05/04/2005

By APRIL CASTRO / Associated Press


Sideline booty-shakin' at Texas high school football games would be restricted to more ladylike performances from the cheering squad, under legislation approved Tuesday by the Texas House.

The bill would prohibit "overtly sexually suggestive" routines at school-sponsored events, giving the state education commissioner authority to request that school districts review performances.

"Girls can get out and do all of these overly sexually performances and we applaud them and that's not right," said Democratic Rep. Al Edwards of Houston, who filed the legislation.

Edwards argued that lascivious exhibitions are a distraction for high school students that result in pregnancies, high school dropouts, contraction of AIDS and herpes and "cutting off their youthful life at an early age."

Bawdy performances are not defined in the bill, which was approved on a 65-56 vote.

"Any adult that's been involved with sex in their lives, they know it when they see it," Edwards said.

In a state known for its reverence of Friday-night football, Edwards said he filed the legislation after seeing too many ribald routines by young girls in his district.

Opponents, including the American Civil Liberties Union, say the measure is unnecessary because state law already prohibits public lewdness by students on or near a school campus.

Critics also argue that the difference between suggestive dancing and artistic expression can be difficult to determine.

Several lawmakers periodically waved pompoms in debate that was alternately comical and fiery.

"How is this bill advancing the agenda of the people? Have we done anything about stem cell research to help people who are dying and are sick advance their health? No," said Rep. Senfronia Thompson, D-Houston. "Have we done anything about the mentally ill, school finance or ethics?

"This is a ridiculous bill ... I don't know how this bill got to the floor. It's stupid."

Members of the state's cheerleading community say cheering competitions already penalize for suggestive movements or vulgarity.

But, proponents say they like the measure because it gives parents support in addressing their teenagers' behavior.

"I think that to have suggestive performances is not good for the girls or the guys at a time in life when hormones are already very active," said Cathie Adams, president of the Texas Eagle Forum, a conservative watchdog group that favors the proposal.

"I think that there are plenty of ways to show artistic expression without movement that mimics sensual behavior."

Although cheerleaders must meet the same no-pass, no-play academic requirements of athletes, cheerleading is not a competition sanctioned by the University Interscholastic League, the governing body of Texas high school sports.

The UIL also does not have performance regulations for squads who cheer for their teams at state championships.

The measure still must be approved by the Senate and sent to the governor's desk before it can become law.

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The bill is HB1476

that is the stupidest thing ive ever seen...stupid government...

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Define "ladylike." Are the girls now supposed to wear Victorian-era dresses, twirling white-lace umbrellas instead of pom-poms!?

I agree with Rep. Thompson. This is a stupid piece of legislation.

So who decides what is overtly sexual? What one considers dancing, someone else will consider sexually explicit..I think this is a symbolic measure that really will not be able to be enforced.

I can see it now

Texas Law Section 3.A
a cherrleader may do one booty shake per quarter as long as her arms are at least 6-8 inches away from her waist. Accidental booty shaking will be punished if it is recurring.

This is stupid!

yeah I saw a pic of Tommy Merritt celebrating or something when the law passed. That dude is so stupid, he is the worst politician ever, besides Clinton.

totally agree who is to deem what is too much? because me and old man river probably have a different view on the subject

I think it is ridiculous that politicians even thought about passing this bill. Who's making the decision on what is overly suggestive and what isn't? There will never be a time when everyone is completely satisfied either way. There are some things that politicians need to stay out of. What's next?

yeah its a pretty dumb deal...but im not gonna lose sleep over it.

Tommy Merrittt might want to worry about problems closer to home...

like his habits...
...he used to come in the restaurant I worked at all the time...very rude.

this is stupid...i wanna see hott girls dance...

As long as they don't bring poles on to the sidelines we will be ok...
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.
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[quote]Originally posted by Voted4Dubya
[quote]Originally posted by BoBellCrew
[quote]Originally posted by Voted4Dubya
yeah I saw a pic of Tommy Merritt celebrating or something when the law passed. That dude is so stupid, he is the worst politician ever, besides Clinton. [/quote]

Tommy Merrittt might want to worry about problems closer to home... [/quote]
like his habits...
...he used to come in the restaurant I worked at all the time...very rude. [/quote]

I'm pretty familiar with one of his family members. Doesn't make much sense to legislate morality on everybody else and not enforce it at home.

If you watched KHS play Dallas Lincoln, you would be thankful for this law!

still its part of east texas football i mean the girls perform at halftime and they want our attention how else than to get a sexy dance together frankly i dont mind the dancin and i think this law is just crazy and im at a loss of words, ive never seen cheerleaders dance at halftime and then i or them immediatley go have sex!!!! has anyone else on here seen that???and if this congressman has daughters my bet is they didnt make the squad in there years of highschool or sometime lately and he just has a stick up his ***!!!congress needs to put there powers to better use cuz pickin on highschool cheerleaders is not the way to use it. and if u dont like the dancin dont watch simple as that u dont have to deprive these girls dancin the way they want to

Well...that's where i stood so that would've been kinda cool...

:lol:lol lol lol:lol:

Yep, let's not worry about school finance, taxes, the jobless and homeless and getting people off of wellfare.....

Hey, I got it! Take all the people looking for jobs and make them the official state of Texas "cheerleader dance monitors".

I can't believe that these people worrying about cheerleaders even got elected to a public office. What a waste of taxpayer money.

most people are homeless because they choose to be that way

The bill will die in the senate!

The world goes on for me either way.

amen...nothin lost for me here...

Football wouldnt be the same without cheerleaders...

you are right...i just wanna know who gets to decide what is "vulgar dancing" and what is not?

Lets volunteer for the job...

hey im game...ill make sure there will be none of that crazy kid stuff out there on the football field...ill walk up to the cheerleader, tap em on the shoulder, and ask to cut in between them and the other hott blond chick...

horrible.... just horrible... lol :happy:

Never...

let them put a couple of poles on the sidelines, that would be cool.

yeah, and we can put some medal cages too...and water sprinklers...

and then they would have something to call "vulgar dancing"

a trampoline!!!

I can see it now, sideliner and still sitting in Austin with 50,000 girls waiting in line to dance for them. Wait a minute how did I get into ya'lls dream.

haha......because you want to be judge #3.

No way, I am way too old to be worried about little girls that I am old enough to be their father.

Move to Holleywood...it'd be perfectly fine then...

You could be the next...Hugh Heffner. lol

still, I can see it now...forget what couldbe said, we're gonna have 100,000 girls standing in line screaming to dance for us...what a day that will be...what a glorious day...

Glorious indeed...

please...!... as if this post isn't enough... you know not including the "summer fun" one...

:tongue:

Just think of all the male cheerleaders you guys would have standing in line too. Now I know you are excited.

I'll be honest, I don't care one thing about what this post says or anything else in this forum.... But when I'm at the main page and I see that the last post in this forum was from couldbeliftin, I couldn't help but laugh.... What in the world are you doing posting in the cheerleading section? Sideliner and Still, I can't believe you two either.... lol....

Summary, there is some law about vulgar dancing by the cheerleaders that will no longer allow bumping and grinding. The young pups were commenting on how they thought it was all wrong. Then I chimed in, that's when it gets interesting.

hey, cant we have a little fun?

Sounds to me like you guys are a bunch of perverts.... Sad when you don't have anything better to do than talk about cheerleaders dancing for you....

wow...ummm, you're wrong...we're not perverts, we're just playing around so i think you need to lay off your medication...

Go back and read it...nothing we said was bad...

Wow whats with people on smoaky getting mad over nothing...grow up...somtimes people joke around because nothing else better to do.

yada yada yada

wow...your mature...

heat's risin' in here...!... :coocoo: