William Timmons: Why I’m Supporting Darline Graham

Not ageism! Heavens, no! Not from me. But Senator Darline is substantially younger, and less likely to be set in her ways, than Ralph Norman. The more open-minded the elected official the better.
And no frivolity! Heavens, no! Not from me. At my age, I think few things matter or are laughing matters. But in that pretty photo of hers, with her hair gathered in a non-pretentious clip, Senator Darline is wearing a pretty Egyptian “galabeyya” or at least a galabeyya top.
I hope her late brother brought to her from one of his visits to Egypt. Be that as it may, the collar and sleeves are embroidered with the Coptic Orthodox cross. It is the one with all four arms equal. Strictly speaking, the arms of the cross should flare at their tips; but that is probably too difficult to accomplish in embroidery.
Having given a lesson in culture, and having just learned that Congressman Timmons is a former prosecutor, here are some ideas he and Senator Darline can develop into USEFUL serious legislations they can put both their names on.
(1) The U.S. may be the only country in the world where it is legal for a federal Justice, Judge, and/or Magistrate Judge to sit on a case where a party in the federal jurist’s first cousin by blood. That is because the Congress who enacted the federal recusal statute (incidentally, at the late Senator Hollings’ behest upon failure of Judge Haynesworth’s nomination to the U.S. Supreme Court) did not know GENETICS so shortly after Crick and Watson.
Now, GINA correctly classifies first cousins as third-degree relatives while the federal recusal statute (copied in South Carolina state rules of conduct for judges) INCORRECTLY classifies them as fourth degree relatives. Because the mandatory recusal line is drawn at third degree, that classification matters.
What scandal, what whiff of hilly-billy-ism, emanates from a judge sitting on the case of, and ruling for, his first cousin!
And wouldn’t it improve South Carolina’s reputation for inbreeding if a U.S. Congressman and a U.S. Senator from South Carolina finally introduced the much-needed amended to the statute?
(2) Amend RIFRA to make it possible for parturient inmates (these are not rare) to breast-feed their babies in prison. The babies committed no crimes to be deprived of mother’s milk even if the mother were a convict.
(3) Amend the Family Leave Act to make breast-feeding breaks and facilities mandatory at work, in colleges, in public transportation. The front-end expense will save multiples later in the health of the mothers and the babies.
(4) For decency’s sake, make eviction forbidden during extremes of temperature, say if below 25 or above 85 degrees Fahrenheit. Again, the expense will save multiples in injuries and deaths to tenants evicted in extremes of temperatures and will make the U.S. a world leader in decency, not just military power.