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24 Hours! Missouri Democratic Senators Have Now Been Filibustering An Anti-Gay Bill for a Full Day

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‘Religious Freedom’ Bill Would Amend Constitution to Enshrine Anti-LGBT Hate Into Law

Missouri’s seven Democratic senators have now been filibustering a “religious freedom” bill to amend the state constitution for a full 24 hours. The bill would allow anyone or any business that claims a sincere religious objection to same-sex marriage or LGBT people the “right” to not serve them.

Lawmakers took up SJR 39 Monday at 4:00 PM local time. The debate turned into a filibuster several hours later, and overnight senators teamed up, working in groups of two, to help each other stay standing and talking. 

They were not required to speak directly on the bill, although conversation and commentary always came back to the anti-gay ordinance. For many hours lawmakers read a list of 1500 local Missouri individuals and businesses who oppose the legislation, chatting when they saw the name of a familiar coffee shop or constituent. A discussion of the taste of protein bars took place after one storeowner opposed to the bill offered to donate some energy bars to hep keep the senators going.

The Missouri state legislature has a record of the longest filibuster: 30 hours. The Democratic lawmakers have promised to break it. One even promised he would keep going through Thursday.

At another point Tuesday morning, lawmakers speaking on the bill talked about all the LGBT people in their lives and how much they love them.

Republicans were allowed to ask questions and there was plenty of debate on SJR 39. 

The seven Democrats are Senators Maria Chappelle-Nadal, Jill Schupp, Jason Holsman, Scott Sifton, Jamilah Nasheed, Kiki Curls, and Gina Walsh.

You can listen here, and follow PROMO Missouri on Twitter, and hashtag #SJR39 for all updates.

UPDATE:
Former Texas state Senator Wendy Davis, who bravely filibustered an anti-choice bill, sent this tweet:

 

 

Image by Mike Mozart via Flickr and a CC license

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News

Mystery Grand Jury Witness in Trump Hush Money Probe Is Former ‘Enquirer’ Publisher and Trump Ally

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58 mins ago

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March 27, 2023

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Avid followers of the Manhattan District Attorney’s moves noted the grand jury had been called into service for Monday, and soon news leaked that yet another witness would be testifying in the probe into Donald Trump’s alleged hush money payment to Stormy Daniels.

Monday afternoon, NBC News’ Garrett Haake reported live on MSNBC that the mystery witness was David Pecker, the former tabloid publisher of the “National Enquirer,” who reportedly had been looking for stories in 2016 to protect Donald Trump’s presidential campaign. Haake notes Monday was Pecker’s second appearance before the grand jury in the hush money case.

The New York Times also reported David Pecker as the grand jury witness, calling Pecker “a key player in the hush-money matter. He and the tabloid’s top editor helped broker the deal between the porn star, Stormy Daniels, and Michael D. Cohen, Mr. Trump’s fixer at the time.”

READ MORE: ‘Our Children Deserve Better’: First Lady Jill Biden Speaks Out After Six Die in Nashville School Mass Shooting

“While the focus of Mr. Pecker’s testimony is unclear, he could provide valuable information for prosecutors. A longtime ally of Mr. Trump, he agreed to keep an eye out for potentially damaging stories about Mr. Trump during the 2016 campaign,” The Times reports. “For a brief time in October 2016, Ms. Daniels appeared to have just that kind of story. Her agent and lawyer discussed the possibility of selling exclusive rights to her story of a sexual encounter with Mr. Trump to The National Enquirer, which would then promise to never publish it, a practice known as ‘catch and kill.'”

Former Deputy Assistant Attorney General Harry Litman weighed in, noting, “nothing about that decision [to have Pecker testify] suggests any change of heart on Bragg’s part to indict Trump.”

Former Dept. of Defense Special Counsel Ryan Goodman, an NYU professor of law, notes that Pecker’s “testimony can show the [hush money] scheme was designed to affect outcome of election.”

“He reportedly communicated directly with Trump on payment,” Goodman adds.

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News

‘Our Children Deserve Better’: First Lady Jill Biden Speaks Out After Six Die in Nashville School Mass Shooting

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3 hours ago

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March 27, 2023

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First Lady Dr. Jill Biden, speaking Monday afternoon at a National League of Cities conference, told attendees, “Our children deserve better,” as she broke the news of the Nashville school mass shooting at Covenant Presbyterian School where three children and three adults were shot dead.

“You know,” Dr. Biden, herself an educator and clearly pained by the news, began her remarks by saying, “I hate to say what I’m gonna say next because you know you’re so enthusiastic and with so much energy and hope and I feel it.”

“But while you’ve been in this room, I don’t know whether you’ve been on your phones but we just learned about another shooting in Tennessee, a school shooting and I am truly without words and our children deserve better, and we stand – all of us – we stand with Nashville in prayer.”

READ MORE: New WSJ Poll Is Devastating for DeSantis and His ‘Anti-Woke’ Policies

The First Lady, a former public high school English teacher and currently a professor of English at a community college, was speaking at the organization’s Congressional City Conference.

Watch Dr. Biden below or at this link.

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BREAKING NEWS

Death Toll Rises to Six as Three Children and Three Adults Declared Dead In Covenant School Mass Shooting (Streaming Video)

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4 hours ago

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March 27, 2023

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Six people have now died after a shooter shot and killed three young children and three adults at The Covenant Presbyterian School, a private Christian elementary school in Nashville, Tennessee. Police say the shooter was a 28-year old woman who had two assault rifles and a handgun.

WSMV announced the rise in deaths on-air, noting that the shooter is also dead. A police spokesperson later increased the announced death toll from five to six. Including the shooter the death toll is seven.

Live streaming video via CBS News below.

This article has been updated with additional video.

1:56 PM ET: Updated to change age of shooter based on new reporting from WSMV.

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