Author kills Louisiana’s ‘Don’t Say Gay’ bill

For now, Louisiana teachers will still be allowed to discuss sexual orientation and gender identity in K-12 classrooms.

Rep. Dodie Horton, R-Haughton, author of what’s been labeled Louisiana’s “Don’t Say Gay” legislation, told the Illuminator she has voluntarily shelved her bill for this legislative session. 

Her bill would have made it illegal for schools to incorporate “classroom instruction or discussion relative to sexual orientation or gender identity” in kindergarten through eight-grade classes. Teachers and school employees would have been prohibited from discussing “personal sexual orientation or gender identity” with students in grades K-12th grade.

“Next year,” Horton said Wednesday.

Horton’s bill failed to pass from the House Education Committee last month, when three Republicans joined Democrats in opposition in a 4-7 vote.

Conservatives in the Louisiana House of Representatives turned to a seldom used procedure the following week and moved the bill to the Committee of the Whole, where all representatives have a vote.

Bills brought before the Committee of the Whole are handled much like any other legislative hearing. Representatives can bring supporters and opponents to testify, a process that has never happened on the House floor to the recollection of longtime legislative watchers.

“I didn’t want to put the body through that,” Horton said.

Horton’s proposal is modeled after “Don’t Say Gay” legislation that Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis has signed into law.

A resolution that ask BESE to adopt a policy to ban discussion of gender identity and sexual orientation from Louisiana classrooms also failed to be heard on the House floor when the author, Rep. Raymond Crews, R-Bossier City, attempted to discharge the bill from committee.

The bill needed 53 votes to be discharged, but fell short by a 49-30 vote.