On this date in 2015, 2016, 2017, as well as 2018, “Crazy/Stupid Republican of the Day posted profiles of Bill Zedler, a member of the Texas House of Representatives and a man who has been trying to get creationism taught not just in public schools, but insists that institutions of higher education should be doing so, as well. He also sponsored Birther legislation, and another bill to prevent “foreign laws” from being considered from judges, which is about the nicest way to describe what was actually an anti-Sharia bill. Zedler also tried to defund all LGBTQ resource centers in Texas based on his logic that they “promote and support high risk behavior for AIDS, HIV, Hepatitis B, and any sexually transmitted disease”, as if those diseases can’t be contracted heterosexually. He currently has begun trying to circumvent the Obergefell v. Hodges ruling by way of submitting “religious freedom” legislation, as well. Zedler is also a joke on women’s issues, proposing legislation to have doctors violate patient confidentiality and report to the state of Texas whatever information they have on their patients who are suffering from complications due to abortions, and calling the protesters who railed against SB 5 in Texas during State Senator Wendy Davis’ filibuster “terrorists”. Zedler’s other fine suggestions for laws include trying to force strippers to carry a physical license on themselves while working, and trying to force married couples to enter special “covenant marriages” where they were forced to be married for two years while undergoing mandatory state marriage counseling… because that’s exactly what screams smaller government ideas, right?
In May of 2017, Zedler proposed an amendment to a bill aimed on getting doctors in foster care to examine children suspected of being abused or neglected… following the lead of fellow CSGOPOTD Tony Tinderholt’s paranoia over vaccines, Zedler’s amendment wanted to make it illegal for doctors in foster care to vaccinate children during these exams, with Zedler insisting vaccines are “dangerous” to children.
But that hardly is the only insane quest Zedler has been undertaking… only two months later in July of 2017, Zedler began making moves to try and oust the Speaker of the Texas House of Representatives, Joe Straus, who was nominated to his position by a bi-partisan 150-0 vote only months earlier. The reason? Straus paid attention to what happened to the state of North Carolina after it passed its anti-LGBT bill, HB 2, and refused to allow a bill similar to it to come to a vote in the Texas House, because he didn’t want his state to face boycotts and lose trillions of dollars like North Carolina did. Well, Bill Zedler has no patience for people who aren’t zealots, and wanted to vote to oust Straus from office. All because he doesn’t want to dictate to transgender citizens what bathroom they use… that’s Zedler’s reasoning.
Zedler narrowly won re-election in 2018 with 50.8% of the vote, and has gone right back to helping the people of Tex- HA! Just kidding, he wants to repeal the Affordable Care Act, which is something that state legislators can’t do, anyway.