OMG Seriously? Maine Governor Vetoes Teachers Bill, Cites Union’s ‘Endorsement Of Same-Sex Marriage’
Maine Governor Paul LePage (R) vetoed a bill on Tuesday that would have provided additional pay to public school teachers who receive special national certification and specifically pointed to the teachers union recent endorsement of a referendum to repeal the states ban against same-sex marriage as a reason for his opposition.
In his veto message, LePage claimed that improving the quality of teachers required a larger more coordinated statewide solution, before lashing out at the teachers union, which would partially fund the certification program. The governor said the union requires teachers to pay dues which are squandered on a host of activities not even remotely related to professional development and singled out its position on marriage equality:
The MEA announced its endorsement recently of the same-sex marriage proposal on the November ballot, LePage said in a press release Tuesday. This announcement is an example of what the union is choosing to focus on rather than expanding and enhancing opportunities for teacher development.
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Unfortunately, the governor has a long history of opposing equal rights. In 2010, he claimed that there is no place for transgendered students in the states primary schools and that the Maine Human Rights Act, which prohibits discrimination because of race, color, sex, sexual orientation, age, physical or mental disability, needed to be reformed.
http://thinkprogress.org/lgbt/2012/05/30/492623/lepage-teachers-union-marriage/
The GOP Homophobia Strikes Again. Good Gawd!!