push through one of the most sweeping anti-LGBT measures in the country, a law that has caused a national outcry and caused many companies, including PayPal, to scrap plans to invest in the state. The law, the Public Facilities Privacy and Security Act, strikes down all existing and future LGBT nondiscrimination statutes in North Carolina and requires that transgender people use bathrooms based on their sex at birth. [snip]
Harris' and the Benhams' state activism is significant because, if Cruz wins the presidential race, the considerable influence of these three religious activists could extend far beyond North Carolina. In February, Cruz appointed them to his campaign's advisory council for religious liberty, along with 16 other conservative Christian leaders. The GOP candidate has promised that this group will "guide his policies to protect religious liberty"—policies that could look very much like the anti-LGBT bill in North Carolina. (our emphasis)That's exactly what we'll get with a [shudder gag] "Tailgunner Ted" Cruz presidency: a reign of bigotry cloaked in faux "religious liberty" prattle, and a descent into the dark past for our nation.
With the Alaska GOP set to meet Monday evening to decide the fate of party chairwoman Debbie Brown of Kasilof, she has seized the Republican headquarters in Anchorage and is threatening to arrest anyone who tries to enter the building.
"In order to protect the assets of the Alaska Republican Party, the office located at 1001 West Fireweed Lane in Anchorage has been temporarily closed and the locks changed," she said in an email sent to various Alaska Republicans early Monday. "No one is to enter the premises without permission from the State Chairman. Any unauthorized attempt to enter the premises will be met by the authorities."
The Alaska Republican Party's assets are at the moment rather limited. The headquarters building borders on being a dump...Two points: "Fireweed Lane?" Two, referring back to the previous point, is that what these nutballs are smoking up there?
Tempers flared after Bill Rowe with the N.C. Justice Center told lawmakers similar legislation in Florida and Michigan has been struck down by courts as unconstitutional.
"Our Fourth Amendment doesn't allow suspicion-less testing of people," Rowe said. "There's no decision that says this is OK."
Rowe also cited studies that show drug use is no more common among TANF recipients than in the general public.
Sen. Tommy Tucker, R-Union, argued with Rowe.
"You're OK with (drug users) getting federal dollars if they've had a doobie and get the munchies and need more food stamps?" Tucker asked. "Sit down."Huh, what? Tommy Tucker? You mean "Little Tommy Tucker?" Does he sing for his supper? Or does he just support un-Constitutional state laws because NULLIFICATION! Also, FREEDUMB!
