Feature, not a bug

Critics of Governor Jindal's package of education reforms have long charged that the obvious loopholes it generates in fair labor agreements and anti-discrimination policies were... you know... the whole point in the first place.

To this the critics were admonished by the Governor's backers to "think of the children" although clearly Team Jindal hasn't been doing that themselves.

Peterson: How do we know that the schools that the young people are transferring to are better than the ones they left?

— Jessica Williams (@williamlensnola) April 4, 2012

Appel: We've charged Dept of Ed to develop a set of rules to address that. Right now, I don't have an answer to that. #lalege

— Jessica Williams (@williamlensnola) April 4, 2012

Update: Dambala has more with a bit of a sidebar on the Louisiana Family Forum which is at the root of a lot of the Jindal agenda to which we mostly say, yeah we knew that already. And I think most of Louisiana already knew that too which is why I don't think Dambala's analysis is correct here.

this bill is so preposterous it's going to put Jindal's balls in a vice. If he is stupid enough to get behind (LFF President Gene) Mills on this...and man I hope he is....it's not only going to draw international attention to the state, it will effectively destroy his political career.

Um, no, it won't. LFF has helped to make Jindal in Louisiana specifically because it gives him cred at the most extreme pole of "OMG OBAMA IS TEH MUSLIM SOCIALIST" reaction which is where the juice is politically in this state. And that's where it's going to be at least through the end of this year and longer if Obama is reelected. So Jindal is untouchable for the foreseeable future.

See also: Even more here from Tom Aswell.

The Senate Labor and Industrial Relations Committee has approved by a 5-1 vote Senate Bill 217 by State Sen. A.G. Crowe (R-Slidell) which would allow charter schools to refuse to admit students on the basis of their ability to speak English, their sexual orientation or other unspecified factors.

In what must qualify as one of the more asinine comments coming out of the current session, Crowe said the intent of his bill is to prevent bans by executive branch agencies and local governments on discrimination against characteristics not listed in state law as a condition for private companies to do business with their agencies.

Wait. What? Is Sen. A.G. Crowe really advocating a return to Jim Crow?

Yep. Pretty much. Will anyone be able to do anything about it? Not likely.