TX Bill Would Reward Couples Who Attend Pre-wedding Counseling

[pepperbear]

http://www.abcnews.go.com/US/story?id=3184946&page=1

Getting married is no fly-by-the-seat-of-your-pants decision -- and getting a divorce is no free ride.

That's the point of the so-called Healthy Marriage Bill, according to its author, state Rep. Warren Chisum, R-Pampa. His legislation, which he has pushed for two years, was approved Wednesday by the Texas legislature and is on its way to Gov. Rick Perry's desk.

*snip*

I have major problems with this, so much so that I don't even know where to begin.

[waiting for hope]

1. Hey - throw in Pre-Baby

counseling too! It's not like you can take the baby back if you can't cut it as a parent...

[Ian David]

2. Let me guess. The counseling involves a church. Most likely a Moonie church, right? n/t

[MountainLaurel]

15. You can bet your ass on it.

Although I'd guess some nice Southern Baptist group that teaches women shouldn't work outside the home and that birth control is a sin instead of the Moonies.

[Stinky The Clown]

3. Tejas and Florida ..... if its a loony story or a loony law ... its in one of these two states.

[The Inquisitive]

4. what specifically are your problems with this Bill

I'm curious, I don't have an opinion on it.

[pepperbear]

14. the government interfering in

personal lives of it's constituents under the guise of an award.

It's also a band aid solution, like people are going to run to a counsellor to save a few dollars. It says "we reward people who uphold traditional American values. Oh, and if you aren't reading the "Christian" subtext, you might want to read it again.

[The Inquisitive]

16. Good call

I skimmed through it again, and saw what you're talking about. You have to forgive me, I have a terrible cold right now and can barely think, let alone read.

[pepperbear]

24. Hey, that's just my interpretation, these clowns always pull this stuff out

hopefully it won't go any further.

[Swamp Rat]

5. christo-fascism

plain and simple

[Auggie]

20. Indeed!

[Swamp Rat]

23. Your sigline...

:D

[BOSSHOG]

6. While I think that it should be extremely hard to get married and extremely easy

to get divorced instead of vice versa, I wouldn't want some fuck republican from Texas directing counseling for me and mine. We've been married 33 years, went through mandatory Catholic Counseling, the Priest asked my fiancee if she were pregnant, pissed me off royally, but he said if she were he would expedite the proceedings.

What would be the reward, a money back guarantee?

[madinmaryland]

7. Hmmm. There are a lot of people who really don't have a clue

what they are doing. Some people could really use counseling as to how to handle being married.

But if this is an effort to allow churches to get involved in approving a marriage, then I call BS on this whole thing.

[The Inquisitive]

9. agreed

that's how I see it as well. The married couple seems to be a fundamental unit in the way society is organized. Though the potneitlal precedences are worrying.

[dogday]

8. State trying to assert more authority into

our lives.... When will it stop?

[Book Lover]

10. Why call yourself a republican if...?

"Chisum ... is the president of the Texas Conservative Coalition Research Institute, which promotes bedrock conservative policy, including limited government, free enterprise and, of course, family values."

Of course! How silly of me to not realize that government financially rewarding two adults before they enter into a contract totally squares with his principles of limited government.

[guitar man]

13. silly

limited government to these types means tax cuts for the richest and no regulations for the big corporations. Intrusion into personal lives doens't have anything to do with "big government" :sarcasm:

[Stinky The Clown]

11. Isn't this intrusive shit the kind of thing the Repubes used to accues the Dems of doing?

The only difference is the gender.

They accuse Dems of doing Mommy shit ... and they clearly do lots of Daddy shit.

[Ex Lion Tamer]

12. I have absolutely no problem with the CONCEPT.

In fact, I think it's a great idea. Premarital counseling done well can identify unhealth dynamics and potential problems up front and encourage discussion. It can also identify and encourage productive behaviors. I went through it before I was married and found it very informative.

But it's the execution that worries me. If it's just another effort to proselytize, I'm against it. But if it's done by professionals with no agenda other than helping, I'm all for it.

[LostinVA]

17. Agreed

[gollygee]

19. I agree with this too

If it's not an attempt to proselytize, no problem.

[petronius]

22. Indeed. The red flag to me was that he expected it to be mostly churches

but the bill would apply to all denominations. No mention at all of any secular option.

Personally, I think a lot of couples could benefit from a bit of friendly counseling and advice. However, this bill seems like an attempt to drive people into church, with the stick of a doubled marriage license fee to help do it...

[Ilsa]

18. Do they really think that couples spending $5,000 or more on a wedding

give a rat's ass about the $60 fee? Or need the three day waiting period? looks like a loser bill to me, something to clutter up the books.

[Horse with no Name]

21. And not to mention that they TRIED to pass a bill on Covenant marriage

http://www.dallasnews.com/sharedcontent/dws/news/texassouthwest/stories/051707dntexchristianxgr.37ea6d7.html

COVENANT MARRIAGE: A House bill to further limit divorce by declaring marriages for life also appears dead.