It's not often that a Legislative session in Kansas is this productive.. Just yesterday, the Kansas house panel agreed to provisions that would make discriminating against Gays & Lesbians legal for both the public sector and government (get ready to be shut out of the DMV!)
( That story is here:
http://www.dailykos.com/... )
But that wasn't the only kookiness floating through the water this week.
http://www.kansas.com/...
TOPEKA — Rep. Keith Esau, R-Olathe, said he got phone calls from Kansans all Thursday night after he introduced a bill that would remove "incompatibility" as a valid reason for divorce.
"I’m really surprised that’s getting as much controversy – or I should say as much notice – as (it is)," Esau said Friday outside the House chamber. He said the bill is designed to clean up divorce law by requiring specific reasons for divorce.
The bill has yet to receive a number, but has already received plenty of attention.
Esau, a member of the House Judiciary Committee, introduced the bill, but he did not author it. He said he submitted it on behalf of a legislator who is not on the committee. Esau said he has not been given permission to disclose the name of that legislator.
We are now submitting legislation anonymously through a 'friend' ? The legislation in question would move to require people file specific reasons and have those reasons arbitrated by a court.
"No-fault divorce gives people an easy out instead of working at it," Esau said. "It would be my hope that they could work out their incompatibilities and learn to work together on things."
Rep. Jim Ward, D-Wichita, another Judiciary member, opposes the bill.
"We really should let people decide when to end relationships," he said.
Well, I guess some in office have decided that only the government has the right to tell you when you are (or aren't) in love any longer. Where are these small government Republicans anymore?
Because I'm struggling to think of a small government solution that ties up the court with interrogating questions like why you stopped loving him/her or what gave you grounds for divorce?
Instead O’Hara Gering thinks the bill would just make divorces nastier by requiring people to prove their spouse’s fault in court.
"It could create a lot more litigation and a lot more headaches … just to fight about who’s to blame," she said.
Yah THINK?
This week is making me wonder if we've reached that point where the bus that was half way over the railing on the bridge is now tumbling straight down into the frozen ice water below.