Joe Harding: Last News

The former Florida state lawmaker who authored the infamous “Don’t Say Gay” law will go to prison for stealing hundreds of thousands of dollars in COVID-19 funds.

Joe Harding, the now-former Florida Republican lawmaker who authored the extremist “Don’t Say Gay” bill could face up to 35 years in prison after pleading guilty Tuesday afternoon to federal felony fraud charges in a scheme to obtain $150,000 in COVID-19 relief funds, according to Florida Politics‘ publisher Peter Scorsch.Harding, 35, was a construction project manager who started his own lawn care company. He quickly became a right-wing darling after his anti-LGBTQ legislation, officially the Parental Rights in Education Act, was embraced by Florida GOP Governor Ron DeSantis, who signed it into law.Harding was charged in a December federal indictment with six counts of wire fraud, money laundering, and making false statements in his plot to obtain $150,000 in COVID funds.He resigned from the legislature the following day.

now heads to DeSantis’ desk for his signature into law.Proponents of the bill say the measure — which prohibits classroom discussions or curriculum content related to sex, sexual orientation, or gender identity through third grade — is needed to protect students from learning about complicated and controversial issues before they’re old enough to understand such concepts. The measure allows parents to sue school systems if they are not kept informed of changes affecting their children’s wellbeing or the support services, including counseling, that they receive.But opponents say that the bill’s overly broad reach will punish teachers if LGBTQ-related content is broached in class, even if such issues are raised by students — regardless of the insistence of the bill’s House and Senate sponsors, Rep.

Florida’s House of Representatives passed the ‘Don’t Say Gay’ Bill on Thursday.The bill, officially titled Parental Rights in Education bill, passed 69 – 47. It“prohibits classroom discussion about sexual orientation or gender identity”  and allows parents to take the school district to court if they believe a school has violated the law. It now heads to the Florida State Senate and then to Florida Governor Ron DeSantis, who is expected to sign it into law.Rep.

signaled his support for the bill.Under the bill, sponsored by Rep. Joe Harding (R-Williston), teachers would be prohibited from “encouraging discussion” about sexual orientation or gender identity in primary grade levels — which in Florida, is defined as preschool through third grade — or broaching the topic “in a manner that is not age-appropriate or developmentally appropriate for students.” The bill also allows parents to sue school districts for failing to consult them regarding “critical decisions affecting a student’s mental, emotional, or physical health or well-being.”While supporters largely intend for the bill to discourage teachers from affirming a child’s gender identity or acknowledging sexual orientation without first consulting the parents, during a Senate hearing on a nearly-identical bill proposed by Sen.

Ethan Shanfeld The Florida state House of Representatives passed the controversial “Don’t Say Gay” bill on Thursday, The Hill reports. The legislation would limit discussions of sexual orientation and gender identity in schools.The legislation, officially titled the Parental Rights in Education bill, passed in a 69-47 vote.

An amendment added to the Florida “Don’t Say Gay Bill” will require schools to out LGBT students to their parents. The amendment to Florida House Bill 1557, filed by the Bill’s co-sponsor Representative Joe Harding (R) last Friday, would require schools to out sexually and gender diverse students to their parents within 6 weeks of discovery. The original bill still required disclosure but had an exemption if the disclosure could lead to “abuse, neglect or abandonment.” This exemption was removed in the current amendment. Florida Agriculture Commissioner and Candidate for Governor, Nikki Fried (D), tweeted, “This backwards cruelty must stop. Speak out against targeted hate legislation and support those leading the charge to protect civil rights like [Equality Florida] before it’s too late!”This backwards cruelty must stop.

Governor Gavin Newsom slammed Florida’s far-reaching and dangerous “Don’t Say Gay” bill, urging Sunshine state lawmakers to stop pushing the legislation which he called “nothing short of a state-sponsored intimidation of LGBTQ children.”Newsom, who has a long history of standing up for LGBTQ people and same-sex marriage, rightly noted that the Florida legislation “will put kids – who are already navigating stress – in physical and psychological danger.”Indeed, the bill’s sponsor in the House is pushing a dangerous amendment to his own bill. Currently, the bill says schools must tell parents if their children exhibit mental or physical changes, which would include coming out as or even talking about possibly being LGBTQ.

nearly identical companion bill has been introduced in the Senate by Sen. Dennis Baxley (R-Belleview), using much of the same language.Some parents praised lawmakers for moving to protect parental rights.